Surgical

All surgery is performed in our sterile surgical suite. We use only sevoflurane anesthesia which is carefully monitored by certified veterinary technician using our state of the art monitor. Our surgical monitor measures pulse-ox, blood pressure, respiration, temperature CO2 and ECG. Our surgical services include a broad range of procedures including routine spays and neuters as well as more complex soft tissue surgeries and some orthopedic procedures.

Laboratory Services

We have an excellent in house laboratory capable of analyzing serum chemistries, electrolytes, and some hematological values. We can also run urinalysis, and perform skin scrapings and cytologies. We now send our fecal samples to Antech as well,as they are able to perform a more thorough screening. We are confident that we can get information critical to your pet’s health in a timely manner.

Dental

Abington Veterinary Center offers a full range of veterinary dental services including routine scaling and polishing, treatment of periodontal disease and extractions. Because patients must be under full anesthesia for dental procedures, we have a vital sign monitor which records ECG, pulse ox, respiration, temperature and blood pressure on all dental patients. We are also available to counsel our clients about proper dental care for their pets. This includes brushing teeth, applying sealants, therapeutic diets and treats, and new dental health vaccine.

Radiology

Our hospital offers full service diagnostic imaging. We have a brand new X-ray machine which allows us to produce high quality radiographs in a timely manner. We offer contrast studies when circumstances dictate the need. We also routinely use the services of Cornell University’s experts for consultation.

Nursing Care

Veterinary professionals are taught in veterinary school and veterinary technology programs that you can never depend solely on your equipment, no matter how good it is. That is why Abington Veterinary Center hires skilled, educated Certified Veterinary Technicians and experienced assistants to provide the very best in nursing care for your pet. Our staff provides a careful blend of education, experience, and compassion. We treat your pet with the very same level of care that we would our own pets.


2. I’ve heard that I should be brushing my pet’s teeth. How am I supposed to do that and why?

Dental care is very important to your pet’s health. Dental disease can lead to problems throughout your pet’s body. The infection caused by periodontal disease may enter the bloodstream, potentially infecting the heart, liver and kidneys. Common indications of oral disease include bad breath, a change in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face or mouth and depression. If you see any of these signs, or if you suspect dental disease for any reason, please call our office and schedule a dental examination. To prevent dental disease, it is essential to create a home care routine. The best option is to brush your pet’s teeth. For complete instructions please click on http://www.petdental.com/pet_dental/pet_index.jsp. If you would like hands-on instructions on brushing, please feel free to call our office and set up a consultation. Our staff would be happy to work with you to find a home care regimen that works for you. If brushing is truly not an option, don’t be discouraged, there are other homecare options we can explore, including application of a sealant (www.oravet.com), the use of therapeutic diets or treats (http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com), and the use of an innovative vaccine against the bacteria that causes periodontal disease (http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.asp?drug=PH&country=US&lang=EN&species=CN).


3. I would like to have my pet seen by the veterinarian, but I don’t have any money right now, can I still come in?

Unfortunately, we are no longer able to bill our clients. If we continue to engage in this practice, we will no longer be able to afford to be in practice. We happily accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card, American Express, cash, and personal checks. There is also a wonderful new service available called Care Credit. Feel free to apply ahead of time at www.carecredit.com. If pet needs to be seen for something routine, we encourage you to wait until you have the money to set up the appointment. If your pet has a problem and needs to be seen promptly, and you have no other financing options available, we will hold a check (with current dating) until a designated date. We do require a valid credit card number with this service.

8. Why do you want to see a fecal sample from my pet?

We send the sample to our reference laboratory to be screened for intestinal parasites. This will tell us whether or not your pet has one (or more) of any number of internal parasites, many of which are transmissible to humans. Please go to http://www.petsandparasites.org/ for more information. 15. Okay, I definitely want to crate train my puppy, but I have some additional questions about it, as well as some other training questions, is there someone I can talk to ? Yes, most of our staff can provide some insight with training, however, for most training and behavior questions, please ask for our Head Technician, Danielle. She has some very in depth training in the area of canine behavior. In October of 2007, she received a scholarship from the Society of Behavior Technicians to attend a conference at the University of Georgia called Preventing and Treating Behavior Problems in Dogs and Cats.

Endoscopy

We also offer endoscopy services. With our video endoscope we possess the ability to visualize and record the inside of your pet's ear; we can use that capability to flush the ears, and to photograph them in order to document their progress.

Glaucoma Screening

With the addition of a tonopen we now have the ability to screen for and monitor the progress of glaucoma in our patients. We recommend screenings at least yearly in all pets over five years of age and much sooner and more frequently in predisposed breeds.