Preventive Care

• Dental Care
  There has been nothing short of a revolution in the veterinary dental arena. We now have the American Veterinary Dental College, a specialty college responsible for the certification of veterinary dental specialists like Dr. Fraser Hale. Research into dental disease has clearly shown just how important oral health is to overall pet health. Better oral health allows your pet to live a longer, happier life.
• Vaccination
  PREVENTIVE CARE: Preventive care is the most efficient way to manage your pet’s health. Examinations, Consultations, and Vaccinations are provided on an appointment basis. This allows us to provide the attention necessary to each of our patients. It is difficult for us to accommodate late arrivals without penalizing our other patients. Please call the office to reschedule if you are going to be more than 5 minutes late for your appointment
• Veterinary Ophthalmology
  Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) – The Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) is an organization that was founded by a group of concerned, purebred owner/breeders who recognized that the quality of their dog’s lives were being affected by heritable eye disease. CERF was then established in conjunction with cooperating, board certified, veterinary ophthalmologists, as a means to accomplish the goal of elimination of heritable eye disease in all purebred and recently hybrid dogs by forming a centralized, national registry.
• Behavioral Counseling
  When you set up an appointment for preselection counseling, we will ask you a series of questions to help you understand what your lifestyle and any current pets will allow when it comes to your next pet, and help you figure out how different breeds of pets will or won’t fit into your life. We will help you learn how to choose an ethical breeder, or how to find a reputable rescue group, and the pros and cons of each. We will direct you to resources for things like housetraining/litter training, obedience training, and troubleshooting.
• Nutritional Counseling
  Weight control is a serious matter for your pet. One third of all pets is considered to be overweight to an unhealthy degree. It shouldn’t be a surprise as there are so many super tasting foods and most pets do not lead an active lifestyle.
• Comprehensive Examination
  We only schedule 2 consultations per hour per doctor. Our appointments are more than twice the length of the national average for small animal hospitals. Longer appointments mean more thorough physical examinations, more detailed histories, and we can more fully involve our clients in the healthcare decision making process. In a recent study, it was shown that in the current human healthcare climate, many physicians are being forced to spend 20 minutes or less with their human patients. The study concluded that most patients have inadequate time to understand their treatment options and that they are inadequately prepared to make sound decisions regarding their own health. We began scheduling 30 minute appointments in 1996 because we knew that involved pet owners expect to have a full understanding of what healthcare options are available to them. We recently added a 15 minute technician appointment to each doctor appointment, to allow for a more detailed history and initial discussion, which allows the doctor to spend more time examining the patient and discussing any issues and treatment plans with the client.  This routine also helps us to maintain a better on-time appointment schedule. Emergencies and unexpected arrivals can still create occasional delays but this is rare.

Illness Treatment

• Parasites Treatment and Control
  You may not know that cats can also get heartworm disease. In cats, it is critical that you prevent infestation, as most of the treatments which kill adult heartworm in dogs are dangerous for use in cats. We normally recommend a topical flea and heartworm preventative called Advantage Multi for cats.
• Behavioral Disorder Treatment
  We individualize each patient’s vaccination plan according to their health status, life style and age. We follow the recommendations from the American Animal Hospital Association’s 2011 Vaccine Guidelines for dogs and the 2012 American Association of Feline Practitioner’s Vaccine Guidelines for cats. These guidelines state which vaccines are recommended and at what time interval. A recent survey found that 60% of veterinarians still vaccinate their patients every year for canine distemper and parvo and feline RCP (rhinotracheitis, calici, panleukopenia) which ignores the original guidelines published almost a decade ago. Only 14% of veterinarians use the safer rabies vaccine engineered specifically for cats, even though this vaccine has been available for over a decade.
• Pain Management
  We understand that “life happens” sometimes, we ask that you please give us at least 24 hours’ notice of appointment cancellations for routine appointments and 48 hours’ notice for surgeries and Pain Management appointments. When you schedule an appointment with us, we set aside staff and doctor time specifically for you, with adequate notice of a cancellation, we can see another pet at that time.
• Skin Condition and Allergy Treatment
  Keep in mind that most food allergies in dogs are to the specific meat protein source, not grain. Also keep in mind that grain free does not mean low carbohydrate, many of the grain containing diets are actually lower in carbohydrates than some of the grain free diets. Dogs also do not have gluten intolerance except in very rare cases in very specific breeds. Ingredients lists are not the best way to determine the quality of a diet, despite what some websites would have you believe.

Infection Treatment

• Leptospirosis Treatment
  We were concerned that Emma had a serious respiratory infection, like the dog flu or a bacterial infection like leptospirosis, however, she had very little contact with other dogs or animals, was not boarded recently and she also had no fever. A toxin, like rat poison, may have caused the symptoms she exhibited, but Mike and Eileen could not think of any toxin that Emma could encounter in her environment.
• Parvovirus Infection Treatment
  A) It depends on how old your pet is and what kind of vaccinations you’re talking about! Some vaccines ( Leptospirosis, Bordatella, Pox-vectored Rabies) need to be boostered annually, others (Distemper, Parvovirus, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, etc.) can be boostered less often. The doctor will review your pet’s medical record with you and discuss what shots are needed and when. We follow the most current AVMA recommendations for a minimal vaccination protocol.
• Bacterial and Viral Infection Treatment
• Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
  A) We recommend a urinalysis and fecal check every 6 months. A urinalysis tells us about your pet’s internal health (kidneys, urinary tract infections, etc.) and a fecal checks for intestinal parasites like hookworms, roundworms (found in both cats and dogs ) and whipworms ( some of which humans can contract !). Puppies and kittens should have at least two negative fecal results before they go onto an every 6 months schedule, to make sure that they do not have any parasites which are not covered by a broad-spectrum dewormer.

Chronic Condition Treatment

• Arthritis Treatment
  Physical concerns like arthritis may appear as: difficulty climbing stairs; difficulty jumping up; limping or stiffness (especially after lying down); decreased or increased activity in general; lowered enthusiasm for walks; changes in greeting behavior. There are so many supplements and safe medications available to us to treat  your pet’s arthritis. Stiff and sore joints do not only affect dogs; many older cats benefit from arthritis treatment. If your cat has not jumped up the counter or bed in a while, he or she may be suffering from arthritis pain.  We are fortunate to have the option of using Physical Therapy with our certified rehab practitioner (and head veterinary technician), Stephanie Ortel and Acupuncture with Dr. Stein.
• Hip Dysplasia Treatment
  PennHIP – PennHIP is a not-for-profit program wholly owned and operated by the University of Pennsylvania. Our mission is to develop and apply evidence-based technology to direct appropriate breeding strategies aimed at reducing in frequency and severity the osteoarthritis of canine hip dysplasia.
• Diabetes Treatment
• Thyroid Disease Treatment
• Heart Disease Treatment
  Radiographs, commonly referred to as X-rays, are an extremely useful diagnostic tool. With this tool, we can look into the body. Broken bones, pneumonia, heart disease, intestinal obstructions, and cancer are some of the diseases that are commonly diagnosed with radiographs.
• Kidney Disease Treatment
  Kidney failure can be a chronic problem which is seen in both dogs and cats. While there is no “cure” (yet!), there is much that can be done to help patients with kidney failure live long and comfortable lives.
• Periodontal Disease Treatment
  85% of dogs and cats older than four years of age have periodontal disease. That is an astounding statistic that we strive to change for our patients. We recommend routine oral home care, like teeth brushing and tartar control food and treats. During routine physical exams we will show you any trouble spots in your pet’s mouth and recommend dental exam and cleaning under anesthesia as needed. Many pets, especially cats and toy breed dogs, need dental cleanings yearly.
• Cancer Treatment
  We offer several different kinds of chemotherapy for different kinds of cancer. Using the most current recommendations from veterinary oncologists, we can work with you to craft a customized cancer treatment plan, including chemotherapy, surgery, supplements, comfort care and diet. We can also develop a “cancer suppression” plan for incurable cancers to help improve and extend your pet’s quality of life.

Surgery

• Dental Surgery
  A complete dental exam under anesthesia includes dental radiographs of every tooth taken with a dental radiography machine similar to that used by human dentists. The veterinary technicians clean the teeth of plaque and tartar with an ultrasonic scaling instument, including the space under the gum tissue. Next, the doctor examines the teeth and mouth and reviews the dental radiographs to determine if treatment or dental surgery is necessary.
• Veterinary Surgery
  Each of our anesthetic patients has a preanesthetic examination. Preanesthetic medications are tailored to the needs of the patient to minimize distress and discomfort. IV catheters are planned for every anesthetized patient to maximize safety in the rare event that emergency medications are needed. Most veterinary practices do not use IV catheters during routine surgeries. An emergency drug sheet is customized for each individual patient. The most likely emergency drugs are drawn up and available for immediate use. In the event of an emergency, these steps save critical time. An anesthetic record is placed in the patient record with all the important information that we need when planning future anesthetic events. Most veterinary practices do not keep a separate, detailed, dedicated anesthetic record.
• Spaying and Neutering
  There have been several articles published in peer-reviewed journals (including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) over the last few years regarding possible negative effects of spaying and neutering on some dogs, especially when performed at young ages.

Lab and X-Rays

• Laboratory Services
  In 1983 Dr. Stein came on staff at the Amherst Small Animal Hospital. In 1989 he took over full ownership and immediately began to modernize the practice from the ground up. Appointments times have been quadrupled to allow for more client education and true owner involvement in the health care decision making process. A computerized records system was installed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of our reminder system. Equipment purchases in all areas of the Hospital were added to strengthen our in-patient diagnostic capabilities and treatment programs. Included were new X-ray equipment, state of the art anesthesia equipment including university level anesthetic safety monitors, surgery lights, intravenous infusion pumps for precise delivery of IV fluids, a fiber optic endoscope for internal examinations without surgery, extensive in-house laboratory equipment, cutting edge dental equipment, and much more.
• X-Ray
• Dental Radiology
  RADIOLOGY SERVICES: Our facility provides quality X-Ray Imaging on-site for the convenience and safety of our patients. We also have dedicated state-of-the-art Dental Radiology units.
• Microchipping

General Pet Care

• Boarding
  It was in ’79 that Dr. Mick Weirich, then a long time associate with the practice, took the reins. Dr. Weirich, a graduate of Michigan State University in the late 1960s, maintained the facility as a full service practice, providing boarding and grooming, until his departure in 1989.
• Grooming
• Senior Pet Care
  With good care at home and progressive veterinary medicine, pets are living longer  lives, but the caring for elderly pets can be challenging if the pet owner is not aware of changes that happen normally in older cats and dogs .  Many times we attribute to age behavioral changes like decreased interest in things, “grouchiness” and lowered activity, when in fact such changes can often be signs of pain or discomfort.  Remember that old age is not a disease!  Many older pets simply need an adjustment in their living environments, and/or the addition of inexpensive medications (most of which have few or no side effects).  We can help put the spring back in your senior pet’s step, and bring back their enthusiasm for walks!