The answers to many common questions concerning the health care needs of pets and the availability of services offered by Pet Health Center are addressed in the subjects areas listed below. To learn more click on the appropriate topic.
- Pet Services DeWitt MI
- Wellness Care
- Anesthesia and Pain Control
- Pre-anesthetic Lab Testing
- Dog & Cat Surgeries
- X-Rays and Lab Procedures
- Annual Comprehensive Physical Examination
Pet Services
Services: The following is an abbreviated list of the services offered at Pet Health Center. Although the list is incomplete, it will give you a good overview of the complex nature of our offerings.
Wellness Care
An Annual Comprehensive Physical Examination that assesses the major body systems. This allows the doctor to monitor your pet from year to year.
Appropriate Immunizations: to prevent illness for both pet and man.
Parasite detection, treatment and preventive measures: This includes Intestinal worms, Heartworm, and Flea and tic control. Recommendations are made based on the diagnosis, environmental conditions and compliance issues. Clearly prevention is the preferred course of action!
Pet identification measures: Currently there are a variety to choose from including a Nametag and the latest technological breakthrough, a Microchip.
Behavioral counseling: We provide some background for new and old pet owners, so that they might better understand how the pet sees the family and interacts with them, in their environment. This is an important issue as Inappropriate Pet Behaviors is the number one reason for pets being put-to-sleep in the United States.
Nutritional information: Never has the phrase "You are what you eat" been truer than when it applies to pet nutrition. Make NO mistake; the Doctors and Staff of the Pet Health Center are the pet health experts. Our primary goal is to see you enjoy a long and rewarding life with your pet. We know that this can be best accomplished by keeping your pet on a healthy diet. It is for this reason that we recommend the BEST, the products that we feed our own pets, Hills Science Diet.
Dental cleanings and prophylaxis: If our pets are to live longer they will need appropriate dental care to maintain their teeth. We offer a complete line of home care products for your pet as well as in-office dental procedures. Periodontal disease is not limited to people. In fact it is the number one dental problem facing our pets.
Anesthesia and Pain control
Our equipment and understanding of the body while going under anesthesia is second to none. Our Doctors and technicians have the latest in training and the BEST equipment available! Pain management for injuries and post-operative care has come into its own as of late. We have many options for clients to choose from to help minimize any pain their pet has to endure.
Preanesthetic Lab Testing
In the past, we encouraged owners to have laboratory tests done for their pets prior to anesthesia. Now we require the testing. You ask, "Why"? There are two major reasons. First, knowing if there is an underlying problem with a patient PRIOR to a procedure may make a huge difference in when and how the procedure is done and quite possibly in the outcome! Second, there is no delay in receiving the results. With today's technology, we no longer have to wait days for the results. Testing can be completed within minutes of the procedure taking place.
Costs associated with these tests are nominal for the information we gather about your pets overall health. We are looking for problems. Hopefully we will find all of the measured values "within normal limits" a.k.a. WNL. The test results are entered into the patient's medical history so that they are accessible in the future. Typically we will use these results for comparison should there be an illness or another anesthesia be necessary.
What if we find values that are not WNL? The doctors assess the seriousness of the situation. Some elevations in very young animals are to be expected and are quite normal. In this case we will proceed. In older pets, certain elevations signal serious problems and appropriate actions must be taken. One option available is changing the type of anesthetic agent we use. We may give IV fluids during the procedure to ensure adequate blood flow to the kidneys. Postponing the procedure for a few days may be necessary. All in all, it is far better to know what is going on PRIOR to the event then to play catch-up ball.
I know many of you are wondering: "Why haven't you done the lab testing all along?" There are two reasons. First, until recently testing had to be done days ahead of time rather than at the time of the surgery. This required multiple trips to the office often with a somewhat unwilling patient. Now we are able to do the testing within 30 minutes of the procedure. Second, the test results derived from the equipment we are using today are considerably more accurate and reliable than those of the past.
Pre-operative laboratory testing is state of the art. It is what you have come to expect from us at this facility. We will continue to be leaders in the area of providing health care for your family members.
Surgery (Outpatient Only)
General soft tissue procedures including, Laceration repair, Hysterectomy (Spay), Neutering, and Tumor removals.
Orthopedic procedures including, Fractures, Correction of Bone Growth Deformities, and Tendon and Ligament repairs.
Eye injuries
Dental repairs and reconstruction.
X-rays and Lab Procedures
Our X-ray equipment is capable of revealing all parts of the body and to do contrast studies (Upper and Lower GI).
Our In-house Lab equipment is state of the art! This advanced equipment allows us to make a prompt and accurate diagnosis.
Annual Comprehensive Physical Examination
We welcome new kittens and puppies. For many families this is where it all begins. Pets receive a Comprehensive Physical Examination while their families learn about Nutrition, Behavior, Immunizations, Flea and Parasite control. These topics are all part of a complete wellness program.
Adolescence in pets, as in people, is a trying time! The good news is that, unlike in people the process lasts 8-10 years while in pets it's a mere 8-10 months. This is a life stage when, if a pet is not yet spayed or neutered, they begin to explore their sexuality. This exploration comes in the form of marking territory (urinating on objects) and dominant behaviors (mounting objects including your leg and fighting). Owners must understand that these are instinctual activities that in a very short time become "Learned" behaviors. Once learned they are NEVER unlearned, they can only be modified. Doesn't it make sense to avoid these problems by spaying or neutering BEFORE puberty than to try to modify obnoxious, unwanted behaviors?
Adolescence is also a wonderful time to introduce obedience training and to teach your pet tricks. Dogs and Cats are very curious and receptive at this age. Making the activity fun, the lessons short but frequent, and giving plenty of positive reinforcement are the keys to success.
Middle age pets become complacent. They know their place in the home and generally go with the flow. However in rare cases they become very resistant to change. Moving, new furniture, a change in diet, or god forbid a new member in the household can result in some bazaar behaviors. If the owner seeks our assistance EARLY on, in most instances, we can help. All too often they initially ignore the activity, then seek the advice of their neighbor or consult the pet food sales person. It is not until the problem is unbearable that they finally come to us. At this point the job becomes MUCH tougher. The moral of the story; consult the pet health expert – your veterinarian. It is during an Annual Comprehensive Physical Examination that many of these problems are brought to light. This annual event keeps us in touch with your pet's health. As in middle age people, weight gain can become a serious problem. Consult our staff for dietary recommendations that will fill your pet up, not out. Again, the Hills Company offers the BEST nutritional value for the money. This is the brand of food that we feed our pets.
Seniors present new challenges. Of the more common problems mature pets experience are; Weight Control, Skin and Hair Coat conditions, Allergies, many develop Arthritis and Heart Conditions and of course the ever present lumps and bumps. We are sensitive to the needs of mature pets. Once again the value of an Annual Comprehensive Physical Examination cannot be underestimated. Geriatric veterinary medicine is coming of age. The doctors and staff at the Zeeb Pet Health Center continue to examine new and innovative ways to provide quality of life to our patients and to their families.
Contact our office and talk to one of our veterinary staff regarding any additional questions regarding your pet at (517) 669-2641.