A thorough Wellness Exam incorporates laboratory tests that can be helpful in diagnosing blood disorders, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, infection, cancer, thyroid disease and other hormonal problems. Many of these conditions can be prevented, controlled, or completely reversed if diagnosed early. Diagnostic testing is the most sensitive and accurate method for early detection of health problems.

The American Veterinary Medical Association suggests that you consult your veterinarian if your pet shows any of the following signs:

• Abnormal discharges from the nose, eyes, or other body openings
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive water consumption or appetite
• Marked, sudden, or unexpected weight loss or gain
• Difficult, abnormal, or uncontrolled waste elimination
• Abnormal behavior, sudden viciousness, or lethargy
• Limping, lameness, or difficulty getting up,lying down, or using stairs
• Excessive head shaking, scratching, and licking or biting any part of the body
• Vomiting, coughing, wheezing, or sneezing
• Lethargy, listlessness, or exercise intolerance
• Abnormal lumps, swellings, growths, or painful areas
• Dandruff, loss of hair, wounds, abrasions, lacerations, or dull hair coat.
• Foul breath, broken teeth, or excessive tarter deposits on teeth

Wellness Bloodwork
We recommend performing routine screening bloodwork as cats and dogs enter their senior years, approximately 7 years of age. This is the time when many disease processes such as kidney and liver disease, Cushings disease, diabetes, hyper and hypothyroidism begin. All of these diseases can be present and causing internal changes without obvious symptoms until the disease is in its advanced stages. Routine screening can help to detect these and other diseases early, when they are easier to treat, which can lead to a better long term prognosis and longer, healthier life. show less ...

Bradfordville Animal Hospital is following the guidelines recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.

The current recommended vaccine protocol is divided into core vaccines and optional vaccines. Core vaccines in dogs include Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Bordetella and Rabies. Optional vaccines include Lyme, Corona and Leptospirosis. For cats, core vaccines include Distemper, Rhinotracheitis, Calici virus and Rabies. Optional vaccines include Feline Leukemia. Your pet's lifestyle will determine if optional vaccines are needed. vaccine information page...

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• Metabolic diseases, such as pancreatitis
• Infectious diseases, such as tick borne diseases
• Endocrine disease, such as diabetes and Cushing's disease
  • Hyperthyroid Feline Treatment Center
• Hematological disease, such as immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA)
• Gastrointestinal disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease
• Liver disease, such as hepatic lipidosis
• Renal disease, such as acute or chronic renal failure
• Lower urinary diseases, such as urinary incontinence and urinary tract infection
• Respiratory disorders, such as bronchitis. View or download reverse sneeze video

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Signs to watch for that indicate mild pain:

• less activity
• going up or down stairs less often
• slightly abnormal gait

Signs to watch for that indicate moderate pain:

• unwillingness to go up or down stairs or hesitating before going up or down
• sleeping more than normal during the day
• obvious abnormal gait (limping, bunny-hopping, etc)
• excessive panting
• irritable disposition
• specific areas of the body are sensitive to touch

Signs to watch for which indicate severe pain include:

• severely abnormal gait (little to no weight bearing on a limb, constant weight shifting, head bobs when walking)
• decreased appetite
• restless at night
• sleeping excessively during the day
• severe sensitivity to touch, sometimes leading to an aggressive response

Prior to surgery, each patient receives a thorough physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that might endanger his or her health. Since all problems cannot be detected on examination, we also require pre-anesthetic blood testing. These tests not only give us a more complete picture of your pet's health, but also allow us to create an anesthetic protocol tailored specifically for your pet.

Pain management is a part of our pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative anesthetic and medical protocol. All surgical patients, including those undergoing routine procedures, receive pain control medication. Our goal is to make each procedure as painless as possible. With more difficult and complex surgeries, proper pain management is imperative in helping your pet recover comfortably and quickly. With your pet's health and well-being in mind, pain management is a top priority in every surgical procedure we perform. show less ...

Our post-op / ICU ward is equipped to keep pets comfortable and safe with personal as well as electronic monitoring. Infusion pumps and heating pads are available when needed. This ward is in the general treatment section of the hospital where our licensed veterinary technicians can directly and continuously observe such patients and give the finest in nursing care. show less ...

The detection of a heart murmur by your veterinarian, often on routine examination, can be the first sign that changes in the heart have taken place. While not every murmur signals the onset of heart disease, further investigation is warranted since those murmurs which are a result of heart disease cannot be distinguished from "innocent" murmurs by routine tests alone. Fortunately, advances in companion animal medicine enable veterinarians to efficiently diagnose cardiovascular disease in pets, even in its early stages. In many instances, if heart disease is detected prior to the stage of actual heart failure, it can be successfully controlled with medication. A pet with carefully controlled heart disease may live symptom-free for years! more about cardiology...

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They diagnose and treat:

• Infectious and noninfectious skin diseases
• Parasitic skin diseases
• Autoimmune diseases
• Allergy and allergy-induced skin diseases
• Skin manifestations of systemic disease (including internal malignancy), cancer of the skin, cysts and other tumors of the skin
• Chronic ear disorders

They perform specialized diagnostic procedures including:

• Microscopic examination of skin biopsy specimens
• Cytological smears
• Blood tests for allergic diseases
• Fungal cultures and other microbiologic examination of skin scrapings and secretions

Treatments can include:

• Externally applied, injected and internal medications
• Certain dermatologic surgical procedures including skin biopsys

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A cancer diagnosis in a pet is not a sentence of immediate euthanasia. Chemotherapy is a treatment option. It's best for cancers that involve multiple sites or sites that aren't susceptible to surgery or radiation. While the drugs used in veterinary chemotherapy are the same as human chemotherapy, animals often tolerate chemotherapy much better than people do. Even though the drugs are usually well tolerated by dogs and cats, they are very potent drugs and can cause serious side effects so dogs and cats are closely monitored while receiving chemotherapy. Early in the course of chemotherapy weekly examinations and blood tests are usually performed. show less ...

Many breeds of dogs have a genetic predisposition to eye disease. This can range from very painful eyelid abnormalities seen in Shar-peis and Chow chows, to retinal atrophy of Poodles, and Collie Eye Anomaly which can lead to blindness. Eyelid problems have to be surgically corrected to avoid pain and ulceration. Research your dog's breed to discover any common eye problems.

Corneal ulcers may be commonly seen in many breeds. Ulcers may be caused by viruses, surface irritants, exposure and injury. Corneal ulcers should be treated at once. A simple eye stain test can diagnose an ulcer so treatment can be started immediately. The type of treatment for an ulcer varies depending on severity. Never use an eye medication on your pet without consulting with your veterinarian first. show less ...

Each microchip has a unique number. This number, along with information about the owner and pet, are added to a national pet registry. Most veterinarians and animal shelters have electronic scanners for detecting and reading these implanted microchips. If a lost pet is found, and the microchip is scanned, the registry is called and the owner is contacted.

Millions of dogs and cats, horses, livestock and birds now carry the AVID® microchip. Wildlife and endangered species, reptiles and even fish are being studied and managed with the aid of this great technology. show less ...