Senior Pet Care
As pets age, obtaining examinations for them becomes increasingly important. A number of diseases common to the aging process can be treated more effectively when diagnosed early. Beginning in middle age, we recommend senior wellness exams every six months so that disease processes can be detected and treated as soon as possible.
Common senior dog diseases include : cushings, cancer, arthritis.
Common senior cat diseases include: hyperthyroidism, diabetes, renal disease, cancer.

Small Mammal Care & Turtle Care
Dr. Kristine Young provides veterinary care for rabbits, guinea pigs, other small mammals and turtles. Services include wellness exams, treatments and a detailed review of husbandry techniques. Dr Lori Bierbrier performs spays, neuters and dentistry as well as other surgical services. They are both members of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians.

Vaccines
Hope Vet’s vaccine protocol requires that vaccines should be given cautiously and be tailored to the pet’s individual requirements. Researchers have proven a link between the over administration of certain vaccines and the development cancers called fibrosarcomas. We follow the AAHA vaccine guidelines, which conclusively demonstrate that receiving vaccines every three years is sufficient to provide immunity. Because vaccines involve injecting pets with small amounts of viruses, we never give more than one vaccine at a time. We also recommend that vaccines are administered according to risk. For example, indoor-only cats need not receive a vaccine for feline leukemia as there is little to no risk for transmission.

For owners who would rather minimize vaccinations, we offer blood titers which test a pet’s level of immunity in order to determine whether he or she needs further protection.

Nutrition
Hope Vet recognizes nutrition as an essential aspect of good health, and nutritional education as integral to the provision of good veterinary medicine. We believe that pets should be fed as close as possible to what nature intended, while recognizing that most people need to be practical about managing their busy lives. We recommend feeding only natural diets made with human grade meat. Clients who are interested in cooking for their pets or feeding a raw food diet should first discuss it with their veterinarian since patient needs differ.

Hope Vet stocks a number of human grade foods include Eagle Pack, Merrick, Scooter Food and Nutrapet, and raw food diets including Stella and Chewy’s, Primal, and Honest Kitchen

Pharmacy
Hope Vet prescribes and recommends a wide range of conventional medicines and neutracuticals (natural medicines and supplements). Many conventional medications can be compounded into forms that are more convenient for administration to pets, such as flavored liquids, chews and topical medications.

Radiology
Radiology is a very important diagnostic tool. Hope Vet has recently installed a digital radiography machine. This means that radiographs can be done more quickly and safely for pets, and provide images with excellent detail, increasing their diagnostic efficacy. Some patients may need to be sedated or anesthetized depending on the patient and the area being radiographed. In this case, we normally schedule a separate appointment in order to ensure that the pet is safe and comfortable as possible.

Laboratory Services
Hope Vet offers a variety of laboratory testing. Many services are offered in-house to provide results while you wait. Our facility has some of the most advanced laboratory equipment in use by veterinarians, offering complete blood count, comprehensive blood chemistries and blood thyroid levels. Hope Vet also offers in-house snap tests that provide rapid results for feline leukemia, FIV, heartworm, lyme and giardia. Other in-house laboratory tests include fecal analysis, cytology, and urinalysis.

General Surgery
Hope Vet offers surgical services to dogs, cats, rabbits and other small mammals on weekdays (Mondays through Fridays). Our general surgery service include spays and neuters (sterilization) along with a variety of soft tissue surgeries such as growth removals, foreign body removals, and research.

In order to ensure that animals are safe to undergo surgery, all pets are required to have an examination by one of our veterinarians prior to surgery. At that time, the veterinarian will discuss upcoming procedures and address any questions or concerns.

Surgical procedures are performed in our dedicated surgery suite. We take the utmost care for the safety and well being of every animal. The most current anesthetic protocols are used to maximize safety. Each patient is fully monitored by a trained technician while under anesthesia. Monitoring equipment includes pulse oximeter and Doppler blood pressure. All pets are given pain relievers and sedatives to minimize the pain and stress of surgery both before and after the procedure. We use heated surgery tables and warm blankets for recovery to ensure comfort. Be assured that the staff here will do everything possible to ensure that all pets are safe and comfort. Following surgery, animals are closely monitored for several hours to ensure that pets recover safely.

In the event that a more extensive surgical procedure is deemed necessary (such as orthopedic or spinal surgery) we prefer to refer pets to a board certified surgeon at one of several local specialty veterinary hospitals.

Hospitalization
Hope Vet believes that pets function best when they are at home rather than in the hospital, so we generally prefer to keep hospitalizations to a minimum. However, it does sometimes become necessary for an animal to be hospitalized in order to treat certain conditions that cannot be effectively treated at home. During a pet’s hospitalization, we encourage frequent visits by the family to provide comfort and reassurance to the pet, and to inform and support the family in person concerning their pet’s status. Visiting hours can be arranged with the doctor or nurses at the time of hospitalization.

Microchips
Hope Vet thoroughly endorses microchipping as a safe, effective and inexpensive method to ensure that beloved pets can be reunited with the families who love them. 10 million unidentified pets get lost every year. 90% don’t return home! Compared with these statistics, over 94% of microchipped pets have been reunited with their families. All shelters and veterinary hospitals have microchip scanners which means that microchipped pets can quickly and easily be identified if brought to a facility.
Hope Vet uses Home Again microchips. They are approximately the size of a grain of rice and are inserted under the skin with a syringe. Microchips are often implanted at the time of spay or neuter, but can also be inserted when the patient is awake as part of a technician exam.

OTHER SERVICES / WHAT WE DON'T DO

Declawing for Cats
Declawing involves amputating up to the first “digit” of a cat’s foot—it is not merely removing the nail as many people assume. The procedure is outlawed in most European countries. Research has demonstrated that cats who have been declawed experience the same ghost pain that human amputees report. In our experience this results in cats who are often fearful and who can become aggressive—using their teeth to defend themselves as they no longer have claws. For all of these reasons we do not perform declaws at Hope Vet. Instead we teach owners alternatives including how to trim nails (repeatedly if necessary!) and recommending good quality scratching posts or other surfaces that cats can scratch on. Hope Vet's technician staff can also instruct owners to apply Soft Paws, which are similar to nail tips and prevent damage.

Tail and Ear Docking for Dogs
Tail and ear docking are performed in order to meet breed standards. Hope Vet does not perform tail and ear docking, but rather encourages owners to keep their dogs as nature intended.