HEALTH MAINTENANCE SERVICES
You love your pet. You want to find the best care possible when your pet is sick. Dr. McCarthy, Dr. Cheever, Dr. Hellreich, Dr. Coulter, and the entire veterinary medical team at The Village Animal Clinic provide the best possible care for your pet in a compassionate and loving environment. Our staff is committed to providing medical excellence for your pet and open communication with you, our client.
Keeping Your Albany Area Pet Healthy
The Village Animal Clinic is a full-service animal hospital and wellness center staffed by compassionate and caring individuals. From the latest ultrasound technology to advanced surgical procedures, your pet receives the highest level of care available.
We offer a broad range of medical services to provide you with the high-quality veterinary care you expect and your pet deserves. Our focus is on disease prevention and wellness care. Through our preventive care program, your pet receives a comprehensive “nose-to-tail” physical examination to establish their overall health profile. Your pet receives personalized, high-quality care based on their needs and lifestyle.
Whether your pet is a playful puppy, an elderly cat, or a frisky ferret, they receive the best care possible at The Village Animal Clinic. We offer various treatments, from traditional spays and neuters to more advanced diagnostic, medical, and surgical procedures. Our highly qualified and skilled veterinary staff performs advanced diagnostic tests for your pet. Test results are usually available immediately, allowing us to treat your sick or injured pet as quickly as possible.
Internal Medicine
Sometimes one of the frustrations of dealing with a sick pet is that you cannot simply ask them what is wrong. Therefore, The Village Animal Clinic has invested in the latest advanced diagnostic technology. When your pet is not well, we must find out what is wrong. After a thorough examination, diagnostic tests are often necessary to identify the medical condition.
All the veterinarians at The Village Animal Clinic are knowledgeable and have a large amount of expertise in diagnosing and treating complex internal medicine cases such as kidney, heart, respiratory, immune-mediated, and endocrine diseases.
AVID Microchipping
Often, a pet that has run off fails to return home. This is a terrible, frightening situation. We have all seen the sad, lost pet notices posted throughout our neighborhoods. Getting lost is more than inconvenient: It’s the number one cause of pet death.
Studies have shown that more than 10 million pets get lost yearly, and about 90 percent would not be returned to their owner unless they have some form of permanent lost pet identification.
This is why the team at The Village Animal Clinic views microchip lost pet IDs as a standard of protection for your pet. With a microchip, animal control officers, shelters, and veterinary hospitals can easily identify your pet. Microchips are safe, unalterable, and permanent identification for pets. The entire implant procedure takes less than 10 seconds.
We use the AVID microchip system. Unlike other companies, AVID offers a one-time registration fee for the life of your pet and uses microchips to register the animal with a unique identification number filed in a database with important contact information. This information can be updated at any time.
AVID membership also offers benefits such as proactive pet recovery and free access to ASPCA Poison Control. AVID provides several useful pet owner services, such as their National Pet Recovery Database, Lost Pet Specialists, Rapid Lost Pet Alerts, Lost Pet Medical Insurance, Travel Assistance for Found Pets, and more.
AVID uses technology that is standardized worldwide so that your pet’s microchip can be read at shelters in several countries.
Glaucoma Prevention
Glaucoma is when the fluid pressure inside the eye increases to a point where the optic nerve is damaged, causing vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma affects not only humans; your pet can also develop this condition. Glaucoma is relatively common in animals and can develop as your pet ages, known as chronic glaucoma. Glaucoma can also occur due to an injury or illness known as acute glaucoma. Glaucoma can often progress quite rapidly – especially when it results from injury or underlying illness. It is an emergency.
The Village Animal Clinic’s veterinarians are skilled at identifying the early signs of this dangerous eye condition.
Symptoms to look for include:
Redness in the Eye
Tearing or Discharge
Eye Sensitivity to Light
Eye Pain
Cloudy-Looking Eye
Bulging Eyeball
Due to the severity and incidence of glaucoma, we recommend that your pet be checked regularly for this disease. A routine glaucoma exam is an effective screening measure for chronic and acute glaucoma and can also help set a baseline measurement. Setting a baseline measurement is important because normal intraocular pressure (IOP) can vary between species, breeds, and individual pets.
At The Village Animal Clinic, we use an instrument called a tonometer to measure the fluid pressure inside your pet’s eyes. This noninvasive, simple procedure should not cause your pet any pain or discomfort. Your veterinarian will apply a mild anesthetic eye drop to ensure your pet is comfortable during the exam.
Laser Therapy
To further reduce pain and promote healing after surgery or an injury or to manage a range of chronic and acute conditions, The Village Animal Clinic offers laser therapy. Laser therapy is a painless FDA-approved medical procedure that uses low-level lasers to stimulate the natural healing capabilities of the body’s cells. This form of laser therapy is effective at promoting healing on a cellular level as well as decreasing inflammation after surgery, injury, or in areas of the body affected by chronic illnesses such as arthritis or acute conditions such as otitis. It can also be used to increase joint mobility and relieve the aches and pains common to geriatric pets.
How Laser Therapy Works
Laser therapy creates a deep penetrating light that induces the body to release endorphins and stimulates the injured cells to heal faster. During each painless treatment, the laser’s energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. This tool enables us to offer our clients an alternative to pharmaceuticals that can produce immediate results without dangerous side effects.
Laser Therapy Treatments
Your pet does not need to be sedated for laser therapy; the experience is usually pleasant and comforting. Improvement is often seen after the first treatment; however, the length and frequency of treatments vary with your pet’s condition, and most pets require several treatments to achieve maximum benefits. Generally, 4 – 8 treatments produce the best results, and laser therapy treatment effects are cumulative. Your veterinarian at The Village Animal Clinic will recommend a laser treatment plan specific to your pet’s condition.
Allergies and Dermatology
If left untreated, allergy-related conditions can fester and become serious health concerns for your pet.
Therefore, it is important to be able to identify the first signs and symptoms of allergies and dermatological conditions. These include:
Inflamed Ears
Flaking
Hair Loss
Lesions on the Skin
Red Itchy Bumps on the Skin
Hotspots, Especially Those That Recur
Rubbing Around the Eyes or Mouth
Asthma-like Wheezing or Respiratory Issues
These problems can indicate a serious dermatological or allergic reaction to allergens such as fleas, pollen, dust, and various foods. If you notice any of these symptoms, you must bring your pet to The Village Animal Clinic for an evaluation. If left untreated, these problems can become severe medical concerns.
At The Village Animal Clinic, we take the time to explain your pet’s condition, how to prevent future occurrences, and the proper treatment method.