Dentistry

Your Pet’s Mouth Is the Gateway to Good Health – Made possible with regular Pet Dentistry treatments.

Pet dentistry services are an important part of your pets hygiene. Cleaning your pet’s teeth at Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center is an important part of keeping them healthy. Its not normal for your dog to have “Dog breath.”  Its a sign that there are problems. When bacteria in your pet’s mouth gets into the bloodstream, it causes damage to  major body organs as the kidneys, lungs, or heart.

After a cleaning, following up at home is important. We are happy to take the time to make recommendations on what you can do. Products that you can use to keep teeth clean, reduce tartar, and bacteria are special chews or diets.

Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

There is another important component  that you can do at home to keep your pet’s teeth clean and bacteria free. Do this step-by-step process, and your pet will learn to enjoy having their teeth brushed.

• Prepare your pet by rubbing his or her gums every day and reward with a treat. Your pet will learn that this is an activity to look forward to.
• After a week or so, use some special pet toothpaste on your finger and rub the teeth and gums. Let your pet taste it and give lots of praise.
• Once your pet has become accustomed to having your finger in their mouth, try using the toothbrush with paste. 

Just as we brush our teeth, and  have regular dentist visits, pets need the same level of care. An unclean mouth can lead to infection and can cause complicated medical issues for your pets. Chronic oral disease can spread bacteria to other parts of the body. Oral disease can affect the lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. Signs to watch for are bad breath, swollen gums, and also tartar build up. Signs of oral disease can also include  pets rubbing their faces against the carpet or furniture. Behavioral changes can also be signs of oral disease. These changes can include poor appetite, difficulty eating, growling or snapping, decreased activity, and sleeping a lot.

Keep at it! Your pet will thank you.

Digital Radiology

Pet Imaging, with our digital machine, lets Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center evaluate any organ in the body. This includes the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs, as well as the bones.

Radiography also known as  Pet Imaging, or X-rays is painless, safe, and completely non-invasive. The level of radiation exposure needed to perform pet imaging is low. Pregnant females and also young pets can undergo

radiography. Radiography is used to evaluate bone structure, as well as the size, shape, and position of the body’s organs.

Why Pet Imaging (Digital Radiology)?

Vets use X-rays to screen areas of the body that have contrasting tissue density, and for evaluating solid tissues. Vet Boca is equipped to perform routine x-ray services that identifies many types of trauma or illness in your

pet. X-rays are a vital tool in detecting health issues in your pet such as arthritis, tumors and lung abnormalities. X-rays can also detect pneumonia, bladder and kidney stones. Vets will use an x-ray in evaluating bone

damage. Dental x-rays is another area where your pets health needs to be checked. Using Pet Imaging, your Vet can find root damage, tumors and abscesses beneath the gums.

It is our goal to provide our patients and their owners the very best care possible. To do this, our staff members are dedicated to learning all they can about pet care. They are always learning, and this benefits our patients

greatly.

We are proud to offer Pet Imaging to our patients. Our machine allows us to get quality images of your pet’s organs. The images are ready within a few seconds of taking them. Pet Imaging

also saves time. We are able to adjust the images if there too dark or too light and not  have to retake them. This saves time and frustration, for your pet.

Vaccines

Dog and Cat shots are an important part of your pet’s health care. Your pets shots can be scheduled yearly or every three years for booster shots. Vaccines are used to trigger protective immune responses by design. This is done so that your pets immune system can fight future infections from disease-causing agents. Vaccines stimulate the immune system’s production of antibodies in your pet. These antibodies then identify and destroy organisms that enter the body. Vaccines provide immunity against several diseases by lessening their severity, and  also preventing certain diseases. Very young pets are susceptible to infectious disease as their immune system is not yet fully matured. They receive protection from antibodies in their mother’s milk. This however is not long-lasting. There can be gaps in the protection since the milks antibodies can decrease, and their immune systems are still maturing.

In many cases, the first dose of a vaccine kick starts your pets immune system into action.  While the next few doses will stimulate your pets immune system to produce the antibodies they need to protect them from diseases.

Dog Shots - Finishing the Vaccination Series at Vet Boca

An incomplete series of shots leads to incomplete protection for your pets. This leaves them vulnerable to infection. Within the first few months of your pets life, your Vet will schedule a series of shots, over a three week period of time, for your pet. Puppies and kittens, will then receive their final Shot in the series at four months of age. Your Vet may alter this schedule if there are signs of a health risk to your pet.

5 Reasons to Vaccinate Your Pet

Vaccinations prevent pet illnesses

Vaccinating your pet cuts down on Vet visits as well as costs.

In addition vaccinating your pet prevent the spread of  diseases from pet to pet, and from pet to humans.

Unvaccinated pets can contract diseases such as rabies and distemper.

Local or state ordinances require certain vaccinations of household pets.

Microchipping

Used for identifying pets

Pet Tracker - Microchip Services at Vet Boca

We all want to protect our pets, therefore pet owners are turning to a pet tracker technology. One form of this technology is an implanted microchip in your pets skin. Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice. Thousands of pets are lost daily, so microchip identification is a reliable way to reunite these lost pets and owners. The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice. It contains a tiny metallic “bar code” enclosed in a membrane which makes it non-reactive when placed under the skin.

Placement

Because its non surgery your pet can be microchipped as a routine office visit. The Vet will inject the chip between your pets shoulder blades. Although the microchip needle is larger your pets don’t seem to notice a difference. Once the chip is in place, it should be there for the life of the pet. Registering the microchip will associate your information with that specific bar code number.

Benefits

Pets can wander off and find themselves at animal control. Pets that are microchipped get home quicker, so as not to incur shelter expenses.

Breeders and kennel owners are among a growing group of animal owners microchipping there animals, to protect their dogs and cats .

System of Recovery

Lost or stolen pets  brought  to a shelter are scanned for a chip.

The shelter calls the recovery service, provides them the ID number, pet’s description, and the location of the animal.

If the pet is wearing the collar tag, anyone who finds the pet can call the toll-free number.

The owner can also preemptively notify the recovery service directly if a pet disappears.

The recovery service notifies the owner and where to go to recover their pet.

Surgeries

Neutering/Spaying Surgical Services at Vet Boca:

Neutering and Spaying – 

Neutering or Spaying your pet  is our most common surgical procedure. When you neuter or spay your pet it serves a tremendous purpose for both your pets and your community. If performed at an early age, Neuter and Spaying surgery can drastically reduce a pet’s chance of getting certain cancer. In Females the risk of mammary cancer is reduced.  Neutering, completely prevents uterine infection, cancer, and of course pregnancy. Be a responsible pet owner:

Cryptorchid Neutering –

Occurs in both cats and dogs. The testicles remain in the inguinal canal or also in the abdomen. This creates the risk of becoming cancerous,

Declawing Surgical Service at Vet Boca

Declawing remains a controversial procedure. While a majority Vets do the surgery still, its only where behavior attempts and nail trimming have not worked. In nearly all cases, damage from cat claws can at most be avoided with a front paw declawing. We almost never recommend declawing all four feet of a cat, except when owners are on blood thinners. Recovery time is as short as two weeks or as long as four weeks. So discuss this procedure with your Vet.

 Growth Removal Biopsy Services at Vet Boca

Growth Removal and Biopsy –

Only a biopsy can will show whether or not a growth is benign, or cancer. If your dog or cat has developed a new growth, or if an old mass has started to change or grow more rapidly, call the hospital to have a doctor evaluate your pet. Bladder stones are a common problem in dogs. When bladder stones obstruct the urethra they will be taken out surgically. Samples will go for analysis. Your vet may prescribe a different diet for your pet based on the results.

Using high tech equipment,  Vet Techs monitor your pets vital signs after surgery to aid in your pets recovery.

Laboratory Services

Pet's Health - Laboratory testing for dogs and cats

Laboratory testing is an important part of how we maintain your pets health, both in sickness and in health. Through Lab tests we can  also see the current state of your pets health. By using the latest in lab technology we can find, and therefore treat potential problems early on.

The areas where your pet’s health will  benefit from these lab tests are:

• Diagnosing a suspected health problem
• Organ function monitoring in aging pets (usually 6 years or older)
• Pre-surgical / pre-anesthetic testing
• Detecting heartworms, intestinal and skin parasites
• Measuring medication levels to ensure accurate dosing
• Replacement hormone monitoring
• Diagnosis of infectious diseases
• Monitoring organ function for certain medications
• Determining appropriate treatment

We can use Lab tests to detect suspected health problems such as skin cancer, tumors, or blood clots.

We use Lab tests to determine if your pets organs are working as they should. When pets get older, monitoring organ functions becomes highly important.

By drawing blood, and examining your pets stool, we can check for Heartworms, and also tapeworms in your pets.

The exact level of the meds being absorbed in the blood can be seen, and changes can then be made.

As your pet ages they may need hormone therapy. Routine testing will show us if the dosage is high or low.

In spite of our care our pets can be exposed to an infectious disease. Getting a blood test will catch this early.

Certain Meds themselves can have an adverse reactions in a pets organs. As your Vet determines they will schedule tests to monitor your pets health.

When it comes to your pets health you need your Vet to accurately diagnose the illness. Not only that, but your Vet must determine the proper course of treatment, as well  as, assessing response to treatment

Wellness Exam – your pet’s annual physical exam

Protecting Pet Health at Every Age and Stage with a Wellness Exam

Regular Wellness Exam

A wellness exam is a physical exam vital to your pets health. Because your pet can’t tell us how their feeling, a complete nose-to-tail physical exam is recommended once a year. We encourage routine wellness exams for your pets.

A routine well exam provides your Vet, the opportunity to understand your pet’s overall health. In addition, routine exams, help your Vet, to spot potential medical issues before they become serious health concerns. It’s also an opportunity, as well for you, to ask your Vet important questions about your pet’s daily care. We also use this time to inform you about home health care for your pet. In addition to important advice and new information on the care of your particular type and breed of animal.

Your pet’s wellness examination at Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center includes our commitment to the following:

Listen to the heart 

Early signs of cardiac disease, known as arrhythmias, are heard through a stethoscope. Discovering these initial indicators quickly can lead to identifying, and treating, the underlying condition before its a health threat.

Listen to the lungs 

A wellness exam is a tool your Vet uses to assess the overall pulmonary health of your pet. Infections and obstructive diseases can be detected by listening to your pet’s lungs.

Check the teeth and oral cavity 

Examining your pet’s teeth and mouth is an important part of preventing dental disease. Dental issues are one of  the most common health concerns in pets. Kittens and puppies need to be checked to ensure they are developing the appropriate bite. The wellness exam lets the Vet monitor that  baby teeth are being replaced at the right time. We also make the time to discuss proper home oral hygiene care with you.

Evaluate vision 

All diseases follow relatively clear signs, and  if found early, can be treated. Ocular conditions are no exception.

Look into the ears 

Ear disease is relatively common in many types of pets. Ear disease know as Otitis can be caused by low-grade allergies, swimming, or reactions to certain foods. Mites and other types of parasites can also cause or contribute to ear disease. Pet owners think an ear disease can be handled at home. The truth is ear diseases are difficult to detect, and do require medical treatment to clear them up. 

Palpate the lymph nodes, abdomen and skin 

By touching the skin, we look for signs of lumps or swelling. We can also detect as well signs of skin discoloration. Touching your pets skin can also reveal lesions or patterns of hair loss and hair thinning. These can be signs of more systemic problems. Especially metabolic diseases, which occur in middle-aged pets.

Palpate joints and muscles

Examining your pets joints, and  legs, allows your Vet to locate swollen joints, or decreased muscle tone. Variations in muscle size, between the limbs can also be found. We also watch your pet’s gait for developmental issues. In puppies, we look for early indications of hip or elbow problems. In older pets, we look for signs of arthritis. Arthritis is treatable when found in the early stages.

Lab work

A complete exam includes a heartworm test, a parasite screening, and should include a full blood workup. A full chemistry panel and complete blood count will identify the presence of underlying disease processes. These tests help create the baseline should your pet become ill between routine exams. In addition, the  blood work is necessary if your Vet recommends a procedure requiring anesthesia.

Good Communication Leads to Good Health

We realize our expertise has little value if we do not share our knowledge with you. The basis of a working relationship is the free flow and exchange of information. Pet owners need to be knowledgeable to care for your pets.

This includes knowing how to overcome the challenge of pet ownership in the city. Also making you aware of the unique advantages of raising a pet in Florida.

Even with preventative treatments pets get sick or injured. Our resources and capabilities also reduce the frequency of referrals to expensive specialists. Your pet will receive care from people they already know, in a setting that’s familiar.

Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center's In-house Pet Pharmacy

Our Pet Pharmacy offers Prescriptions and Pet Medication

Our in-house pet pharmacy located in West Boca carries a wide range of medications for your pets.

We also carry prescription foods, and nutritional supplements formulated for the optimal health of your pet.

Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center’s Pet Pharmacy, prescribes medication to also prevent or treat an illness in your pet. Just as you would speak to your doctor about prescriptions for your family, you can talk to us.

We want you to be sure that you know all you need to, about any medications, we prescribe for your pet. It is important that you should know how to administer the medication prescribed, and what results you should expect.

Its also important to know if your pets medication should be taken with food, and how it should be stored. You need to know if the medication could interact with any other medication your pet is currently taking. It’s also a good idea to ask what to do if your pet vomits or spits out the medication. Be aware of what reactions and side effects you should watch out for.

Our goal is to insure the best in care for each and every one of your pets, and that includes their supplement needs. Along with us, we want you to be a part of keeping your pet strong and healthy.

As a pet owner you can meet this goal by providing the  proper diet and supplements for your pets age group. Also along with exercise, and good grooming practices, provide routine visits to your vet.

If the occasion does arise, where your pet needs to be on medications for a length of time, do as your vet recommends for your pets full healing.

Stop by Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center’s Pet Pharmacy to see how we can help you today!