Our Services

Types of Animals Seen

At Paws & Claws Pet Medical Center we see many types of pets, including: Dogs, Cats, Avian (Birds), and Exotics (Reptiles, Small Mammals, & Pocket Pets).

We  We are happy to see your fuzzy, feathery, and scaly friends.  Our appointments for exotic animals are 45 minutes to ensure we have enough time to fully evaluate the housing and nutrition of your pet.  We work hard to have the appropriate equipment for treating exotics. We will help you with any problems your pet may encounter, and can refer you to an exotics specialist if your pet requires advanced treatment.

Wellness Care and Preventative Medicine

We strive to prevent illness whenever possible. We feel preventative medicine both keeps your pet healthier and happier, but can also be less expensive if diseases are caught and treated before they get out of control.  Our Wellness programs are designed specifically for your pet and may include: Comprehensive physical exams; internal parasite testing; heartworm and flea control; vaccination program; spay and neuter package; and specialized blood tests for all life stages.

Senior care

At Paws and Claws we feel our senior patients deserve special attention.  We have developed a "Senior at Seven" wellness program to keep your senior pets happy and healthy.  For more information, please look under the "more info" tab.

Vaccinations

Every pet lives a different lifestyle and is exposed to a variety of potential risks for infection. At Paws & Claws we feel the best medicine regarding vaccination is to evaluate each pet's individual risks and vaccinate as appropriate.  With this approach we strive to both protect our pets with needed immunizations, along with trying to avoid the potential risks associated with over-vaccinating.  If you have concerns regarding vaccinations, please discuss them with the doctor at your pet's appointment.  We are happy to discuss each vaccination your pet may need, share our knowledge and recommendations, and help you choose an appropriate vaccination plan for your pet.

Laboratory services

We send the majority of our laboratory samples to Antech, a local veterinary laboratory. We feel this gives us the most accurate results at a lower cost, which we can pass on to our customers. For most tests we receive results within 24 hours. For urgent or emergency results we also have an in-house chemistry analyzer. We routinely analyze ear and skin cytologies in-house, and can also evaluate skin fungal cultures.

Dental Care

Regular professional cleaning is important to maintaining your pet's teeth and general health. Dental disease can affect the entire body, and severe disease can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and heart. We use modern and safe ultrasound to clean each tooth thoroughly - above and below the gum line. All teeth are thoroughly evaluated and probed for pockets.  We take digital dental radiographs of any suspicious teeth. All animals that require extractions receive local anesthetic injections for added pain control. Dental technicians polish teeth to create a smooth, lustrous tooth surface for resistant to plaque buildup. We can refer pets that could benefit from advanced dental care (such as root canals) to a local veterinary dental specialist.

Emergency and Critical Care

In any emergency, seconds count. Our experienced staff is knowledgeable and equipped to administer the ABCs of basic life support - Airway, Breathing, and Circulation/Cardiac compressions. If possible, please call on your way down to the clinic so we can be prepared to help you when you arrive.  Emergency services are available during office hours.  In addition, we use the services of the multiple local, fully staffed emergency centers. Please see our Links page for emergency clinic contact information.

Hospice / Euthanasia Services

Knowing when to say goodbye is always a difficult and painful decision, and we will work with you to help you know when the time is right for your pet and your family.  When the time has come we work with clients to ensure their pet's comfort and dignity. We offer both general and private cremation services. We can also refer you to veterinarians who can perform euthanasia's at your home.

Microchipping

Microchips have helped reunite thousands of pets with their families. We offer Homeagain microchip products to increase the chances of a safe recovery.

Pain Management

Veterinary patients feel pain and discomfort under the same circumstances as people do. We know that recognizing and alleviating pain in animals is the essence of good patient care. We also realize many pets hide their pain well, making it difficult for owners to know when their pets are painful.  We strive to educate clients on recognizing pain in their pets and proactively treating pain if needed. We have multiple medications and treatment options available to help your pet manage acute or chronic pain issues.

In-clinic Pharmacy

We maintain a fully stocked pharmacy to meet the need for the vast majority of medications required. For over the counter medicine, such as flea and tick prevention, you can drop by the clinic when it's convenient and pick up what you need. Many prescriptions can easily be refilled when needed. Please contact the clnic at least 24 hours before you need a refill of your pet's medication. We may need to get a refill authorization from the doctor before filling the prescription. There are some instances when an exam or blood tests are needed before a prescription can be refilled. If this occurs we will notify you as soon as possible and help you get an appointment scheduled. Please be aware that we are legally required to have a doctor examine your pet within one year to fill any prescription.

Radiology

Radiographs - or X-rays - help our veterinarians evaluate muscular-skeletal, cardiovascular (cardiopulmonary), gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary systems. We are proud to offer digital radiology and digital dental radiology. Digital radiology allows us to take radiographs faster with fewer exposures, which means less stress and x-ray exposure for your pet. Our radiographs always get reviewed by a board certified radiologist, ensuring every detail is fully evaluated. We can also easily make a copy of your pet's radiographs for you to keep at home, or bring to a specialist when needed.

Surgery

We offer the most advanced surgical techniques and technology. All patients are carefully screened for safety, and anesthetics are specifically tailored to your pet. We use only Sevoflurane gas anesthesia, which is the safest gas anesthetic currently available. We have heated surgery tables for greater comfort; advanced sterilization techniques; ECG, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation monitors; intensive after surgery care and full blood testing. We encourage IV fluid therapy during all surgical procedures. We strive to maintain the best possible pain control during all surgical procedures, including pre-operative and post-operative pain management, along with local anesthetics to offer multi-modal pain control. Our fully trained veterinary and technical staff ensures the safest, most efficient procedure for your pet. We maintain relationships with multiple board certified surgeons if your pet needs a special procedure.