World of Animals Veterinary Hospital offers various specialized pet medical services for
HIGH-END CARE.
Since pets age at a much quicker rate than humans, these visits will become increasingly important in early detection of any changes in their health.
Laboratory
Why is our in house laboratory important?
After a physical examination by one of our doctors, we may recommend blood work or other tests to identify your pet’s problems further. Our hospital is equipped with the most modern in-house laboratory equipment. Our lab is capable of swiftly running routine testing, including:
- CBC–checks for anemia and infections
- Chemistry Panel–tests for diabetes, as well as kidney & liver function
- Thyroid Screening–tests for thyroid disease
- Urinalysis–testing for infection and crystals in the urine
We can also use our laboratory to test for parvovirus quickly, Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, intestinal parasites, skin parasites, and ringworm.
For more complex tests and biopsies, we use a variety of reference laboratories. Obtaining the appropriate samples may occasionally involve specialized procedures, such as surgical biopsies, fine needle aspirates, or other specialized procedures performed under anesthesia.
My pet seems fine. Why should I have the doctor run blood work?
- Appearances can be deceiving. 10% of pets that appear healthy to owners and veterinarians during annual checkups are found to have hidden diseases.
- Many diseases show few, if any, signs during the initial stages of infection. When signs do become visible, it is often because the infection has become serious.
- Just like with people, your cat’s or dog’s health will change as it ages, and because pets age faster than people, major health changes can happen fast.
- Wellness testing leads to the early detection of disease. With early detection and treatment, your pet has a better chance at a positive prognosis.
How do I know if my pet is at risk?
- Pets—especially cats—are great at keeping illnesses hidden from owners and veterinarians. Sometimes wellness testing is the only way to know for sure if your pet has an illness.
- Rather than testing when a pet appears sick, wellness visits are a proactive approach to maintaining your pet’s good health. Focused on early detection, wellness testing is also essential to preventing serious disease.
- As your pet’s age and excess weight increase, their risk of becoming ill also increases. Wellness testing establishes a baseline for your individual pet that can be used to monitor their health as they age.
Radiology
WHAT IS DIGITAL RADIOLOGY?
Radiography is an important diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. X-ray images (radiographs) allow veterinarians to examine the body for injury or disease. Not only used for bones, but radiographs also provide examinations of the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs. At World of Animals at Bethayres, we have a digital X-Ray unit that can quickly provide our veterinarians with the images they need to diagnose your pet.
But X-rays can give your veterinarian so much more information about your pet’s health and can provide clues about why your pet is sick.
What can X-rays diagnose?
X-rays of the abdomen are capable of providing your veterinarian with valuable information concerning organs, including the liver, spleen, bladder, kidneys, prostate, uterus, and others. In some cases, these X-rays can identify tumors of these organs. Furthermore, if your pet tends to eat things it shouldn’t, abdominal X-rays can show whether there is an obstruction in the intestines, which could cause your pet to vomit.
Chest X-rays are also very useful. Disorders such as pneumonia, heart failure, and tumors are identifiable. A chest X-ray can display the heart’s shape and size and, in many cases, will give us clues about which section of the heart is malfunctioning. The radiograph of the chest may warn us of fluid build-ups between the lungs and the chest wall. These X-rays also can indicate problems with the esophagus and the trachea.
Additionally, radiographs of the spine are sometimes used to identify slipped disks or other vertebral issues when your pet is having trouble walking or back pain.
Can X-rays harm my pet?
Many people think that X-rays may harm their pet due to the radiation; this is not true! The amount of radiation used is very small, and exposure lasts for a fraction of a second. To have radiation damage, an animal would need to be exposed to high amounts for long periods.
Coronavirus and Your Pet
Can my pet get Covid-19?
Many people have recently become aware of a family of viruses called Coronaviridae. These viruses have caused dangerous human and animal diseases, including pandemic COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2. Virologists agree that this virus has originated from an animal source, but the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have all stated that “dogs and cats are not a source of infection.”
There was a single case of a Pomeranian dog in Hong Kong on March 1, 2020, who tested positive for COVID-19. Further testing concluded that this was the result of human-to-dog transmission. The dog involved never became ill and was not a source of infection. No case of COVID-19 infecting cats has ever presented.
What should I do if I am diagnosed with Covid-19?
If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the CDC, OIE, and WHO have created the following guidelines:
- When handling and caring for animals, basic hygiene measures should always be implemented. This includes handwashing before and after being around animals, their food, or supplies, and avoiding kissing, licking, or sharing food.
- When possible, people who are sick or under medical attention for COVID-19 should avoid close contact with pets and have another household care member for their animals. If you are ill and must look after a pet, maintain good hygiene practices and wear a mask if possible.
- Restrict contact with animals, just like you would when interacting with other people.
What should I do if I have a sick animal?
COVID-19 is not thought to affect pets, but pets can still become ill for various reasons. To safely provide for the needs of our pets, you may be asked to call prior to coming into a veterinary clinic and to wait outside once you have arrived. This will allow us to address your animal health concerns without increasing the risk of human-to-human COVID-19 transmission. If we already have a current existing relationship with your pet, we may be able to offer medical advice over the telephone (telemedicine).
Why is my cat/dog coughing?
Coughing is a clinical sign of tracheal irritation caused by a large number of infectious, parasitic, cardiovascular, allergic, and cancer-related reasons. If your dog or cat is coughing, it is not likely related to COVID-19, but it could still be a cause for concern. Most causes of coughing can be successfully treated if diagnosed by your veterinarian.
Pet Laser Therapy
- Bethayres
- Bensalem
What is Pet Laser Therapy?
Class IV Laser Therapy is non-invasive, and you can even be beside your pet while he/she receives a treatment, which usually takes 5 minutes or less per joint. Using the principle of photobiomodulation, the laser transmits light energy into damaged tissues and then allows them to heal at a cellular level to decrease inflammation and alleviate pain.
What can Laser Therapy treat?
Does your dog have arthritis pain? Are you looking for a drug-free and pain-free treatment option to relieve your dog’s pain? Class IV Laser Therapy is a drug-free treatment option that can be used alone or in conjunction with conventional drugs and supplements to treat arthritis pain.
And let’s not forget arthritis pain in cats. Arthritis in cats is a condition that is widely underdiagnosed even though most cats over the age of 8 years old have some degree of arthritis. If your cat has a stiff gait or difficulty getting around, it may be time to consider this drug-free therapy, especially since arthritis medications for cats are limited.
Class IV Laser Therapy has many other uses to help your pet. Some dogs with severe ear infections get very extensive inflammation and tenderness associated with those infections. So much so that they may cry out in pain when the ear is only touched. Class IV Laser Therapy can alleviate swelling and pain caused by ear infections in dogs. Additionally, Class IV lasers also have antibacterial effects speeding up the time it takes to heal infections.
Using the same principle, Laser Therapy can also be used to alleviate pain, decrease swelling, and accelerate the healing of skin infections secondary to self-trauma. As happens with “hot spots” or “acral lick dermatitis” lesions. Usually, within one treatment of the Class IV Laser being passed over the hot spot. This will significantly reduce the inflammation and decrease the likelihood that your dog will go back to chewing the affected area.
Another application of Class IV Laser Therapy is to stimulate and quicken the healing process. Applying the laser over spay or neuter incisions after surgery decreases swelling and accelerates the incision line’s healing. After your dog or cat has a tooth extraction during an anesthetized dental procedure, the Therapy Laser can be passed over the extraction site to expedite recovery, decrease bacteria, and reduce painful swelling.
After orthopedic surgeries; such as correction of cruciate tears (lateral suture or TPLO fixations), fracture repair, or medial patellar luxation correction, the Class IV Laser Therapy can hasten healing and decrease swelling and associate pain within the postoperative period. Therapy Lasers can be used in cats after they are declawed to decrease swelling and pain after surgery. Class IV Therapy Laser has also been proven to facilitate wound healing after dogs or cats have suffered any trauma, including lacerations, burns, or even being hit by a car.
