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Move to new side of building

We are excited to announce that Phase 1 of construction will be completed in early March. We will start seeing patients on that side of the clinic the week of March 4th. Monday, March 4th will be a moving day. If you have a scheduled appointment on March 4th you will enter the clinic through our normal front doors. We will have reduced appointments on that day. We will be exclusively in Phase 1 from March through June while the remainder of the clinic undergoes a full renovation.

Here are some changes that will occur from March to June:

• We will be implementing curbside for all appointments and medication or food pick-up. Please call from the parking lot to check in and we will call when a room is ready for you to enter.

• You will enter through a new front entrance into a small makeshift reception area and a staff member will meet you to usher you into an exam room

• Our surgical appointments will be limited for those 3 months. We will still be able to do surgery but have a limited number of cages and recovery areas. Surgical drop-off and pick-up will also be curbside.

• If you purchase food from the clinic, please plan as we will be carrying a reduced volume of food due to lack of storage. You can also visit our online pharmacy and order your food from our online store https://springhillvet.vetsfirstchoice.com/.

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Diagnosis + English

  • Damage to the tympanic membrane and middle ear infections can be very painful for dogs and cause a variety of clinical signs affecting the skin and nervous system. Diagnosis often requires a thorough ear examination with testing while your dog is under sedation or anesthesia. The treatment methods and prognosis depend on the nature of your dog's condition.

  • Ultrasound uses the reflection of sound waves to generate an image of internal structures, allowing for identification of masses, pregnancy diagnosis, abnormal heart function and muscle size, abnormalities of the orbit, and abnormal appearance of abdominal organs. Ultrasound results can be analyzed in real time; however, assessment by a radiologist may take several days. Ultrasound is an invaluable tool to detect problems in a non-invasive fashion.

  • Ultrasound uses the reflection of sound waves to generate an image of internal structures allowing for identification of masses, pregnancy diagnosis, abnormal heart function and muscle size, abnormalities of the orbit, and abnormal appearance of abdominal organs. Ultrasound results can be analyzed in real time; however, assessment by a radiologist may take several days. Ultrasound is an invaluable tool to detect problems in a non-invasive fashion.

  • Urinalysis is an important part of any comprehensive workup or health screen. It provides information on the urinary system including the kidneys and bladder and also can support diagnosis of metabolic disease, such as diabetes mellitus.

  • Cortisol is a stress hormone that is excreted from the body in the urine. Creatinine is a product of muscle metabolism and is normally lost in the urine at a relatively steady rate. The ratio of creatinine to cortisol in the urine can be used to account for the effect of urine concentration on cortisol measurements. Urine cortisol/creatinine ratio is usually evaluated in animals suspected of having Cushing's disease. This test involves the collection of a single urine sample, taken first thing in the morning.

  • The presence of protein in urine is called proteinuria, and it may indicate that the kidneys are not working properly. In some situations, proteinuria may even be a sign of kidney failure; however, bleeding or inflammation in the urinary system is a far more common cause. Your veterinarian may recommend further testing if the urinalysis reveals inflammation or bleeding.

  • The urine protein/creatinine (UPC) ratio is a test that measures how much protein is being lost through the kidneys. The UPC measures whether protein excretion is greater than expected when compared to the excretion of creatinine. Before the UPC ratio can be interpreted, two other measures of kidney function should be taken: blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine.

  • Feline viral testing typically encompasses testing for feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and coronavirus which causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Testing for FeLV and FIV is recommended to detect underlying causes to illness, to screen apparently healthy cats who may have been exposed to the viruses, and to identify carriers of the viruses prior to introducing cats into a household of other cats. FIP testing is somewhat more problematic.

  • Testing for FeLV is recommended to detect underlying causes to illness, to screen apparently healthy cats who may have been exposed to the viruses, and to identify carriers of the viruses prior to introducing cats into a household of other cats. Testing protocols are discussed. Vaccination against FeLV will not affect the outcome of a cat already infected with the virus nor will it affect testing.

  • Von Willebrand's disease causes an inability for blood to clot resulting in excessive bleeding. If this disease is suspected, initial screening tests include a complete blood count (CBC), buccal mucosal bleeding time, and a coagulation profile. More advanced diagnostics include assays that assess the quantity and functionality of vWF. DNA testing is available and most commonly used to evaluate animals used in breeding programs.