Medical Care
Wellness Care
The medical care for pets is ever-changing. Preventative wellness care
is essential to your pet’s health, happiness, and longevity. For this reason, we strive to offer the best veterinary wellness care during every stage of your pet’s life. We will make responsible recommendations for your pet regarding his or her vaccinations, nutrition, dental care, heartworm prevention, parasite control, laboratory testing, and behavior.
Wellness programs begin with semi-annual examinations. We may recommend more frequent visits based on your pet’s age, health status, and lifestyle. A comprehensive wellness plan will be created for your pet’s unique healthcare needs. Our goal is to help your pet mature healthily from juvenile to adult to senior.
Wellness Exams Consists of:
Vaccinations
Up-to-date vaccinations play a large part in keeping your pet healthy and free from disease. At Woodhaven Animal Hospital, we tailor a vaccine protocol that is specific to your pet based on his or her age, lifestyle, health status, and risk of exposure. Vaccine schedules are balanced to provide needed protection while not over-vaccinating your pet.
Nutritional Counseling
Proper nutrition plays a large role in the overall health and longevity of our pets. At Woodhaven Animal Hosptial, our goal is to provide you with the information necessary to feed your pet a diet that meets his or her nutritional needs. In regards to nutrition, client education is key because as a pet owner, you have complete control of what your pet eats on a regular basis.
For pets living with serious nutritional concerns or chronic conditions, we may recommend a special diet as part of the treatment plan. We will recommend a diet to help alleviate nutritional concerns such as intestinal issues, renal failure, food allergies, diabetes, liver disease, and bladder and kidney stones. Our nutritional recommendations are comprehensive, and will also include valuable information on serving sizes, how to read food labels, and strategies to reach and maintain an optimal body weight.
Exotic Pets
We believe that every kind of pet deserves to live a healthy life, and that’s why we have taken a strong interest in the treatment of these animals. The diagnostic and treatment options we provide for dog and cat patients are also available for exotic patients. Dr. Greear will provide the best veterinary care to birds, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, and reptiles.
Dermatology & Allergy Testing
Conditions of the skin, hair, ears, and nails can cause your pet extreme discomfort and irritation, so it’s best to seek treatment right away. Our clinic is experienced in the treatment of allergies, dermatitis, skin infections, parasitic infections, hormonal disorders, tumors, and skin cancer.
If you observe any of the following symptoms in your pet, please give us a call:
In some cases, we can make a diagnosis by visual examination alone. However, further testing may be required to make an accurate diagnosis. Our in-house lab is equipped to test blood samples, skin scrapings, biopsies, and cultures. Once we diagnose your pet’s condition, we can begin a treatment plan.
Wellness Exams Consists of:
- Examine the heart and lungs
- Check the teeth and oral cavity
- Assess vision, eyes, and ears
- Palpate the lymph nodes and abdomen
- Check the skin
- Palpate the joints and muscles
- A complete physical exam should also include blood work. This allows us to identify underlying diseases and creates a baseline of health in the event your pet gets sick between routine exams.
- Constant licking, chewing, or biting at the skin
- Scabby, red, or flaky skin
- Excessive shedding
- Excessive scratching
- Hot spots
- Lumps or bumps
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Holistic Healing
Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine theory holds that Qi (vital energy) flows
throughout the body along energetic channels called meridians. Each meridian is also associated with a specific internal organ which reflects the physiological and pathological conditions of that organ. The meridians connect the exterior of the body with the interior.
Acupuncture points are located along these meridians, and when stimulated can relieve pain and restore normal body functions. Acupuncture points have specific locations and effects. From a Western perspective, acupuncture has been shown to stimulate a variety of sensory nerves in the body that transmit the signal through the nervous system to the brain, which then releases various chemicals that produce multiple physiologic effects that activate the body’s homeostatic regulatory mechanisms.
Dr. Greear has had great results with acupuncture on a multitude of medical conditions. Most dogs fall asleep during the treatment and cats sometimes purr. It is very safe and relaxing for your pet.
Animal Chiropractic
Dr. Joe and Dr. Odette are both human chiropractors as well as veterinary chiropractors. They are both extremely skilled at locating the vertebrae misalignment and reducing the subluxation thereby reducing the pressure off of the nervous system. They both use VOM (Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation) which uses an activator device to make the spinal adjustments. Furthermore, both Dr. Joe and Dr. Odette earned a certification from the International Association of Veterinary Chiropractitioner (IAVCP) that certifies them as Veterinary Chiropractitioners (CVCP)
A chiropractic adjustment or a spinal manipulation is aimed at specific joints to correct subluxations or misalignments of the spinal column to relieve pain and restore normal range of motion and neurologic function to the area being treated. Chiropractic care is designed to stimulate a natural healing response and return the body back to normal as quickly as possible without harmful side effects. Just some conditions that respond favorably to Chiropractic manipulation are:
Herbal Medicine
One of the best things about herbal medicine is that the formulas are safe when used correctly. Many times the side effects found with modern drugs can be avoided while still achieving very good results. We use herbal formulas to treat many different things including cancer, allergies, skin diseases and infections, behavior problems, and gastrointestinal diseases. The ‘herbs’ consist of many different things, the bulk of which are plant leaves, stems, roots, bark and fruits. The herbal formulas are usually part of a comprehensive plan to address both the immediate needs of the patient to provide relief of their symptoms and to also address the primary cause and prevent the problem from returning.
Herbs can be used to support the body in many ways. They can be used to supplement conventional medicines in the treatment of acute disease, or as long-term, “tonic” formulas to help strengthen an aging patient. Poor digestion, chronic infections, arthritis, and asthma are only a few of the many disorders that respond to herbal medicine. In addition, herbs are often used as adjunctive therapy for our patients that are also undergoing chemotherapy, to help minimize the side effects of that therapy, and to improve their overall health.
- Acure and Non-Acute lameness
- Hip Dysplasia-like syndrome
- Disc Syndromes
- Neurological Disorders
- Progressive myelopathies (down the rear)
- Wobbler’s Disease
- Digestive Disorders
- Diseases of the knee
- Agility Dysfunction
Diagnostics
Physical examinations are only the beginning when it comes to diagnosing
your pet's condition. That is why Woodhaven Animal Hospital has invested in a cutting-edge in-house laboratory that gives us the full capabilities to provide you with on demand blood work results and advanced medical imaging in order to determine what is wrong with your pet and immediately begin medical care. We also have digital radiology and Ultrasound right here in our hospital to accommodate you and your pet in case any more testing is deemed necessary.
Digital Radiology
At Woodhaven Animal Hospital we have the ability to capture clear images of your pet’s bones and internal organs and display them digitally on a screen. This allows us to manipulate these images and diagnose a variety of conditions more accurately and more efficiently than ever before. Digital X-rays can be easily shared with the pet owner, giving you more control of your pet’s veterinary care. Specialists can give a second opinion at unprecedented speeds due to the ease of sending digital files. There is much less radiation to your pet with Digital X-Rays.
Veterinary Ultrasound
Another major tool that we have in house is ultrasound. This form of imagery allows us to view your pet’s internal organs, chest cavity, and abdomen without the strenuous process of sedation and surgery. For the majority of the time, this process takes less than an hour and your pet will be able to go home with you the very same day. Ultrasound is the most effective diagnostic tool for identifying many types of heart disease and it provides an assessment on the functionality and condition of your pet’s internal organs. It also can assist us in surgery when performing a biopsy or removal of a foreign object.
In-House Laboratory
The ability to evaluate and test the performance of your pet’s internal processes is integral in any preventative wellness program. Are your pet’s major organs performing their vital functions? Is your pet suffering from internal parasites? Is the lump on your pet’s skin harmless? These are just a few of the things we can test for quickly with an in-house laboratory.
Laboratory testing provides us with the answers to all of these questions and more, by giving us an overall assessment of your pet’s systems non-invasively. Our lab is equipped to perform urinalysis, parasite testing, fungal cultures, blood chemistry testing, and more. Often times, we can share results with you in minutes.
Cold Laser Therapy
Woodhaven Hospital Offers Therapeutic Cold Laser Therapy for Pets
Cold Laser therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions such as injuries, wounds, fractures, neurological conditions, dermatological problems, and pain. It is designed to heal the body from within, providing a sterile, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment. Whether your pet requires treatment for an injury, wound, or symptoms of aging, your animal companion will benefit from this revolutionary new approach to veterinary medicine.
HOW LASER THERAPY WORKS
Cold laser therapy is a noninvasive procedure that uses light to stimulate cell regeneration and increase blood circulation. As the laser is administered, the almost immediate relief of pain dissipates anxiety and allows your pet to relax. Pain relief is provided in just a few minutes of therapy and improves the quality of life for your animal companion.
Surgery
Exceptional Skill & Care
Woodhaven Animal Hospital is equipped to handle
both routine and more complex surgical procedures. We offer safe and comfortable pet surgery. Exceptional skill, dedication, and solid pre- and post-operative protocols ensure a positive outcome for our patients.
Pre-surgical evaluation—We thoroughly examine your pet and verify that he or she is healthy enough for surgery. We require all pets to have blood work before surgery.
Safe anesthetics and sedatives—Careful monitoring and short acting, anxiety easing sedatives are utilized as a complement to our inhalant anesthetics.Pain management—We provide pain relief before, during, and after surgery.
COMMONLY PERFORMED ANIMAL SURGERIES INCLUDE:
Dr. Greear is also skilled in orthopedics and orthopedic veterinary surgery, which is an area of special interest at our hospital.
- Spay and neuter
- Mass and tumor removal
- Dental cleanings and procedures
- Eye surgery
- Wound and laceration care
- Foreign body removal
- Amputations
Internal Medicine
Dr. Greear has vast experience in treating a multitude of internal medicine diseases such as:
- Endocrine diseases ( e.g. diabetes, cushings, thyroid disease)
- Respiratory diseases ( e.g. pneumonia, kennel cough, and upper respiratory diseases)
- Gastrointestinal disease (e.g., vomiting/diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease)
- Renal diseases (e.g. acute or chronic kidney failure)
- Liver disease (e.g., “yellow” skin, weight loss)
- Urinary disease (e.g., incontinence, inappropriate urination, infection)
- Immune-mediated disease (e.g., anemia, polyarthritis)
- Infectious disease (e.g., canine influenza, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis,parvovirus)
- Parasitic disease (e.g. heartworm)