Our Veterinary Services

Wellness Care and Immunizations
We recommend annual exams for all of our canine and feline patients. Some pets will require more frequent exams depending on age, exposure to disease, and other special circumstances. At every visit, your pet will receive a full physical examination, any needed laboratory tests, and vaccination recommendations.

Boarding
All three Metro Paws Animal Hospital locations offer boarding services. We have boarding runs for our large dogs and separate cat rooms for our furry feline friends, with our Oak Cliff location having a large, fenced-in play yard for dogs to enjoy some exercise and sun (we only allow playtime with other dogs that are from the same household). All animals are given soft blankets/towels and are kept in clean, climate-controlled areas. Dogs are exercised at least twice daily, and each are given special attention. We also board animals requiring medication or specialized care.

All animals boarding with us must be current on vaccinations and have had a physical exam within the last 12 months. For canine boarding at our Skillman location, we do require dogs be microchipped for their safety since we do not have a fenced in area for outdoor walking. Boarding animals are kept in separate areas from hospitalized patients. Don’t forget to schedule your pet’s bath on their last day of boarding!

Health Certificates
A USDA certified veterinarian is on staff for international health certificates. Interstate and airline health forms are also available. We recommend you contact the consulate of any foreign country to verify specific entry requirements several months before traveling with your pet. Some nations require extensive testing to avoid quarantine periods.

Electrocardiology (EKG) / Blood Pressure / Pulse Oximetry
We have multiple means of evaluating your pet’s heart function. EKG’s look at the hearts electrical activity and can identify hidden heart disease. A blood pressure reading assesses the heart’s ability to pump, while pulse oximetry reflects the amount of oxygen circulating in the blood. All of these tests are part of our anesthetic monitoring protocol for all patients. We also use these diagnostic tools for managing heart disease, toxicities, trauma patients, and a wide variety of other cases.

Dermatology
Dermatology is the study of the skin. In Texas, this often means allergies, but also includes tumors of the skin, endocrine diseases, parasite infections, and immune disorders.

Radiology
Radiographs, or x-ray studies, use x-rays to create an image of the body. This is the most frequently used form of veterinary imaging. Images are produced by passing x-ray energy through the body. Digital radiography does not use film, so it is faster to obtain the images and also makes it easy to share images with other veterinarians including specialist. Radiographs are used to diagnose disease in the chest, abdomen, and musculoskeletal system. Contrast studies of the gastrointestinal and urinary tract may also be performed.

Ultrasonography
Our hospital offers ultrasound (ultrasonography) examinations as a non-invasive procedure to evaluate internal organs. Ultrasound studies are most helpful to evaluate soft tissue and fluid structures. Moving organs may be evaluated during motion, such as the beating heart, flowing blood and contracting intestines. Gastrointestinal foreign material may be identified on an ultrasound exam when it is not apparent on radiographs. While radiographs are useful to assess organ size and overall shape, an ultrasound exam allows for evaluation of the organ architecture and blood supply. Ultrasound guided sampling of body tissue, by aspiration or biopsy, is helpful for cytology, histopathology and microbiology (culture and sensitivity).

Echocardiography
Echocardiograms are “real time” images taken of your pet’s heart using ultrasound equipment. The echocardiogram allows our veterinarians to visualize the inside your pet’s heart, and helps us evaluate the structure and function of the heart. With these images, we can detect birth defects, diseases of the heart valves and heart muscle diseases, identify fluid around the heart, identify cardiac tumors, and certain types of heartworm infections.

We may recommend an echocardiogram for your pet if we suspect congenital or acquired heart disease, such as a heart murmur, irregular heart rhythm, or when indicated by the results of an x-ray. The examination is painless and non-invasive, and typically does not require your pet to be under anesthesia. Ultrasound technology works through sound waves that travel into the body, returning images of the internal organ to a screen, allowing us to visualize the heart in real time.

Surgery (Soft-Tissue, General, and Orthopedic)
We perform a wide array of surgical procedures with an emphasis on safe anesthesia and pain control to optimize outcomes for your pets. Most surgeries are scheduled Monday through Friday and animals are usually able to go home the same day. More invasive or painful procedures may require overnight hospitalization. We are happy to review each procedure with you and answer any questions.

Cytology and Oncology
Is that bump something to worry about on your dog’s side? This is a question we often hear. Frequently, a simple aspiration of the mass with a needle can give quick reassurance that it is not worrisome. When needed, we can send biopsies to board-certified pathologists for diagnosis. This helps us best screen and treat our cancer patients.

Dentistry
Good oral hygiene and dental care is an important part of overall health. At every physical exam, your animal’s teeth will be checked for dental disease. Chronic infection of the gums can lead to heart and kidney disease. We provide cleanings and exams of the mouth under anesthesia to check for any deep infections, clean the teeth, pull any painful loose teeth, and treat gum disease. We are also happy to demonstrate proper brushing techniques for your cat and dog that will enable your pet to go longer between anesthetized treatments. Digital dental radiography is available to see below the gumline.

Emergency, Critical Care and Fluid Therapy
All of our staff has extensive experience in emergency and critical care, enabling us to carefully access and monitor even the most urgent and sick of patients.

Microchip Implantation
Collars break and collar tags can become hard to read. Because a microchip will not “wear out,” it can permanently and positively identify your pet and link it back to you once it is registered. Implantation is quick, easy, and virtually painless — similar to a vaccine injection — and can be performed during a regular clinic visit.

When traveling with your pet outside of the United States, it is likely that both a health certificate and a microchip will be required.

In-House Diagnostics
We have a full in-house laboratory with state of the art equipment to help diagnose your pet’s medical issues within minutes. Our advanced diagnostic laboratory allows us to run complete blood counts (CBC’s), chemistry panels, coagulation times and other tests on the spot. We also have the ability to test for heartworm, as well as for viral infections (FeLV/FIV, Parvovirus). We are able to share the results of these tests with you within minutes, and can respond immediately if emergency treatment is necessary.

We also work with a complete reference laboratory that has the ability to run all diagnostic tests. Samples are picked up at the hospital on a daily basis, allowing for a rapid turnaround of test results.

Referral Services
Occasionally an animal will have a disease that is best managed or treated by a specialist. We recommend referral of our patients to wonderful specialists in the area when needed or requested. While we remain the primary care veterinarian, referral enables us to provide the best of specialized care.

Heartworm Treatment
Heartworm disease is an extremely serious condition. Heartworms affect the heart’s ability to circulate blood. This in turn decreases the amount of blood to vital organs, such as the liver and the kidneys, as well as the heart itself. Any of these organs can subsequently become impaired, causing liver, kidney, or heart failure – any of which may be fatal.

The only way to determine the quantity of adult worms is by ultrasound or after the pet has passed away (post-mortem examination). As such, any positive test should be taken seriously.

Compassionate, End-of-Life Care
A pet becomes part of your family, and losing a pet is painful no matter the circumstances. We want to assure you that we provide only the latest and most effective pain medication to relieve your pet’s discomfort.

Our veterinarians also realize that this is a stressful situation for you. We counsel you about your dog or cat’s individual condition and what to expect to help you through this trying time. We create an environment where you, yor family, and your pet feel safe, supported, and informed when making decisions. It’s our top priority to keep your pet as comfortable as possible during the final days, you are always aware of every step.

If it becomes necessary, our veterinary clinic offers compassionate euthanasia as an option to relieve your pet’s suffering. We know that losing a pet is hard, and we encourage you to stay in the room during the procedure for as long as you or your family need. Our practice is here to support your family, which is why we provide this service onsite at our veterinary clinic or through home euthanasia. To memorialize your pet’s life, we can guide your family through burial and cremation options.

Grief Counseling
Further information can be found at pet-loss.net.

Recommended Reading
“Saying Goodbye to Buddy” – a book intended to help children process and grieve the loss of pet. Written by Jennifer Walz and Jinna Russel. Featuring Jennifer Lavender, DVM.

Counseling Resources

• 800-565-1526 - University of California, Davis veterinary students
• 630-325-1600 - Chicago Veterinary Medical Association
• 888-478-7574 - Iowa State University veterinary students and volunteers
• 517-432-2696 - Michigan State University veterinary students
• 614-292-1823 - Ohio State University veterinary students (e-mail)
• 508-839-7966 - Tufts University veterinary students
• 540-231-8038 - Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
• 509-335-5704 - Washington State University veterinary students
• 607-253-3932 - Cornell University veterinary students