Preventive care is the key to keeping your pet healthy and a yearly wellness check-up is the cornerstone of any preventive care program. Regular exams help your veterinarian develop an overall picture of your pet's health and are essential to spotting medical problems before they become more difficult - and more costly - to treat. During your pet's yearly wellness check-up, we perform a head-to-toe appraisal of your pet's health. Our veterinarians check your pet's eyes, ears, nose and throat, examine the teeth and oral cavity, listen to the heart and lungs for signs of disease, palpate the abdomen, examine your pet's skin and coat, and more. These yearly exams are also an excellent opportunity for you to discuss with your veterinarian any recent changes in your pet's behavior or lifestyle.

Vaccinations will be administered as deemed appropriate on an individual basis. In many cases, your pet will not be receiving every vaccination at every visit. Much of our discussion will be focused on issues such as choosing an appropriate diet, weight management, preventive dental care, and parasite control. In some cases, we choose to run diagnostic tests, such as blood and urine testing. Your personal yearly check up at your physician is likely to include these tests and so should your pet’s yearly exam. Every year we detect many disease processes in apparently ‘normal’ adult animals. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatments can result in your companion living a longer, healthier life. If all the diagnostic tests are normal, we have a great baseline to use for comparison as your pet enters it's senior years. Please ask us about our discounted Wellness Blood Testing that we offer every spring.

Remember to take the time to ask questions of all staff members at your annual visit - we are your best source of information regarding your pet's health!

Vaccinations
Along with regular physical exams, vaccinations are the cornerstone of preventive health care for your pet. Thanks to recent advances in veterinary medicine, many common diseases that affect cats and dogs are now preventable through the use of vaccinations. Rabies, Bordetella (kennel cough), Leptospirosis, Feline Leukemia and other diseases can all be prevented through vaccination. We administer vaccines based on American Animal Hospital Association guidelines and your pet's individual lifestyle and needs. We recognize that every pet is different and not every animal requires the same sort of vaccination schedule. Our veterinarians work with you to develop a vaccine protocol for your pet that is individually tailored to his or her needs. Please note: an up-to-date rabies vaccination is legally required for all pets in the province of Ontario

Preventive Health Screens
We offer discounted preventive health screens for all pets. We recommend all senior pets undergo a Preventive Health Screen at least once yearly. Our health screens offer a thorough physical exam as well as a series of tests (bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs, thyroid test, etc) designed to assess your pet's internal function. These tests may allow for early detection and treatment of common underlying diseases of older pets. We offer two different levels of screening. There is the option of additional tests as needed to meet any specific health concerns that your pet may have that are not met our preset screens. Please call us for details on our Preventive Health Screens.

Senior Pet Care
Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever. Your senior pet has medical needs that are very different from puppies and kittens, though. Manotcik Veterinary Hospital works with you to develop a health care plan that ensures your pet is safe and happy throughout his or her "golden years".

Pets age faster than people and pets are considered to be "seniors"around age 7. Prevention is the key to keeping older pets healthy. Symptoms of disease or a chronic condition many not be readily apparent. In some cases, conditions that may look like the usual signs of "old age" could actually be signs of a more serious problem, such as arthritis, periodontal disease, kidney failure or cancer. We recommend all senior pets undergo a Preventive Health Screen at least once yearly. Our health screens offer a thorough physical exam as well as a series of tests (bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs,etc) designed to assess year pets internal function. These tests may allow for early detection and treatment of common underlying diseases of older pets. We offer two different levels of screening. There is the option of additional tests as needed to meet any specific health concerns that your pet may have that are not met our preset screens. Please call us for details on our Preventive Health Screens.

We offer many different surgical procedures at our hospital including spays, neuters, intestinal surgery, cystotomies, wound repairs, tumor removals, eyelid surgery, orthopedic surgery as well as others.

When your pet is admitted to our hospital for surgery, several steps are taken before the actual surgery. Prior to surgery, each patient receives a thorough physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that might endanger their health. Because not all problems can be detected on examination, we recommend all surgery patients undergo pre-anesthetic blood and urine testing. These tests give us a more complete picture of your pet's health and allow us to tailor an anesthetic regimen that is specific for your pet. If all is well, a technician will administer a pre-anesthetic sedative to reduce pain, calm your pet, and reduce the amount of gas anesthesia needed. Later, after an intravenous catheter has been inserted, a short acting drug is given to allow your pet to fall asleep. At that point, a breathing (tracheal) tube will be placed and a gas anesthesia/oxygen mix will be administered directly into the lungs. We use the same anesthesia as human hospitals. An esophageal stethescope is placed to monitor heart rate. We also have a doppler monitor for monitoring blood pressure while under anesthetic. Based on our careful monitoring, anesthesia can be adjusted accordingly, and any physiological changes can be detected before serious problems occur. Intravenous fluids will be given both during and after the procedure to maintain blood pressure. A fluid pump regulates the intravenous fluid rate, and the rate will be adjusted with changes in your blood pressure. The intravenous catheter also allows rapid administration of emergency medications if needed. Our surgery is equipted with "The Bair Hugger", a safe and effective surgical warming blanket system. Your pet's surgery site is prepped and scrubbed and Surgery is performed in our modern surgery suite with the surgeon and assistant masked and gowned. Your pet is monitored by an attending technician during the procedure and when the surgery is complete, the anesthesia is turned off and oxygen is administered. Your pet continues to be monitored by our trained staff during the recovery period, and is given additional injectable pain management later in the day as needed.

Please click here to view more detailed information for surgical admissions.

Why Dental Care Is Important?

Proper dental care is important in keeping your pet healthy and happy. When your pet's teeth aren't clean, bad breath is not the only problem that your cat or dog faces. Periodontal disease, caused by a build-up of bacteria and plaque on your pet's teeth and gums causes bleeding and severe inflammation of the gums, gum recession, alveolar bone loss (the bone that supports the tooth is "eaten away") and tooth mobility. As periodontal disease progresses, the bacteria can spread from the mouth, travel through the blood and cause damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Periodontal disease is not only serious, it is also more common than most pet owners realize. In fact, more than 80 percent of dogs and cats have this problem by the time they're four years old. So, it's easy to understand why periodontal disease is one of the most frequently diagnosed health problems in pets today. To help prevent periodontal disease in your pet, it's recommended to have your pets' teeth examined every 6 to 12 months.

A professional dental cleaning is the safest, most effective way to remove plaque and tartar from your pet’s teeth and reduce the risk of periodontal disease. Veterinary dentistry is quite different from the equivalent process in people. For most of us, caring for our teeth and gums at home has been part of our daily routine for as long as we can remember. Consequently, a person's visit to the dental hygienist is relatively brief and does not require sedation. In contrast, veterinary dentistry is considerably more involved, time-consuming, and complex. Very few animals will willingly stay still enough (or open wide enough) for us to clean and polish their teeth, so a dentistry for your dog or cat will always involve a general anesthetic and consequently a day's hospitalization and the skills of several people, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians and animal attendants.

What Happens During a Dental Procedure

Because anesthesia is required to keep your pet safe and still during the cleaning, we perform a physical exam and a series of blood tests to ensure that your pet is healthy enough for this procedure. These tests also help us develop an anesthetic protocol that is specific for your pet. The first step is to visualize the mouth and teeth for any abnormalities. This is called dental charting. Charting begins with evaluation of the mouth for presence of plaque and calculus on the teeth. Next, the mouth is examined for missing teeth. Enamel and dentin fractures are then noted, including pulpal exposure if present. A periodontal probe with millimeter gradations is inserted between the free gingiva and tooth surface. The probe is gently advanced to the bottom of the periodontal pocket and walked along the entire wall of the tooth. The attachment loss and probe depths are noted on the chart we begin by removing tartar from the teeth using a hand scaler. A periodontal probe is then used to check for pockets under the gumline where periodontal disease and bad breath start. Next, an ultrasonic scaler is used to clean above the gumline and a curette is used to clean and smooth the teeth under the gumline. Your pet’s teeth are then polished, resulting in a smooth surface that is more resistant to plaque buildup. Finally, a fluoride treatment is used to help strengthen the enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity.

Dental Radiographs (X-rays) Intra-oral radiography is vital for assessment of dental health. If a problem is discovered on a post-cleaning examination of the mouth, suspicious areas are radiographed (x-rayed). Dental x-rays are necessary to help diagnose signs of tooth and bone disease and help the veterinarian decide if further treatment or extraction is indicated.

Dentistry Months

February and March are dentistry months at our hospital. If you haven't received our flyer in the mail, or need more information, please call us at 692-3411 during regular business hours.

Brushing

Your veterinarian will often recommend brushing your pet's teeth. This may seem a little silly at first, but if you have the time and your pet is willing, this is a great way to give your pet healthy teeth and gums. Ask us about tooth paste and tooth brushes that would work for your pet. While it is impossible with brushing alone to remove tartar that has already formed, your efforts can slow or halt the formation of tartar, and gum health can be greatly improved. In a pet who has just had a dental prophylaxis (cleaning) brushing can go a long way towards preserving that new pearly white smile!

Special Food for Reduction of Tartar

There are now a number of foods on the market (found both at the veterinary hospital and at the pet store) which can help to minimize plaque and tartar buildup. These foods are appropriate if your pet does not like to chew enough to keep their teeth and gums healthy, or if you are unable to brush your pet's teeth.

Toys and Products to Reduce Tartar Formation

We do not recommend natural bones or rope toys. The bones are hard enough that pets who chew bones can fracture their teeth, and the strings in the rope toys can be hard on both the teeth and gums. Some dogs also like to chew rocks which cause the same problems. Try products such as rawhide which are hard, but not as hard as the teeth, and hard rubber toys in which treats can be hidden. If you need some ideas, please ask our receptionists, technicians, or your veterinarian.

We know the issue of pain management is of great concern to pet owners today. As in human medicine, we have a variety of medications available to manage your pet’s pain both before and after surgery and in the event of acute (eg.traumatic) and chronic (eg. arthritis) pain. A pain management protocol is tailored to suit each individual patient, and is based on the patient's age and condition, and the procedure being performed or the injury being treated, as not all medications are appropriate for all patients. In some cases, diagnostic tests such as blood work and urine checks are necessary prior to starting a pain management program, and at various intervals when long-term pain management is necessary. We would be pleased to discuss the options available to you and your pet under any of the above circumstances.

Surgical Pain management

Pain management is a part of our pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative surgical protocol. All surgical patients, including those undergoing routine procedures, receive pain control medication. Since your pet is unable to voice his/her discomfort, our trained veterinary staff is able to read signs of pain in each patient. Our goal is to make each procedure as painless as possible. With more difficult and complex surgeries, proper pain management is imperative in helping your pet recover comfortably and quickly. With your pet's health and well being in mind, pain management is a top priority in every surgical procedure we perform.

Each year, thousands of pets go missing and many are never found again. Giving your pet proper identification is a must, but sometimes a collar or ID tag may not be enough. Microchipping your pet is a safe, effective way to help make sure your companion returns home safely should he or she become lost. A microchip is about the size and shape of a grain of rice and is implanted beneath your pet's skin (usually between the shoulder blades) in a process similar to a vaccination. Every microchip is encoded with your pet's vital information - this information is stored in a national pet database. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across the country are equipped with special scanners capable of detecting and reading microchips. Once your pet's microchip has been scanned, the information it contains is used to reunite you and your pet.

Manotick Veterinary Hospital uses the M4S microchip system. Please ask a veterinarian or staff member for more details about microchipping your pet.

Your pet is always welcome to board at our facility. Our boarding services offer you the peace of mind you need when leaving your loved one in someone else's care. We specialize in caring for senior pets, those currently receiving medication, and any pet in need of special medical care

Our Facilities

Our air-conditioned hospital has kennels in which to board both cats and small dogs, and indoor runs for larger dogs. We welcome both our regular clients and those of other veterinary clinics.

Our Service

All dogs are individually leash-walked in our backyard at least three times per day. Pets boarding with us are fed a premium diet which is appropriate to their age and health status. Please discuss your pet's diet with us prior to dropping him or her off. If your pet requires a specific brand of food, we recommend that you bring enough of his or her regular diet to last for the entire stay. We provide the care appropriate to those pets with medical problems who need a little extra supervision or daily medication. You are welcome to bring your pet's treats, blankets and toys from home. However, we ask you mark all items with your name so that they are not misplaced.

Vaccinations

Vaccines must be current for any animal boarding with us and all dogs must have received the Bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccine within the last year. If you are not a regular client of ours, we will request a copy of your pet's file from your veterinarian prior to the day boarding is booked to make sure your pet's vaccines are up-to-date and we are able to meet your pet's needs.

Cost

Please e-mail or telephone us for this information.