Services

Our clinics offers all typical elective surgical procedures with the same level of care as the more difficult procedures.

• Spay (ovariohysterectomy – sterilization for female patients)
• Castration (orchiectomy – sterilization for male patients)
• Declaw for cats (front paws only)
• Ear crop for appropriate breeds of dogs
• Tail docks
• Dewclaw removal

All patients receive intravenous fluid therapy during and after surgery. Advanced monitoring of pulse oximetry, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and temperature are recorded by trained personnel during surgery. Liberal use of pain medication is always part of post-operative care.

Surgeries will include a complimentary fecal exam for intestinal parasites and nail trim.

In House

If required, we have capabilities to perform routine or diagnostic blood work.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) (with differential)
• Chemistry (organ exam, electrolytes)
• Prep. (pre-anesthetic)
• T4/Cholesterol (thyroid)
• Phenobarbital (seizure management)
• Progesterone (reproductive hormones)
• Cortisol Level (Cushings or Addison’s)
• Lipase (pancreatitis)
• Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA)/Cytology (mass and lymph node evaluation)
• Dermatophyte Culture (ringworm)

Send Out

• Histopathology
• Cytology
• Virology
• Serology/Titer Evaluation
• Fungal/Bacterial Cultures
• Necropsy

Some disease processes require more intensive therapies than what can be provided at home. We are happy to provide a hospitalization option. Your pet will be held in our treatment area in the clinic and will be monitored throughout our working hours of 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. All hospitalized patients are provided with the following:

• Monitoring during their stay (business hours only)
• Intravenous catheter with fluid therapy
• Special diets if necessary
• Treatment plan tailored to specific needs with adjustments made as needed

*We require a $250 deposit on intake that goes toward the final bill

We offer several different types of diets from prescription to regular. Our inventory varies depending on several factors but we will always try our best to keep the food you need in stock. Special diets can be ordered by request via phone or in person. We offer canned and dry versions of most diets in multiple flavors. If you are looking for a specific size can or bag just let one of our staff know and we can let you know what is in stock or what can be ordered.

Hills Rx Diets:

• c/d
• w/d
• i/d (regular, low fat)
• k/d
• z/d
• u/d
• g/d
• Metabolic
• Derm Complete

Hills Science Diets:

• Puppy
• Kitten
• Adult Light
• Adult 1-6
• Adult 7+
• Senior
• Sensitive Stomach and Skin

Royal Canine:

• Hydrolyzed Protein
• Glycobalance
• Gastrointestinal (regular, low fat)
• Urinary
• Ultimino

*We also carry treats if your dog or cat is on a special diet requiring only specific ingredients.

Whether positive results are found with conservative medical treatment or require broken bone reconstruction, our goal is to restore your companion to optimal health and comfort. The first step in a traumatic event is to assess the injured patient and preserve life with a complete exam that includes the major organ systems such as heart, lungs, brain, and so forth. Once these systems have been assessed and treated appropriately, ‘quality of life’ becomes the priority. Many times this involves stabilizing broken bones, repairing torn or damaged ligaments, or replacing dislocated joints. This is where Grace Veterinary Services orthopedic team can assist in restoring your companion’s ‘quality of life’.

Phase 1) Planning

Proper planning is extremely important in fracture repair medicine. Frequently our team will spend as much time planning a procedure as performing the surgery. Digital radiographs and special computer software are used to make decisions on stabilization techniques such as internal or external fixation, use of orthopedic screws, plates, wire, pins, and bone grafting. This is also the time in which the team will discuss operating room (OR) set-up, equipment needed, and patient positioning for the surgery.

Phase 2) Surgical Procedure

Once the patient is anesthetized, monitoring is very important. The patient’s blood pressure, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, respiration rate, and pulse oximetry are all closely observed for changes that could indicate a problem. The OR is closed off from the remainder of the clinic and has a designated ventilation system. There are typically 3 people in the OR during surgery: the physician, physician’s surgical assistant, and an assistant observing and recording the patient’s vital signs. The surgery is performed while the patient is receiving preemptive (pre-surgical) pain medications, intravenous antibiotics, and fluid therapy.

Phase 3) Post-operative

Immediately after surgery additional radiographs will be taken to insure fracture repair goals have been met. Patient is monitored during the recovery phase to maintain pain control and body temperature. Owners are given specific instructions on how to care for patients at home. Owners are asked to bring patients back periodically for recheck appointments, and are given a list of things to look for in the event of any complication.

Grace Veterinary Services Team is excited to offer a great deal of experience and skill in treating a wide variety of long bone and hip fracture repairs. Most frequently lameness and fracture repair appointments are made on a drop-off basis. This is because in general, sedation is needed to evaluate and obtain quality radiographs for surgical planning.

Exams- We perform nose to tail exams on all patients no matter the reason for the visit. We understand the importance of a yearly checkup and will discuss any preventative care you may perform to keep your pet in the healthiest state possible. We will also perform visual only exams if the situation requires.

Vaccines- We have several options for vaccines that range from individual vaccines to full packages. To view our vaccine options with prices please click the link below:

Vaccine Packages and Prices

Flea and Tick Prevention- We offer a few different products to prevent infestation of fleas and ticks. It is recommended to apply year round prevention on pets no matter the season or environment.

• Bravecto 1 month for dogs
• Bravecto 3 month for dogs
• Bravecto for cats
• Bravecto PLUS for cats
• Seresto Collars for dogs
• Seresto Collars for cats
• RevolutionPLUS for cats
• Bravecto for Dogs and Cats
• Seresto for Dogs
• Seresto for Cats
• Revolution for Cats

Heartworms- Heartworm infections can be fatal if a pet is not on heartworm prevention. Due to our geographical location we are in an area that is endemic to mosquitoes who spread these parasites. It is recommended to apply heartworm prevention on a routine basis regardless of lifestyle, location or season.

• Advantage Multi for dog and cats
• Bravecto PLUS for cats
• IMOXI for dogs and cats
• Proheart6 for dogs
• Proheart12 for dogs

Advantage Multi for Dogs and Cats
IMOXI for Dogs
Proheart6 and Proheart12 for Dogs

We have digital radiology capabilities at all of our locations currently. This allows us immediate results of diagnostic radiographs and allows us to discuss these with pet owners directly. We can perform several studies and use radiology to aid in the diagnosis in conditions such as:

Studies:

• Thoracic (chest) Evaluation
• Abdominal Evaluation
• Orthopedic Evaluation
• Barium Studies
• Pregnancy Radiographs (Day 50-52 post breeding)

Diagnosis:

• Foregien Body Detection
• Fractures/Displacements
• Pregnancy
• Traumatic injury of the chest or abdomen (free air/fluid)
• Kidney/Bladder Stones

Here at our clinics we offer a wide variety of soft tissue surgeries beyond the typical elective procedures.

• Removal of gastrointestinal foreign bodies
• Repair of aural (ear flap) hematomas
• Removal of urinary bladder stones
• Cesarean section for OB patients
• Keratectomy for indolent (non-healing) corneal ulcers
• Mass removal
• Amputations
• Umbilical hernia repair
• Enucleation (eye removal)
• Nares resection for stenotic nares (closed nose)
• Entropion (inverted eyelids) repair
• Scrotal Ablation

Also, more technically difficult, but often necessary surgical procedures:

• Total Ear Ablation (removal of ear canals)
• Inguinal Hernia Repair
• Splenectomy (removal of spleen)
• Nephrectomy (removal of kidney)
• Biopsy of organs such as liver, pancreas, kidney ect.
• Intestinal Anastomosis (removal of a section of bowel and reattaching)
• Prolapsed Tear Gland (‘cherry eye’ – Morgan’s Pocket Technique)
• Perineal Urethrostomy

All patients receive intravenous fluid therapy during and after surgery. Advanced monitoring of pulse oximetry, heart rate, CO2, respiration rate, blood pressure, and temperature are recorded by trained personnel during surgery. Liberal use of pain medication is always part of post-operative care.

A torn or damaged Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) is the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs. The CCL is located inside your pet’s knee, or what veterinarians call the stifle. When their CCL is damaged or torn, this causes undesired movement within the joint resulting in pain as well as both short term and long term inflammation. There are other structures called menisci within the stifle that are at risk for damage as well. The menisci are C-shaped cartilage structures that provide many needed functions to the stifle such as lubrication and stability. If the menisci are damaged this will increase your pet’s pain level, as well as speed up degeneration of the stifle. The sooner the CCL damage is addressed, the better the short and long-term prognosis.

Through the years many surgical procedures have been developed to correct and repair a CCL tear. Older procedures were developed with the idea of replacing the ligament, unfortunately these procedures most often failed in larger size patients.

Of late, there are two procedures that have been shown to alleviate this problem the best. The first was the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), and later the Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA). Both of these procedures are technically challenging and involve cutting bone to reposition the stifle in a way that the CCL is no longer needed.

Grace Veterinary Services team is excited to offer the TTA surgical procedure to clients and patients.

Surgical Planning (TTA)
Pre-surgical planning is extremely important in any orthopedic procedure, and even more so for a TTA. The size of the plates and the advancement of the tibial tuberosity (a structure on the front of the tibia) will determine the short and long term outcome of the patient. This planning is done by sedating the patient and obtaining appropriately positioned radiographs. The radiographs are downloaded into special computer software in order to custom fit each patient for the appropriate implants to be used.

Surgical Procedure (TTA)
1) An arthrotomy (opening of the stifle joint) is performed first to assess any damage to the meniscus, and remove the remnants of the CCL.
2) An osteotomy (cutting of the bone) is performed on the front of the tibial bone, the tibial tuberosity.
3) The tibia is fitted for a plate and a special type of ‘spacer’ called a cage. Sizes are determined by the pre-surgical planning (see above).
4) The plate and cage hold the tibial tuberosity in its new location until healing has occurred.
5) Just prior to closing, a bone graft is placed where the bone was cut to hasten bone healing.

Post-operative Care
Immediately following surgery post-operative radiographs are taken to insure the TTA goals have been met. A short term bandage is placed on the leg to help control swelling. Pain management is very important early on in the healing process, so patients go home with several medications to maintain the patient’s comfort level. Owners will receive specific (weekly) instructions as to home care, and a list of things to look for in the event of complications.

Dental care is vital to the overall health of any pet. Dental disease can lead to health issues with the heart, liver, and kidneys and has the potential to seep into your pet’s bloodstream. In fact, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over three years of age suffer from some form of dental disease, making it the most common pet health issue among our pet population.
In spite of these disturbing facts, many pet owners are not aware of the importance of dental care to their pets’ health. There are a lot of different ways to improve your pets dental hygiene, including home brushing, dental chews, and regular inspection.
The most effective way to protect your pet from dental disease is through professional cleanings. We perform thorough cleanings here at Grace Veterinary Services, including the area beneath the gums that you can’t see or access at home.
If your pet has brown/yellow teeth, bad breath, or is having difficulty eating, these could all be signs of dental disease. Please call us at (870) 813-0110 today to learn more or to request your pet’s dental cleaning.