Veterinary medicine is a term used to describe a variety of specializations that focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in animals.

Diseases We Treat

The emergency medicine team at our hospital specializes in treating a variety of health problems that occur in dogs and cats. While the list below is not exhaustive, our veterinarians can help address these and many other health problems in your pets:

  • Infectious diseases: Including kennel cough, parvo virus, leptospirosis, tick-borne diseases (Lyme, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis), canine influenza, ringworm, and others, which can be mitigated through vaccination or treatment.

  • Stomach and intestinal disease: Including gastro-intestinal foreign objects, inflammatory bowel disease, endoparasites (worms, giardia), or hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.

  • Renal, adrenal, liver disease: In addition to degenerative conditions due to old age or congenital abnormalities, there are diseases such as hepatitis, biliary disease, kidney infection (pyelonephritis), urinary tract infections, Cushing’s or Addison’s diseases of the adrenal glands, and many others.

  • Immune disorders: Either genetic or late-onset immune disorders, which can cause your pet to be more vulnerable to other diseases.

  • Pancreatic disease: Including pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, or hormonal pancreatic imbalances in both dogs and cats.

  • Hormonal disease and disorders: Abnormalities of the thyroid, adrenal, or pituitary, or genetic anomalies that can affect your pet’s behavior and overall health.

  • Respiratory disease: Involving any problems with the upper and lower respiratory systems, including the mouth, nose, airways, throat, and lungs.

  • Blood disease:  Problems with blood may be due to blood parasites, toxins, infectious pathogens, or endocrine abnormalities that interfere with normal blood cell functions.

  • Some types of cancers: Cancers can be identified by our emergency team and we can facilitate oncology consultants.

  • Toxins: Our emergency veterinary team works with the nationally acclaimed ASPCA Poison Control to help identify and treat toxins and poisons that your animal may have ingested and cause a number of abnormalities including anemia, seizures, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Tests and Procedures We Offer

Diagnostic Tool, Measurements, and Testing

Our medical team has advanced diagnostic tools to assist in identifying the specific problem your pet may be suffering from and to obtain vital measurements to aid in diagnoses.

Blood analyzer machines to provide immediate complete blood count, chemistry, coagulation values

Urinary analysis machines to evaluate urine for infections, crystals, or increases in chemicals (e.g.

EKGs to evaluate heart rate and rhythm.

We use electrocardiography to measure and evaluate the electrical activity of the heart to diagnose potential heart conditions your pet may suffer from.

Overview

Electrocardiography, also referred to as EKG, is a diagnostic tool used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. The recorded measurements are then reviewed by a cardiologist to screen for or monitor any heart conditions.

Why would my pet need electrocardiography?

If your pet is having heart-related health issues, diagnostic tools such as an EKG or Echocardiogram can be used to help diagnose the problem and provide direction to your doctor as to treatment options.

When would my pet need electrocardiography?

Our doctors may recommend an EKG if they hear that your pet has a heart murmur during an exam, if we are planning to schedule anesthesia for your senior pet, or if they are experiencing any symptoms of heart related conditions. If your pet is experiencing symptoms such as lethargy, fainting, shortness of breath, or other irregular behaviors, contact us immediately as those could be indications of heart disease.

How does electrocardiography work?

Veterinarians use EKG testing and echocardiograms to evaluate your pet's heart. They are both noninvasive, safe with no risk of exposure to radiation, and only take a few minutes. They’re performed typically with the pet lying down on a padded table.

The EKG is an effective tool that measures the electrical efficiency of the heart. It’s commonly used to evaluate the heart rhythm, identify abnormalities in the heartbeat, and potential damage to the heart muscle and tissue. An echocardiogram uses ultrasound technology, or high-frequency sound waves, produced by a transducer and directed towards the chest. These two exams used together can greatly increase the accuracy of diagnosis of many heart conditions for your dog or cat.

Doppler and sphygmomanometry measure and evaluate blood pressure.

Ophthalmic equipment to check for ocular abnormalities including (but not limited to) corneal ulcers, uveitis, dry eye, foreign objects, increased pressure, and conjunctivitis.

Microscopy to aid in identifying blood cell abnormalities, identify urine abnormalities, check for ear and skin mites, and ear and skin infections.

Radiology

We are equipped to perform routine radiographic services to identify abnormalities, illness, or injury when pets are sick or suffer an injury or traumatic event.

Overview

Radiography, also known as x-rays, is one of the most common and valuable medical diagnostic tools. Radiographs are highly useful for screening areas of the body that have contrasting tissue densities, or when evaluating solid tissues.

Why would my pet need radiographs?

If your pet is sick or has suffered a trauma, radiographs provide a minimally invasive tool to help our doctors diagnose your pet. Radiographs are also used in general wellness exams to diagnose potential problems before they become serious.

When is radiographic testing appropriate?

We may recommend veterinary radiographs as part of a diagnostic procedure if your pet is experiencing any health conditions or as a preventive measure in a routine senior wellness examination. We use radiology alone or in conjunction with other diagnostic tools depending on the patient’s condition. We are fully equipped to perform routine radiology services to identify many types of illness or injury when pets are sick or suffer from some sort of trauma.

How is radiographic testing used?

Radiographs can be used to detect a variety of ailments in animals including arthritis, tumors, bladder and kidney stones, and lung abnormalities such as pneumonia. They are also used to evaluate bone damage, the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, genitourinary system, organ integrity, and even to identify foreign objects that may have been ingested. In some cases, we may need to sedate your pet or use short-acting general anesthesia.

Diagnostic Ultrasounds

An ultrasound is a useful tool when evaluating heart conditions, internal organs, cysts and tumors, and diagnosing pregnancy.

Why would my pet need an ultrasound?

A veterinary ultrasound is an invaluable resource for evaluating heart conditions. It can detect alterations in abdominal organs and assist in the recognition of any cysts and tumors that may be present. Many times, radiographs will be utilized in combination with an ultrasound as they reveal the size, dimension, and position of the organ. With the ability for real-time monitoring, ultrasounds are utilized for pregnancy diagnosis and development monitoring.

When would my pet get an ultrasound test?

An ultrasound is excellent at evaluating your pet's internal organs. An ultrasound is usually recommended when our doctors find abnormalities on bloodwork or radiographs, or to monitor a disease process.

How does ultrasound testing work?

Ultrasound equipment directs a narrow beam of high frequency sound waves into the area of interest. The sound waves either transmit through, reflect, or absorb in the tissues that they encounter. Any ultrasound waves that are reflected will return as echoes and convert into an image that is displayed on the monitor, giving a 2-dimensional image of the tissues under examination. With the ability to obtain real time information, outcomes can often be identified in real-time.

The ultrasound examination is completely painless, but occasionally the animal may have a little discomfort. Light sedation may be used to help the patient lie comfortably while the ultrasound scan is being performed. Your pet may need to be shaved in the area of interest, as veterinary ultrasound images are of better quality if they have complete contact with the skin.

Advanced Veterinary Equipment

We offer a wide variety of additional services at NPVEC, and we're committed to providing compassionate and expert veterinary care, diagnostic testing, blood transfusions, and more. Procedures/Treatments

At North Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic we are able to provide the following additional veterinary services to best care for your pet:

Our medical team communicates and works with other specialty departments to provide a comprehensive care plan for your pet’s unique situation. Treatment may include, but is not limited to, the following procedures:

  • Surgical procedures to aid in the treatment of trauma and diseases that affect your pet’s health.

  • Medications that can help manage symptoms and pain, and support your pet’s recovery.

  • Fluid therapy is given to our animal patients to treat vomiting, diarrhea, or other causes of fluid loss. We are also able to provide continuous rate infusions when administering various medications.

  • Oxygen support with a Snyder© unit and incubators for our smaller patients

  • Thermal regulatory support (warming or cooling) for patients presenting in shock or debilitation, or patients suffering from heatstroke, or post-operative hypothermia (e.g. Baer hugger).

  • Transfusions (blood and plasma) for our patients that are anemic as a result of trauma, infectious diseases, post operatively, toxins, or immune-mediated abnormalities.

  • Whelping assistance for dog and cat patients that are having difficulty giving birth. We have staff fully trained in assisting dogs and cats to give birth (whelp/queen) as well as in resuscitating neonates post cesarian section surgical procedures.

  • Isolation Ward – where we are able to treat our patients with highly infectious diseases such as parvovirus or upper respiratory infections.

  • Nebulization and coupage are performed to manage lung and airway infections

  • Pulse-Oximetry is used to measure an animal’s oxygen saturation