Veterinarians work in veterinary clinics and hospitals, as well as travel to farms and other settings. Their expertise helps ensure a safe food supply from animal sources, as well as prevent the spread of harmful zoonotic diseases.
The veterinary medical community tracks local legislation and policies that may affect Veterinarian Clinic in Atlanta GA. You can help by staying informed, by attending local government meetings, and by participating in your state veterinary medical association.
Fear-Free Veterinary Care
Rather than using physical restraint to keep a pet from escaping during an exam, Fear Free vets use techniques that allow the pets to remain calm. These include communication, considerate approach and gentle control.
Before becoming Fear Free, Dowden would have to sedate her clients’ pets — and their owners — for procedures like blood draws or vaccinations. Now, she examines dogs and cats in the waiting room or their carriers — or even outside if the pet prefers.
She also uses distraction techniques and rewards to stabilize the pet, and might ask for a previsit medication to help them relax.
Preventative Care
Preventive care is a crucial component to keeping your pet healthy. It can catch diseases and illnesses before they become serious, prevent future health problems, decrease the severity of those that occur, and save you money in the long run.
Many of these conditions are zoonotic and can affect household members, so veterinary wellness checks are important for human health as well. However, studies have shown that educational discussions on preventive care form a minor component of appointments and may be considered less valuable by clients (1,2-8). This can lead to gaps in client knowledge.
Routine Exams
A routine exam is important for monitoring your pet’s health. It can also help prevent diseases from developing by catching them in their early stages. The schedule for when your pet should have a routine exam varies and is determined by their age, medical history, and risk of disease development.
During the wellness exam, your veterinarian will assess your pet’s body weight and fitness, and look at their ears, eyes, heart, lungs, glands, teeth, musculoskeletal system and the skin. They may also take a stool sample to test for intestinal parasites which are common in pets.
Vaccinations
Vaccination is the administration of weakened, killed or synthetic forms of disease-causing microorganisms to stimulate an animal’s immune system to create protective antibodies against those organisms. A combination vaccine is used to prevent multiple diseases with the same injection.
A small, firm swelling at the vaccination site is normal. If a reaction occurs, we will treat with antihistamines.
Core vaccinations protect your pet from diseases common in a given geographical area and are vital to all pets. We will review your pet’s risk of exposure and customize a vaccination plan for optimal protection throughout their lifetime.
Surgery
For many pet owners, surgery is a necessary part of keeping their pets healthy. Veterinary colleges often run low cost clinics to provide this care to their local communities.
These clinics are usually non-profit organizations and are able to keep their prices low because they have less overhead expenses than a full service veterinary hospital. They also often receive special discounts on medications, supplies, and monitoring equipment from vendors and may be able to get donations of money and supplies from community members.
For example, UC Davis’s Community Surgery Service provides spay and neuter surgeries as well as simple mass removals. This service is designed for medically stable animals and provides fourth-year veterinary students with valuable hands-on surgical experience during their clinical rotations at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH).
Dental Care
Veterinary dentistry is the cleaning, adjustment, filing, repair or removal of a pet’s teeth. This should only be performed by a veterinarian or board certified veterinary dentist.
Continuing advancements in dental care are allowing primary care veterinarians to utilize the same procedures that once were only available through a board-certified veterinary dentist. However, veterinary dental specialists still remain an excellent choice for advanced oral surgery and care.
Pre-dental exams and radiographs are performed to evaluate your pet’s oral health and determine if the pet is a good candidate for anesthesia. The veterinarian will make recommendations based on the findings.
Emergency Care
If your pet is experiencing a serious or life-threatening condition, the best care they can receive is in a hospital with an emergency vet. This clinic is staffed 24/7 by veterinarians trained in delivering immediate care.
They will evaluate your pet to determine their immediate diagnostic and treatment needs and may ask you to leave them alone so they can do so without distraction. They will then talk to you about their recommendations, including costs and potential outcomes.
Some local hospitals also offer access to boarded specialists in the areas of internal medicine, ophthalmology, cardiology and surgery. This can help to decrease the number of patients that must be transferred to a specialty hospital.