What are the clinic hours?

Our clinic is open Monday-Thursday-Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00pm. Tuesdays from 8:00am to 7:00pm, Saturday 8:00-noon.  We are closed on Wednesday and Sunday.

Do I need an appointment? 

Yes, patients are seen by appointment unless your pet is having an emergency.  Please refer to the emergency section on this web site. 

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, checks, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover.

Can I make payments or do you have payment plans? 

Payment is expected at the time the services are performed.  Credit can not be extended.  However, we will provide an estimate of cost at the time of your visit. 

At what age can I have my pet spayed and/or neutered?  What do you guys actually do when you spay or neuter my pet?

Spaying (ovariohysterectomy) and neutering (castration)  are usually performed  at approximately 6 months of age. 

What is usually know as a spay is an actual ovariohysterectomy.  It is an abdominal surgery performed on the female dog.  The procedure removes all the internal reproductive organs including both ovaries, the uterine horns and part of the uterine body.  There are many advantages to having your pet spayed these include:  decreased incidence of breast cancer later in life, decrease incidence of painful cystic ovaries and decreased incidence of severe uterine infections. 

What is know as a neuter is a complete male castration.  It is a procedure in which both testicles are removed.  The procedure is external meaning that we do not have to invade the abdomen.  There are also advantages to having your pet neutered such as decreased desire to roam the nieghborhood, decreased incidence of prostate cancer and it also may prevent spraying and marking. 

Both procedures decrease the surplus of unwanted and homeless puppies and kittens!

Your pet is given an examination prior to the surgery to assure the pet is healthy prior to the surgery.  An intravenous catheter is placed to keep your pet hydrated and to administer the anesthetics (or other medications) during the procedure.  Bloodwork is performed to assure the internal organs are all working normally.  Injectable medications are also given to assure your pet is comfortable and calm before and after the procedure. 

What may seem as a simple (routine) procedure is not taken lightly by the staff at Plymouth Veterinary Hospital.  We monitor all pets with oxygen and heart monitors.  Also, a licenced veterinary technician assists the veterinarian during the procedure and carefully monitors your pets respirations, pulse, and blood pressure. 

Why do you recommend performing bloodwork on a yearly basis on my pets? 

This is a question my receptionists get all the time.  In addition to performing a yearly physical exam we recommend performing  yearly bloodwork.  This yearly blood exam checks your pet' kidneys, liver, blood sugar and blood protein.  It is very easy to perform these blood tests at the same time we perform the yearly heart worm test.  In our senior or geriatric pets we may recommend some additional blood test. 

What happens when my pet is scheduled for a dental prophylaxis(cleaning)? 

When your pet is admitted to the hospital for a dental cleaning, it is usually after a recent physical exam that indicated that your pet had some level of periodontal disease, plaque accumulation or gingivitis.Studies have shown that 85% of all dogs and cats over one year old have some degree of periodontal disease. Imagine what our mouths would look like if we never brushed!!

Your pet is then handled by our technicians who obtain pre-anesthetic bloodwork (manditory for animals over 5). This gives the veterinarian an idea of  your animal's liver and kidney function,screens for other blood disorders and gives us an idea of how well your animal will metabolize the anesthesia and how fast it will be removed from the body.

Once your animal  has been cleared for surgery, it is given a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of a sedative/pain reliever. A few minutes later, the animal is relaxed and groggy. He/She is then given an intravenous (in the vein) injection of anesthetic, and drifts off to sleep. A tube is placed in the trachea to assist with breathing, and the plane of anesthesia is maintained via gas through that same tube. The animal is observed at all times by a technician, and machines measure pulse and respirations.

The supragingival (above the gumline) plaque and tartar are removed using special calculus forceps, hand instruments, and power scaling equipment.We examine individual teeth for mobility, fractures, malocclusion, and periodontal disease (probe for pocket depths after calculus is removed).Special curettes are used to probe the subgingival (below the gumline)spaces as well as remove any deposits.

Regardless of how careful we are during the scaling/curettage phase of teeth cleaning, minor defects of the tooth surface occur. Polishing smoothes out the defects and removes plaque missed during previous steps. Pumice or polishing paste is used on a polishing cup for the procedure. Any excess paste or debris is flushed away when the teeth are rinsed.  Currently we are also applying Oravet, an innovative dental sealant that can be applied at this point.  This dental sealant acts like a barrier that prevents the deposition of bacteria and tartar in the teeth.  After the professional veterinary aspplication you will receive applications that you can perform 2 weeks after your professional dental cleaning.  These in-home treatments will further enhance the treatment performed at the hospital.  The in-home treatments are very simple and easy to perform. 

The pet owner is an integral part of our dental team. Home care is the single most important procedure the owner can do to maintain oral health. If performed regularly, daily brushing will dramatically increase the interval between teeth cleaning appointments.

Plaque is constantly being made and deposited in the mouth. Humans have a buildup of plaque in the morning, that makes our breath smell bad. Proper home care can keep plaque buildup under control. The goal of dental home care is to remove plaque from tooth surfaces and gingival sulci before it mineralizes into calculus, a process that occurs within days of a teeth cleaning. Success depends on the owner's ability to daily brush the teeth, as well as the dog or cat's acceptance of the process. True oral cleanliness can only be achieved through the mechanical action of toothbrush bristles above and below the gingiva.

Home care is best started at a young age before the adult teeth erupt. The perfect time to introduce dental home care is at the first puppy or kitten visit. The client-animal bond as well as the client-veterinary bond is enhanced when daily brushing is performed following instructions given at the animal hospital.

Clients often ask, "doesn't hard food keep teeth clean?" Some believe when their dog or cat chews on hard food or biscuits, mineral deposits are broken down and the teeth stay clean. This is not true. True, animals on soft diets accumulate plaque more readily than those on dry foods, but the only way to keep teeth clean above and below the gum line is by daily brushing.

Is it okay for my dog to lick my son's/daughter's face?

Yes, it probably is. The only disease that dogs and humans can pass back and forth through saliva is beta strep throat, which is relatively rare. You may want to take your pup to the veterinarian if strep throat has been passed among the members of your family, though. And if your son has a weakened immune system, you may want to be careful about exposing him to the normal bacteria that's present in the saliva of healthy dogs.

Just a reminder--since you have a child in the house, you should be careful to make sure your dog doesn't become infected with worms. These parasites are not passed by saliva, but children can pick them up by playing on the ground and the floor. A good rule of thumb is, if children are in the house, have your dog dewormed regularly! And even if you don't have children at home, regular deworming will help your dog stay healthy and will help protect any children or adults who come to visit.

Can dogs and cats see colors?

Dogs and cats have rods and cones in their retinas but in a different proportion than in the human retina. Although they can differentiate colors, what they see is likely a more muted version of what we see. Dogs, especially, probably see more shades of gray than they do all of the individual colors.

Cats, by the way, can concentrate small amounts of light in their eyes, which allows them to see at night when the rest of us have difficulty. This special talent gives them their extraordinary night hunting vision.