Veterinary Services

A Full Service Veterinary Hospital and Pet Wellness facility

Yosemite Pet Hospital... Experience the Difference!

Pet health care is very different from what we humans experience at a doctors office. Human medicine often treats symptoms or medical conditions that a person is experiencing at that specific moment.

However, your pet cannot explain what their specific ailments are. They do not have the ability to answer a general health questionnaire, or tell the Dr. that they are "feeling fine except for this problem I'm having with my ears".

This is why we place such a strong emphasis on providing "Preventative Health Care" for your pet. Each time you visit Yosemite Pet Hospital, we perform a comprehensive physical examination on your pet. We are looking for early signs of any medical or health problems that your pet may be exhibiting. Remember, pets age much faster than people do. A 7-year old pet is actually entering their senior years.

We also recommend twice yearly examinations, especially on Senior pets. A "Human Senior" will often schedule annual visits to the doctor. Again, remembering that pets age differently, if you bring in your pet once a year, that is like you visiting the doctor every 3 years. When you skip a year, its like visiting the doctor every 6 years. And a lot can happen in 6 years.

You may notice that we schedule longer office calls than you may have experienced with other veterinary hospitals. We feel it is important to allow time for carefully examining your pet, and discuss the various treatment options available. It is important that you fully understand these options to help you make the right decisions for improving the healthy life of your companion.

Comprehensive Physical Examination: One of the most important elements of veterinary medicine is the physical examination. An annual examination is a key factor in helping to ensure that your pet enjoys a long and healthy life. Our examinations are designed to thoroughly review your pets' medical health condition. We also discuss your pet's behavioral characteristics, which may indicate or help to identify early stages of medical conditions. Based upon our examination, we will develop a treatment plan for your pet. We carefully discuss this with you to ensure that you fully understand the treatment options available.
Pet Wellness Programs: As your pet moves from Puppy or Kitten, to Adult and into their Senior years, requirements for veterinary care will change. We will work with you to develop a Pet Wellness program designed to help you pet lead a healthy lifestyle and enhance their quality of life.

Senior Pet Programs: Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever before. However, with this increased lifespan comes an increase in the types of ailments that can affect senior pets. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released the AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats to help veterinary hospitals provide optinal care for these aging companion pets. Please click on this link to read more about these guidelines: CLICK HERE

Vaccination Assessment Program: Vaccinating your pet is an important part of maintaining your pet's health. However, this is not as simple as getting a "Yearly Shot" for your pet. There are many considerations in developing an appropriate vaccination program for your canine or feline family member. Life style choices such as travel, housing indoors versus outdoors, exposure to other animals not only dogs and cats but livestock or wildlife can affect vaccination recommendations. Vaccines can have side effects so the old adage of more is better is not necessarily true, and can potentially be harmful. Because certain vaccines have been associated with tumor formation, it is recommended that they are administered in certain locations, so that they can be monitored closely. The old method of administering all the vaccines in the neck is no longer recommended. The following guidelines set by the U. C. Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital can help you understand the various factors involved in developing a proper vaccine schedule for your pet: CLICK HERE

Outpatient and Hospitalized Medical Care: We have facilities that will accommodate clients who wish to "Drop-Off" their pets in the morning, for treatment during the day. Our treatment area includes heated cages for recovering patients and fully monitored kennels for critical care patients.
Our kennel facilities are provided with soothing music, to help provide a calm and restful environment for your pet's recovery.

General Surgery: Our new Surgical Suite includes that latest in state-of-the-art surgical equipment. We monitor the patient's vital signs, including blood pressure, oygenation, and heart rhythym/patterns during surgery. We utilize the safest available anesthetics to provide that extra margin of safety, especially for our older or high risk patients.
We also utilize a "Bair Hugger" system during surgery and recovery. This system surrounds the patient with warm air, to help maintain body temperature during surgery, which helps reduce trauma and improve the overall recovery from surgery.
Dentistry with Dental X-Ray facilities: Good dental health is a key element in your pets' medical health. A problem with dental health means more than just bad breath. This can also spread bacterial infections throughout your pet's body.
Our dental program provides periodontal cleaning of the teeth and gums, polishing of the teeth, and may include extractions when required. We also offer dental X-Ray services, which can provide early warning of hidden dental conditions. Providing regular dental cleaning and treatment can help your pet enjoy a healthy and active life (and freshens their breath!)

Pain Management: Pets feel pain too! When your pet is experiencing a severe medical condition, or suffering from an injury, they may require pain medication to help them through. We also believe in utilizing pain management during medical or surgical procedures. Simply anesthetizing a pet does not reduce their pain. Proper pain management can help reduce the amount of stress and trauma your pet experiences, and helps speeds up their recovery time.
Dermatology (Skin & Ear Care): When your pet is experiencing skin or ear disorders, it can be a painful, uncomfortable time for them. There are many different causes for these ailments. These may be the result of a bacterial or parasitic infection. However, many problems are simple allergic reactions that your pet may have. For example, did you know that some pets have food allergies, flea allergies or even grass allergies? A single flea bite may result in a "Hot Spot" that your dog continues to chew at.
We will examine your pet to determine what the source of the problem may be, then develop a treatment plan to help relieve your pets discomfort.

Nutritional Counseling and Weight Loss Programs: As pets move through their life cycle, they have changing nutritional requirements. Puppies and kittens need more protein for growth. Active pets require different caloric intake than sedentary pets. As pets get older their diets should change to reflect their needs. Low fat, high fiber or low protein diets are all common as pets enter their senior years.
We will discuss your pet's lifestyle, and consider the information provided from laboratory analysis to determine if your pet requires a specific dietary program.

On Site Laboratory: Our in-house laboratory facilities provide for serum chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis and parasite testing. We also utilize commercial veterinary laboratories for specialized diagnostics and consultations. These tests are important in diagnosing your pet's medical health condition, and in developing preventative pet health care programs.
Radiology: Yosemite Pet Hospital's in-house X-Ray facilities offer the latest in radiographic technology. Combined with our fully computerized medical records program, we are able to electronically transmit X-Rays to specialists for consultation on serious medical conditions.

Ultrasound and Endoscopy: We utilize board certified specialists to provide in-house procedures for our patients. Our facilities include a separate area for use by these specialists when treating your pets.

Full Service Pharmacy: Our in-house pharmacy offers convenience for clients requiring medications for their pets. We can provide prescriptions in different formats, to help make it easier for you to medicate your pet. For pets that don't like pills, we can often formulate medications into liquids or chewable tablets. In some cases, we can even provide medications that can be applied to the skin.