Our practice offers general veterinary medical services.  We have two examination rooms and work hard to ensure that you and your pet can enter and exit safely but we really would prefer that all dogs be restrained on a leash or in a carrier and all cats should be kept in their carriers until in the examination room itself.  This is both for your safety and theirs. 

Those furry friends that are left with us are housed in separate wards according to their species to minimize their stress.  We prefer to see patients by appointment primarily but do accept emergency and walk-in examinations.

Equipment

We consider safety very important and therefore we were one of the first practices in the Antelope Valley to invest in an x-ray machine that is both compact and versatile.  We use an Innovet radiography machine that was groundbreaking in that the entire system is housed in one place.  X-rays are developed using an automatic processor therefore there is no chance of introducing human error into the developing procedure.  Although the equipment is very expensive, it is well worth it to minimize potential hazards to both your pets and our personnel.

Anesthetized animals are both visually monitored by one or both veterinarians and mechanically monitored through the use of a pulse oximeter that evaluates the oxygen content of your pet's blood as well as gives an audible reflection of his or her heart rate.  A printout can be made that reflects the readings taken throughout the procedure.  Please ask for a copy to be made for you before the procedure if you are interested.

Our ECG (electrocardiogram) machine (top picture) gives very clear graphs on the electrical activity of your pet's heart.  The results are faxed to Dr. McInnes (who has trained with renowned veterinary cardiologist Dr. Tilley) for analysis overnight.  An electrosurgical unit (bottom) is used for both electrocautery and for minor surgical procedures.  This machine is so precise that many prefer to use it for delicate tissues such as those found in birds and other small pets because it causes much less tissue trauma.

Dental procedures are performed using both hand scalers and an ultrasonic scaler and polisher.  In contrast to many other practices, ONLY a veterinarian performs all of the dental procedures on your beloved friend.  Recently, an enamel sealant has come onto the market to help minimize dental calculus formation.  A stronger formulation can be applied during the dental procedure which should last at least two weeks and a home kit is available, each application to last 4-7 days.  Please notify us if you would like more information about this wonderful new product!  We also use a fluoride sealant at the end of the dental cleaning which gives your pet's breath that wonderful bubble gum smell!

Ultrasonic scaler/polisher for dental procedures

Ultrasonic cleaner for instruments

Panoptic Ophthalmoscope