If this is your first time coming in to see us, please arrive 10 minutes early so that we can have plenty of time to put together your pet's medical record.

There are a few things that you should bring along:

-Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a pet carrier (for safety reasons).

-Please bring any vaccination records that you have on your pet.  If you cannot locate these, bring along the name and phone number of your previous veterinarian and we would be happy to call and locate them for you.  You can also have your previous veterinarian fax the vaccine records to us at (720) 348-2984

-If you are coming in for a medical consult, please bring along previous medical records.

-The name of the food that your pet is fed and any supplements that they are taking

-A fresh (within the same day) stool sample, so that we can make sure your pet is free from internal parasites.

IF YOUR DOG IS COUGHING OR SNEEZING- PLEASE DON'T BRING THEM INTO OUR WAITING ROOM.  This is because upper respiratory diseases are very contagious, especially in dogs!  Feel free to call us from your cell phone and let us know that you are here or leave your dog in the car with the window cracked (briefly) if its a cool day and come tell us that you're here.  We don't want to potentially expose the rest of our patients to kennel cough or the canine flu.  Thank you for understanding!  Once the waiting room is free of other dogs, we will bring your dog directly into the examination room.

After you finish filling out the paperwork, the veterinary technician or assistant will bring you and your pet into the examination room.  The technician will ask you a few questions about your pet.  If your pet is ill, the veterinary technician may take your pet's temperature.

The veterinary technician or assistant will get the Dr and the Dr will come in and take a brief history.  The Dr may ask questions such as:

-Do you have any concerns regarding your pet?

-What type of food (brand) does your pet eat?

-Any vomiting or diarrhea?  Coughing or sneezing?  Any change in your pet's thirst?

-Does your dog take heartworm preventative?

-Does your cat ever go outside?

Your pet's annual veterinarian examination will include a "nose to toes" inspection of all body systems.  Small dogs and cats will be put on the examination table.  Large dogs are often examined on the floor.  We will look into your pet's eyes, ears, mouth.  The Dr will examine your pet's coat, palpate your pet's abdomen, and listen to their heart and lungs.  We will feel your pet's joints and assess their body weight.  What may look like a "doggie massage" is also our way of searching for any lumps or bumps.  The examination by a veterinarian is more important than the vaccinations!

The next step is to formulate a plan.  The Dr will discuss any findings with you and options.  Here are some possible scenarios:

-Your pet is very healthy and the Dr will then discuss which vaccinations are indicated in order to keep your pet protected and healthy. 

-Your pet is slightly overweight and the Dr talks to you about ways to cut down on the calories in order to aid your pet in losing some weight.  (As an aside- did you know that THIN animals live TWO YEARS LONGER than overweight animals?).  If its a dog, the Dr may discuss hypothyroidism with you.

-Your pet shows some evidence of dental disease and the Dr may talk to you about home care options or possibly a dental cleaning.

-The Dr noticed a lump and may recommend a "Fine Needle Aspirate" - this is a very simple procedure that involves putting a small needle into your pet's lump and submitting the cells for cytology.  The cytology (reading of the cells) often can tell us what exactly the lump is and whether or not it should be removed.

-You have a senior pet, the Dr may recommend senior bloodwork to make sure all organs are functioning well.

These are just a few possible scenarios to give you an idea of what to expect.  At every step of the process, you are involved!  We will never treat your pet or do any type of diagnostic work-up without your approval.  Before any testing, we are always more than happy to provide you with a written treatment plan, so that you are aware of costs before we begin.

If you have ANY questions along the way, please ask!  We are here to show you how to:

Clean your pet's ears

Trim their toenails

Brush their teeth

(these demos are not at a cost to you!)

If your pet needs to have blood drawn, nails trimmed, or ears cleaned - we are always more than happy to do this in the room with you.  Often we will do anal gland expressions back in our treatment area just so that the exam room isn't stinky for the day.  :-)  But, you are always more than welcome to accompany your pet back into the treatment room.  Every now and then, we deal with an aggressive animal who is less aggressive away from their owner (because sometimes the animal is trying to protect you!)  If we feel like this may be the case, we will let you know.