Medical Care
Whether your pet is in for a regular physical exam or if he or she is not feeling well, the veterinarians at Randolph Animal Hospital perform a complete "nose-to-tail" examination. During this examination, we look at, listen to, and palpate (or touch) your pet in order to find abnormalities. We check the nose, perform a dental exam of the mouth and teeth, and then we look closely at the face, eyes and ears. The skin is thoroughly examined for signs of allergy or infection. Along the neck we palpate for abnormalities associated with the thyroid gland and lymph nodes. Since there are many lymph nodes in the neck, shoulder, and armpit areas, we spend a good deal of time here as swelling in this area can indicate a nearby infection or problem.Throughout the examination, we also palpate muscles and bones, squeeze and bend joints, checking for abnormalities and testing for reflexes and pain. When we get to the chest area, we listen to the heart and take a pulse in one of the hind legs. Heart problems, such as murmurs or irregular beats, can sometimes be heard through a stethoscope. We also listen to the lungs for any abnormal sounds or breathing irregularities.
We palpate abdominal organs such as kidneys, liver, and intestines, checking for irregularities, lumps and areas of pain or tenderness. Any one of these could indicate a problem.
Both male and female dogs often get rectal exams in order to rule out prostate disease in males and rectal disease in both sexes. Along with the rectal exam, a rectal temperature of your pet is also recorded.
Following the physical exam, we may order a laboratory evaluation that includes a fecal exam, urinalysis, complete blood cell count and / or blood chemistry profile. These tests are often needed in order to confirm a possible diagnosis or to continue with the initial diagnostic workup.
If we suspect abnormalities or signs of disease, we may investigate further by using diagnostic tests such as X-rays and / or ultrasound. Whatever problem your pet might have, you can be sure that he / she receives the best possible care by the veterinarians and staff at Randolph Animal Hospital.
Surgery
Our hospital is well-equipped to perform most minor and major surgical procedures from spays and neuters to more complicated emergency, orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries.Prior to surgery, each patient receives a thorough physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that might endanger your pet's health. Because not all problems can be detected on examination, we also require pre-anesthetic blood testing. These tests not only give us a more complete picture of your pet's health but also allow us to tailor an anesthetic regime that is specific for your pet.
We offer a wide variety of anesthetic protocols tailored to your individual pet's needs. We are equipped with state-of-the-art anesthetic machines that provide patients with isoflurane or sevoflurane gas anesthesia. We utilize extensive anesthetic monitoring devices including Doppler blood pressure, pulse oximetry and other cardiac monitoring devices.
Pain management is a part of our pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative anesthetic and medical protocol. We urge you to discuss operative pain management options with our staff.
All of our surgical patients are intubated and maintained under general anesthesia with isoflurane or sevoflurane, which are safe inhalant gas anesthetic agents. This ensures that the doctor and surgical technician can hear (as well as see) that the surgical patient is stable.
We also use a pulse oximeter to monitor heart rate and tissue oxygenation. This helps assure us that our patient is receiving exactly the right amount of anesthesia.