Preventative and Wellness Care
At Johnston Animal Hospital we believe that preventative health care is the key to a healthy pet. Preventative medicine lengthens your pet’s life span, ensuring his or her overall health by detecting illness as soon as possible. We implement bi-yearly visits as part of this preventative approach. During these visits your pet will receive a comprehensive physical exam. The exam entails a thorough nose to tail-tip evaluation of all systems that can be felt, heard and smelled. Your pet will then receive blood work, parasite checks, and routine deworming.
In addition we recommend monthly flea and tick control as well as year round heartworm prevention. Many diseases can be prevented with simple routine vaccinations or medications. We recognize that all pets and their lifestyles are different so we can tailor preventative care to your pets needs. We mail reminder cards to notify you when your pet(s) are due for routine wellness care. If at any time your pet is in need of additional services please let us know.
Bilingual Team Members
At Johnston Animal Hospital we have team members here who are bilingual to help you and your pet’s needs. Check out our “Meet Our Team” section to see which team member can help you!
Miembros del Equipo Bilingues
Tenemos miembros del equipo bilingues en Johnston Animal Hospital para ayudar a usted y a las necesidades de su mascota. Haga clic en “Meet Our Team” (“Conocer Nuestro Equipo”) para ver cual miembro del equipo lo puede ayudar!
General Medicine
We make appointments Monday thru Friday and offer day stay appointments if your pet needs to be examined due to illness. We offer a variety of lab tests, procedures, and medications to help your pet feel better as soon as possible.
Dentistry
During routine exams, your pet’s teeth will be checked and scored based on the level of tartar buildup and gum disease. A healthcare plan will be made to inform you of the next steps for your pets dental care. Dental work, including cleanings and prophylaxis are performed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other offered services include dental radiographs, simple and surgical extractions, SANOS dental sealant application and more.
Surgery
Johnston Animal Hospital offers a variety of routine surgical procedures including spays and neuters. We also provide a variety of orthopedic surgeries such as cruciate ligament repair and fracture repair.
The Dr. Ward offers CO2 surgical laser technology for procedures where a laser incision is applicable. The benefits of laser surgery include less pain, less bleeding, reduced swelling, lower chance of infection, shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery.
Every patient is unique, a pain management program will be tailored specifically to all surgical patients and their condition. Following surgical procedures, each patient receives custom at-home-care instructions. Recheck appointments are scheduled during the recovery process to allow Dr. Ward to monitor each patient’s progress. Prior to surgery, it is best to have a consultation with Dr. Ward so you can discuss any questions and concerns. Please call ahead to schedule a consultation appointment. Dr. Ward performs surgeries on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
CO2 Surgical Laser
There are three major advantages of CO2 laser surgery when compared to traditional stainless steel surgical scalpels. These advantages are:
Decreased Post-Operative Pain: The laser seals the nerve endings as it cuts. This reduces pain impulses from the surgery site in the immediate post-operative period.
Reduced Bleeding, Swelling and Blood Loss: The laser cauterizes the blood vessels to help prevent bleeding and swelling.
Reduced Risk of Surgical Infection: This occurs due to the super heating of the tissues in the incision site, destroying any bacteria that are present at the time of surgery
Almost any soft-tissue surgery may be performed with the CO2 laser. Routine procedures such as ovariohysterectomy (spay) or castration (neuter) are commonly done with the laser. The CO2 laser can also be used for skin tumor removal and eyelid surgery. Dr. Ward will discuss whether CO2 laser is appropriate for use during your pet’s surgery.
Digital Radiographs
We offer Sound™ digital radiographs, which are preferred over film radiographs due to their clarity. Radiographs can be taken and viewed immediately. We also have the capacity to e-mail digital radiographs to specialists as needed. Upon request you can receive your pet’s radiographs via e-mail to view at home.
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) Certification
Johnston Animal Hospital is committed to providing services that equip breeders with the proper tools to breed animals that are genetically and physically sound. Some breed organizations or individual breeders require radiographs prior to breeding. These radiographs examine joint stability and can give the breeder greater confidence in the animals they produce. Here at JAH, we have state-of-the-art digital radiograph equipment to deliver high definition images to OFA.
Ultrasonography
Joann Thompson, DVM is an ultrasonographer and veterinarian that we use exclusively for ultrasounds on our patients. She is normally with us on Wednesdays. Dr. Thompson provides images as well as a written summary of her findings for Dr. Ward to review and share with you.
Hospitalization
In the event that your pet should need to be hospitalized, we are here to give your pet the best care possible. Hospitalized patients are monitored closely in our ICU by Dr. Ward and our Registered Veterinary Technicians. A member of our team will call you to keep you up to date on your pet’s progress while hospitalized.
In-House and Send-Out Laboratory Services
Lab work is most commonly performed for routine wellness care, for sickness or injury, prior to administering anesthesia and for routine intestinal parasite analysis. Lab work is performed in-house and through a Antech Diagnostic Laboratories. Dr. Ward orders lab work based on several factors including the patient’s age and health condition.
Routine wellness blood panels are usually performed annually for patients under age 7. The standard lab panel evaluates internal organ function, provides a complete blood count (cbc) and checks for heartworms.
Patients over 7 years of age are considered geriatric. Due to their body’s aging process early detection of abnormalities is important. For this reason we will do blood panels twice a year to assess organ function. This panel will also include a urinalysis and thyroid evaluation.
If at any time your pet becomes ill or is injured Dr. Ward will chose the blood panel best suited to diagnosing the problem.
Prior to surgery or sedation we recommend that all pets have pre-anesthetic blood work. The results are available prior to your pet’s procedure and can help us alter our anesthetic plan if needed. This panel includes blood chemistries and a complete blood count. Knowing your pets overall health status prior to anesthesia will minimize potential risks and give you peace of mind.
If your pet is on long term medication for pain, seizures, thyroid conditions, or other chronic illness, periodic blood work is required for prescription refills. Blood work allows us to evaluate the level of medication in your pet’s system. It is our goal to use the lowest effective dose of medication to maintain control of the symptoms.
Intestinal Parasites are a threat to animals and humans alike. Children are at higher risk of exposure since parasites can be found in dirt, sandboxes, and natural play areas for kids. During your pet’s routine wellness visit we will check a stool sample for parasites and give the appropriate deworming medication.
Vaccinations
Dr. Ward has developed a routine vaccination schedule based on recommendations by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and current veterinary standards. We offer routine vaccines as well as lifestyle vaccines such as the Lyme disease, Leptospirosis and Canine Influenza vaccines. Reminder cards are sent to you to inform you when your pet is due for vaccine boosters. Please call with any questions regarding your pet’s vaccinations.
Dermatology
Irritating skin issues are uncomfortable and have a variety of common causes including seasonal and non-seasonal allergies, mites or other parasites, infection, or more serious metabolic problems. Following correct diagnosis, we can prescribe the appropriate combination of treatments and dietary changes for your pet’s particular condition.
Boarding for Dogs and Cats of Active Clients
Johnston Animal Hospital offers boarding services for dogs and cats of active clients year round, including holidays. You can head for vacation and know your dogs or cats are in good hands. For the protection of all boarding and hospitalized patients, pets are required to be up to date on vaccinations and free of internal and external parasites prior to the date of boarding.
For cats, we offer suites as well as deluxe suites. These suites are in an air-conditioned, quiet area where your cat can unwind. We want your cat to enjoy their stay with us. Your cat will be able to enjoy their view of our large window, we also have fear-free music playing at all times to help your cat feel relaxed.
We serve Purina Veterinary Diets unless you provide your pet’s special diet. Indoor and outdoor kennel spaces are available. Medications are administered by trained team members.
Space is limited so please call for reservations as soon as your travel dates are planned.
Pharmacy
Prescription medications are filled in our in-house pharmacy for your convenience. We maintain a supply of reliable veterinary pharmaceutical products from reputable suppliers. Please call ahead for refills or use our online refill request form to decrease your wait time.
Dietary Products
We carry a wide selection of Purina Veterinary Diets available by prescription only. Special diets are available for patients with diabetes, urinary and kidney issues, food allergies, skin conditions, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders and sensitive stomachs, excessive tartar build-up and unhealthy weight issues. Nutrition counseling is available for chronic health issues and weight concerns.
Healthy treats are also available for purchase without a prescription.
Microchip Installation and Registration
911PetChip™ microchip installation is recommended for all pets. At FreePetChipRegistry™ all microchip registrations are free for life, and there are no fees to update or change your information.
According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, in a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9% of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38.5% of the time. (Lord et al, JAVMA, July 15, 2009) For microchipped animals that weren’t returned to their owners, most of the time it was due to incorrect owner information (or no owner information) in the microchip registry database.
Euthanasia
Saying goodbye to a long-time friend is painful. We work with you to ensure comfort and dignity for you and your pet. Additional services, if needed, include taking care of the remains using the option you choose, a lock of hair keepsake or a paw print.