Services

Medical Services

Brown Road Animal Clinic offers a wide range of services for dogs and cats including examinations, vaccinations, surgery, x-rays, blood pressure, EKG and laboratory diagnostics. Ultrasound, Echocardiography and specialized surgical services are available at our office through our professional partners at the recommendation of our doctors.   

Preventive Care
Preventive care allows for your pet to live as long and as happy a life as possible. The staff at Brown Road Animal Clinic strives to not only prevent disease, but make sure your pet is as healthy and content as possible.

Preventive medicine offered at Brown Road Animal Clinic includes:

Health examinations
Physical examinations include listening to the heart and lungs, looking at the eyes, ears, skin and coat, examining the gums and teeth and feeling the pet for internal abnormalities such as joint issues or lumps. Depending on your pet's age this needs to happen once or twice a year, your veterinarian will help to determine what your pet needs.

Vaccinations
Keeping your pet up to date on their shots is one of the best ways to ensure lifelong health. Your dog or cat is better protected from many common contagious diseases when they are vaccinated. You and your doctor will determine which vaccinations are necessary for your pet's lifestyle based on their age, health and exposure risk.  

Blood testing
We offer routine blood tests in our in-house laboratory. These include CBC, Chemistry Panels, Heartworm, Ehrlichia and Lyme Disease testing. We will also prepare and send your pet’s blood samples to a comprehensive veterinary reference laboratory or a specialty laboratory at the veterinarian’s discretion

Parasite checks and medication
Intestinal parasites such as roundworm and tapeworm are most common in puppies and kittens or animals that have been in a contaminated environment. There are also other organisms that may infect your pet that you may never see such as coccidia or giardia. A pet with these parasites may not always exhibit symptoms of infection such as diarrhea. Many of these parasites can be a problem for humans too, for this reason we offer routine fecal checks to look for all possible intestinal parasites and make sure we are treating your pet appropriately and keeping your family safe. For information about common parasites which may affect your cat or dog, click here.

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Microchip 
What happens if you lose your dog and he isn’t wearing any identification? If your pet is microchipped your chances of getting them back are drastically improved. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. Implanting an animal with a microchip is a simple procedure and can be done at any time. When your pet is fitted with our HomeAgain brand microchip they have a unique, universal identifier on at all times. This universal chip can be read on a variety of scanners including those found at animal control and humane society facilities. It is also readable on international scanners, so your pet can be identified anywhere in the world. For more information about HomeAgain microchips, click here. When we implant the microchip, we will gladly process your pet’s registration with HomeAgain for you.

Dentals
Proper dental care is perhaps the most over looked issue in animal health. Most pet owners put up with bad breath and never realize how much severely diseased teeth can affect their pet’s overall health. Dental disease is so much more than bad breath. A diseased mouth not only makes it difficult for the pet to eat comfortably, it also acts as a gateway for bacteria to infect the rest of the body. The bacteria that make the mouth so bad also have direct access to the blood stream and can travel into the body, causing problems in the heart, liver and kidneys. See Surgery for more information.

Surgical procedures such as spays, neuters and dentals

Preventative surgery eliminates potential health threats before they have a chance to cause problems.

Spays
Spaying is the surgical removal of the female reproductive organs (the uterus and ovaries). Having your female pet spayed before her first heat cycle greatly reduces the risk of mammary gland cancer and prevents the development of potentially fatal uterine infections. See Surgery for more information.

Neuters
Neutering is the surgical removal of the male reproductive organs (the testicles). Having your male pet neutered at about 6 months of age reduces the chance of developing poor behavioral traits such as marking, roaming and aggression. It also prevents your pet from developing testicular cancer and reduces the risk of prostate issues later in life. See Surgery for more information.

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Diagnostics

Brown Road Animal Clinic is proud to offer state of the art medicine and diagnostics. The ability to perform these diagnostic tests enables us to know more precisely what is wrong and to better treat your pet. The ability to do these tests in-house means that we can get this information faster. In an emergency we are able run many of these tests immediately, and when every minute counts this is critically important.

In-house diagnostics include:

Blood pressure
Hypertension (high blood pressure) may be the result of many medical conditions, and the presence of high blood pressure in your pet may indicate a more serious condition that needs to be treated. It can be also be a side effect of certain medications common in pets and regular evaluation is critical to ensure your pet is safe.

Blood testing
We are able to perform various blood tests on site, enabling us to diagnose and treat your pet faster. We can perform CBCs and blood chemistry analysis right in our clinic. We are also able to perform quick tests to check for various viruses and blood borne illnesses such as heartworm, tick fever, feline leukemia and FIV.

Cultures
If your pet is battling an ongoing infection, a culture may be ordered by your doctor. When a culture is performed a sample is taken from your pet and the cells are grown over the period of several days to weeks. The most common culture performed in-house is a fungal culture, testing for the presence of ringworm. Bacterial cultures are sent out and once the cultures are grown, they are tested with various antibiotics to find what medication will best treat your pet.

Cytology
When the doctor wants to examine a condition on a cellular level, they will perform a cytology test. A cytology may be done on a fluid sample collected from a mass or on an ear swab taken from your pet. The purpose behind a cytology is to understand what types of cells are involved in your pet’s condition, which is critical to ensure the pet is being treated correctly. A cytology may be performed in-house for an immediate result, or sent to an outside laboratory for a comprehensive test.

EKG
Electrocardiograms allow us to see and record the heart’s electrical activity. This shows us if there is any weakness in the heart or irregular heart rhythm. An EKG may give us insight into potential heart disease or other problems affecting the heart.

Fecal analysis
A fecal test is a common way doctors rule out the more easily treated gastrointestinal problems when they are treating your pet. Parasites and bacterial overgrowths can be detected by testing a fecal sample.

Urinalysis
Many conditions can be discovered by performing a urinalysis. Obvious urinary conditions such as an infection or the presence of crystals can be detected immediately when performing this test in-house. This test can also indicate a more subtle condition like diabetes or kidney failure. If you are asked to collect a sample of your pet’s urine at home for the purpose of submitting it for a urinalysis, please collect it in a clean or sterile container marked with your pet’s name. It must be submitted to us within one hour of collection for the most accurate evaluation.

X-Rays
X-rays enable the veterinarian to evaluate and diagnose many conditions, from broken bones to heart disease and Valley Fever. Our in-house x-ray equipment is available to our doctors whenever they need it to assess your pet. We are also experienced in taking x-rays for evaluation of hips, shoulders and elbows for OFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, for those owners and breeders who may need this service.

In addition to our in-house diagnostics, we also offer comprehensive panels and specialized tests that are sent to an outside lab with most results back within 72 hours. Your doctor will discuss options for different tests and their benefits.

Every animal has special needs and our staff works to offer the best care for your pet based on these individual needs.

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Surgery

Surgeries regularly performed at Brown Road Animal Clinic include:

Spay/Neuter
These procedures are done under general anesthesia. All pets need to be fasting, so please withhold food from your dog or cat after 6:00 p.m. the evening before the scheduled surgery. Water should be available to your pet up until you arrive at the clinic. Your pet will be dropped off the morning of surgery and picked up that afternoon (Tendonectomies and Declaws must stay overnight). Your pet will be monitored before, during and after surgery by trained surgical technicians. Your pet will receive a pre-surgical pain medication that will last throughout the day.

Dentistry
Dental cleanings will always be performed under general anesthesia. Your pet’s mouth will be thoroughly examined and the teeth cleaned and polished. Dental x-rays, antibiotic treatments and extractions will be performed as necessary. An exact quote for a dental cleaning depends on the condition of the mouth and what services are needed for your individual pet. Additional charges may be incurred depending on the severity of the dental disease present; your veterinarian will inform you of potential procedures.

A basic dental includes a full pre-anesthetic examination, pre-anesthetic sedation, anesthesia (Isoflurane gas and oxygen delivered via endotracheal tube), the scaling and polishing of the teeth, a flouride treatment and continuous monitoring of the pet’s vital signs from induction through recovery. Brown Road Animal Clinic recommends a pre-surgical blood screen, which evaluates organ function of your pet, and the placement of an IV catheter and the delivery of intravenous fluids during the dental procedure for all pets.  The bloodwork and fluids are mandatory for pets 5 years of age and older.

Our staff will phone you when your pet is in recovery and arrange a time for its release. Your veterinarian will determine if your pet needs oral antibiotics, pain medication or a follow-up examination. 

At discharge, your veterinarian or a veterinary technician will discuss the condition of your pet’s teeth and suggest various preventative procedures such dental diets and treats, and toothbrushing or oral rinsing. Before and after photos of your pet’s teeth and gums will be shared with you. Home care instructions will be given and your questions will be addressed.

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Tail docking and dew claw removal
Dr. Adkins will perform tail docking and/or dewclaw removal on eligible puppies. These procedures are not done on all pets. Tail docking is done only on certain breeds and not all puppies are born with dew claws. Tail docking and dew claw removal must be done to puppies between the ages of 3 to 5 days old. This procedure is not performed under anesthesia. The incision is typically closed with glue or dissolvable suture, so follow up is only required if there are complications.

If your pet is older than 5 days, you will have to wait until they are old enough go under anesthesia to have these procedures done. Usually this is no earlier than 4 months of age. At that time this procedure will be considered a full surgery. It can be much more involved and more painful for the dog. Please call for more information on these procedures.

Declawing
Cats that scratch furniture can be trained to use a scratching post. Declawing is usually performed as a last resort, after attempts at behavior modification have failed. Declawing a cat involves the amputation of the first bone of every toe of each front foot. During this surgery, the joint is separated and the skin closed over the remaining toe. This is a delicate procedure and our veterinarians prefer to perform this surgery on younger cats and kittens over 4 months of age. Your cat will be kept in the hospital overnight post surgery. Your cat will also receive pain medication during surgery as well as to continue at home. We recommend that you replace clay or scoopable cat litter in your cat’s litterbox with shredded newspaper or with a commercial litter called Yesterday’s News for 10 days following a declaw.

Tendonectomy
As an alternative to declawing, Brown Road Animal Clinic offers a surgical Tendonectomy. For this surgery, the veterinarian severs the tendon in each front toe that allows the cat to extend and retract its claws. The skin is closed and the joint and the entire toenail or claw remains intact. The cat cannot extend its claws to scratch. Your cat will remain in the hospital overnight post surgery. We recommend that you replace clay or scoopable cat litter in your cat’s litterbox with shredded newspaper or with a commercial litter called Yesterday’s News for 10 days following a tendonectomy. This procedure is much less painful and recovery time is greatly reduced compared to a Declaw. Your cat’s nails will continue to grow after a Tendonectomy, so you will have to trim them at regular intervals.

Growth removals
Many pets develop bumps or growths. Benign growths such as fatty tumors and skin tags are often removed for cosmetic reasons, or if they bother the pet or they bleed or ooze. Some growths are removed and tested to evaluate their composition and any implications they might have for your pet’s overall health. Because growths can vary so much, your veterinarian will make recommendations as to weather or not to remove them. If surgery is recommended, an estimate of cost will be provided to you. The level of anesthesia required, pre-surgical laboratory tests and post operative medication or additional treatment that may be needed are all variables the doctor must consider.

Emergency surgery
There are some circumstances in which surgery cannot wait. While these situations can be scary for an owner, you can trust Dr. Adkins or Dr. McNulty to recommend what is best for your pet. Emergency situations that may require surgery include: gastrointestinal problems such as bloat and foreign body blockages, trouble during labor, inability to urinate, and open/bleeding wounds. If you believe your pet is having an emergency please call 480-981-8387.

Advanced Surgical Procedures
If Dr. Adkins or Dr. McNulty determine that your pet needs a specialized orthopedic or advanced surgery, you may be referred to Dr. Gary Moody, D.V.M., M.S. of Mobile Surgical Services. Dr. Moody travels to Brown Road Animal Clinic to perform the surgery, so there is no need to go elsewhere.  Click here for more information on Mobile Surgical Services.

Additional Services

All pets are given a nail trim while under anesthesia for any procedure. If you would like to have any secondary procedures performed such as a dental cleaning, or growth removal (procedures that must be done under anesthesia anyway) please inform your doctor and we may be able to add that procedure to your pet’s surgery. It may also be a good time to update vaccinations, perform Heartworm or Thyroid blood tests or implant a microchip.

Note: If your pet is over the age of 5 years at the time of a surgical procedure most pets will need to have  a pre-surgical blood test and the placement of an IV catheter and administration of IV fluids . The blood tests will check vital organ function and give us an idea of how your pet will handle anesthesia, the IV fluids will keep your pet hydrated and keep their blood pressure up while under anesthesia, it will also act as a direct line in the event of an emergency.  

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