What are the Hospital hours?

Our hospital is open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:30pm. On Saturdays we are open from 8:00am until 5:00pm. The clinic is closed on Sunday.

Do I need to have an appointment?

Yes, patients are seen by appointment. If you have an emergency, we do accept emergency walk-ins; however, these visits are subject to an emergency exam fee.

What forms of payment do you accept?

Cash, Debit, American Express, Care Credit, MasterCard, and Visa.  Sorry, we do not accept checks, nor do we do billing.

Can I make payments?

Payment is required at the time of service. If you need assistance with your pets' medical bill we do accept Care Credit. Please visit Care Credit or the receptionist can help you with an application at your appointment.

At what age can I have my dog or cat spayed or neutered?

Spaying or neutering can be done as soon as vaccinations are complete, typically between 4 1/2 to 6 months of age. Neutering your pet at a young age decreases pet over population and  can help prevent serious diseases such as breast cancer, prostatic disease and uterine infection, all of which are common in older non-neutered pets. Also neutered pets are less likely to roam, get hit by cars, fight, and be aggressive. Your pet is given an exam prior to surgery to help determine whether your pet is healthy enough to undergo the surgical procedure. Also a pre-anesthetic blood screen is recommended prior to undergoing anesthesia and surgery.

What is the pre-anesthetic blood screening?

Pre-anesthetic blood testing are recommended on all animals prior to anesthesia and surgery.  Generally we need a complete blood count (which screens for anemia, a high or low white blood cell count, and sufficient platelets) and a chemistry panel (which screens for low or high blood glucose, low or high blood protein, electrolyte imbalances, liver or kidney dysfunction, and many other abnormalities). These tests can be run in our hospital before a procedure. The pre-anesthetic blood screening is done to assure safety during anesthesia and surgery and the ability to heal following surgery.

How long do the sutures (stitches) stay in after my pet's surgery?

Procedures involving sutures require them to be removed in 14 days following the surgery. Reptile procedures involving sutures require removal 6 weeks following the surgery. Individual cases vary, please follow your doctor's advice and if you have any questions please call the hospital, 858-484-3490.

Is it a good idea to let my pet have at least one litter?

No, there is no advantage to letting your pet have one litter. However there are plenty of advantages to having your pet spayed or neutered.

These advantages include decreasing the chances of breast tumors later in life, decreasing the chance of cystic ovaries and uterine infections later in life, decreasing the desire to roam the neighborhood, decreasing the incidence of prostate cancer later in life, helping prevent spraying and marking, and also decreasing the surplus of unwanted puppies and kittens.

Do you board pets?

We do not typically board dogs or cats at this hospital unless there is a medical reason to do so. We can board reptiles, amphibians, birds and pocket pets, depending on the space we have available at the time.