Primary Care

Primary care services performed at our hospitals are the basic services every pet needs. These services include spays and neuters, health exams, laboratory and pharmacy services, and dental care. Please click on any of the subheadings listed below to learn more about all of the primary care services we offer your pets.

Available Services
  • Pets can suffer from allergies to elements in the environment around them, as well as certain ingredients in their foods, just like people can ... Read more

  • Anesthesia indicates the use of medication to block sensation, typically resulting in unconsciousness Anesthesia is induced using a variety of medications, both injectable and inhaled ... Read more

  • Our hospital is an Animal Quarantine Approved Hospital The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has strict regulations about the importation... Read more

  • Dogs and cats don't often get cavities But they do frequently suffer from other types of dental disease Periodontal or gum disease, in fact, is the number one illness found in both dogs and cats... Read more

  • Our hospital offers dental radiographs (x-rays) as part of our dental care services. In the course of dental treatment, specially designed dental radiology equipment allows your veterinarian to view structures that lie below the gum line. The location of tooth root infections, the extent of periodontal bone loss and the identification of bone cysts and tumors can be identified using dental x-rays.... Read more

  • Your pet’s annual checkup at the VCA Mission Animal and Bird Hospital always includes an evaluation of his or her dental health.

    That’s because bacteria and food debris accumulates around your furry family member’s teeth – and if left unchecked, leads to deterioration of the gums and supporting bone structure. This decay leads to irreversible periodontal disease and, ultimately, to abscesses and potential tooth loss.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers thorough Ear Exams as one of our many services. Symptoms like head shaking, scratching and pawing at the ears, rubbing the ears on the floor or furniture, whining, and abnormal odors are common.

    Conditions of the ear occur frequently in dogs and cats and result from a variety of causes.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers emergency care. If you suspect your pet may be having a medical crisis, err on the side of caution and seek medical attention immediately. Our experienced team of veterinarians, technicians and assistants are here to assist your pet when it is needed most.... Read more

  • A pet often becomes like a member of the family, a sibling, a child or a friend. As a result, losing a pet to tragedy or disease can be one of the most overwhelming experiences of your life. It’s a time to honor the life your pet lived and to carry on in their memory.... Read more

  • Our hospital is proud to offer our clients a complete diagnostic laboratory. Our in clinic laboratory machines can perform complete blood cell counts, complete chemistry panels, including liver, kidney, and pancreatic enzyme function tests, glucose, and electrolytes. Additionally, our hospital can send samples out to a diagnostic laboratory ensuring that we have a wide range of dianstic capabilities.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers many General Surgery Services that include a variety of common and elective procedures performed under general anesthesia.

    Examples of common surgeries include: spay (ovariohysterectomy), neuter (castration), lump removal and biopsy, laceration repair, abscess and wound repair, exploratory surgery, removal of gastrointestinal foreign bodies, enucleation (eye removal), cystotomy (removal of bladder stones), and skin biopsy.

    As these procedures usually require general anesthesia, please refer to our Anesthesia Services for a detailed description of our offerings.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers Geriatric (Senior Wellness) Medicine Services for your older pet.

    When your pet reaches his or her "golden years" they require special care and your veterinarian will recommend certain screening tests. The tests enable your veterinarian to provide an early diagnosis for some of the common diseases that affect older pets, so that they can manage those diseases more effectively.... Read more

  • There are two types of health certificates available, one which approves pets for travel within the continental United States, and another which approves them for international travel.

    Acquiring a health certificate will require you to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Your pet will receive an overall exam during which the doctor will be able to certify that your pet is healthy and safe for travel.... Read more

  • Wellness Exams not only help flag any potential problems with your pet's health, but they are also important in creating an overall medical history for your pet. By meeting regularly with your pet, your veterinarian is able to become better acquainted with his or her personal history, and is able to offer more personalized care.

    For pets who are 6 years and younger, Wellness Exams are recommended at least once a year.... Read more

  • Our hospital staff specializes in hospice care for your pet. Hospice care describes the care of pets that have terminal illness, such as cancer or severe organ failure. Our veterinarians aim to keep suffering and pain to an absolute minimum, and try to maintain your pet's quality of life.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers hospitalization services. Hospitalization involves admitting your pet into the hospital for monitoring or necessary medical care. Your pet will have their own cage or kennel within the hospital building and will be monitored closely by technicians and veterinarians throughout their stay.... Read more

  • We’re very proud of our new in-house laboratory, which provides our veterinarians with blood test (including complete blood count, blood chemistry, electrolytes), and urinalysis results within minutes! This is important for emergency care of your pet, as well as for surgical anesthesia, or if our veterinarians need to quickly re-check your pet for blood sugar or kidney values.

    For more specialized testing, or if we want the opinion of a veterinary pathologist (on a biopsy, for instance), we send samples to a leading veterinary reference laboratory. This outside lab picks up samples from our hospital twice every day, and many results come back in just six hours.... Read more

  • For your convenience, our hospital has an in-house pharmacy, enabling you to pick up your pet's medications at the time of your visit.

    While no hospital carries every medication, we keep the most commonly prescribed medications in stock. If your pet requires a medication that we do not carry, call ahead and we may be able to order it for you.... Read more

  • Our hospital features a dedicated surgical suite.

    Surgical suites are rooms designated for use during surgery only. These rooms are kept as clean as possible to minimize bacteria and other infectious organisms that would be capable of contaminating a surgical wound.... Read more

  • Hospital offers an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for treating your pet during times of critical need.

    Pets requiring ICU are often very ill and require specialized nursing staff and veterinarians to pull them through a crisis. The nursing staff are also often trained in advanced techniques and monitoring and may also have undergone additional certification.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers a variety of Internal Medicine Services.

    Internal Medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of disease affecting the lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen, intestinal tract, urinary tract, endocrine system and neuromuscular systems. Management of these conditions is typically done with diet, exercise and medications.... Read more

  • Our hospital maintains an isolated area to prevent the spread of contagious disease from potentially infectious patients to others in the hospital.

    These procedures include the appropriate use of disinfectants, the proper disposal of infectious materials, and the wearing of disposable gloves, boots, masks and gowns while handling infectious patients.

    All these measures are meant to keep our patients and staff healthy.... Read more

  • Our hospital offers oxygen therapy for the treatment of many acute cardiac, respiratory and blood disorders. Oxygen may be provided to patients by a nasal catheter, oxygen cage, hood or mask. Close veterinary monitoring of these patients is required to maintain oxygen flow, avoid potential complications of oxygen usage and to insure that the expected therapeutic goals are met.... Read more

  • Of course pain management is of great concern to you as a pet owner. Your furry family member can’t tell you when he or she is in pain, but you often know when there’s a problem.

    As in human medicine, we have a variety of medications available to manage your pet’s pain both before and after surgery and in the event of trauma or age-related pain issues.... Read more

  • As pet owners ourselves, our staff understands that facing a pet's serious illness or the loss of a pet can be emotionally devastating. We also know that to care for a sick pet, a family must receive clear information concerning treatment and evaluating options and, sometimes, making difficult decisions. Our hospital staff are here to help you explore your concerns about treatment choices and managing a sick pet at home.... Read more

  • With our new digital radiology unit, VCA Mission Animal and Bird Hospital no longer uses x-ray film or toxic developing chemicals. When our state-of-the-art radiology equipment takes the image, it appears on our high-resolution monitor almost immediately. With digital capabilities previously only found in advanced human hospitals, our doctors and x-ray technicians can adjust the contrast, lighten or darken areas of the image, and even change the magnification of what they’re looking at.... Read more

  • In our continuing efforts to offer the highest quality veterinary medicine, we are pleased to provide a wide range of surgical services for our patients. From routine surgical procedures, such as spaying and neutering, to more complex surgeries, we look forward to the opportunity to care for your pet's surgical needs.

    Our staff is highly skilled in performing veterinary surgeries and will make every effort to ensure that your pet receives the very best care.... Read more

  • Spaying is the surgical procedure performed on female dogs and cats to remove the ovaries and uterus so they’re not able to have puppies or kittens. Neutering is the surgical procedure performed on male dogs and cats to remove the testicles so they’re unable to father puppies or kittens.

    There are many benefits to spaying and neutering, such as population control and the health and happiness of you pet.... Read more

  • There are several problems that may affect your pet's urinary tract, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder crystals or bladder stones, kidney disease, incontinence, and even cancer. Finding a comprehensive solution to those problems, whether that be dietary changes, medications, or surgery, our team of veterinarians are here to help your pet with successful treatment.

    .... Read more

  • Our hospital offers Video Otoscopy to assist in the diagnosis of ear problems, such as external and middle ear infections, ear mites, foreign bodies in the ear canal and ear canal/middle ear tumors. Most veterinarians have a hand-held otoscope which gives a limited view of the ear canal and eardrum. If an ear problem becomes difficult or recurrent, our team can use a video otoscope, which allows deep examination and diagnostic sampling of the external and middle ear.... Read more