Whether you realize it or not very few things stay the same. For example car shapes change, hairstyles change and even fast food continues to evolve. I am here to tell you that veterinary medicine constantly changes, too.

In the past it may have been common to bring your dog in for a possible bladder infection and have antibiotics prescribed without checking the urine. Since  checking the urine is so simple and because there are so many tests we can run on a urine sample it is no longer acceptable to just guess. A urine sample can check for diabetes, stones, blood, infection, cancer, pH  and now even very early detection of kidney disease. The profession agrees to be more thorough.

If you have had your pet anesthetize lately you know how thorough the process has become. Nearly all pets will have a pre- surgical exam , pre-anesthetic blood work and continual monitoring with and EKG and/or pulse oximeter. The anesthetized patient is maintained on gas anesthesia which is identical to human counterparts and the patients wake up rather quickly. Pain management is an integral part of the procedure. If your dog is getting spayed she will receive pain medication long before the procedure starts. Careful monitoring  catches problems instantly. Five years ago most clinics did not use pain control. Now it is the norm.

In our profession we look for medications that offer the fewest side affects and the most positive results. This has led us into the areas of holistic medicine, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Did you know there is a pain therapy facility available for your pet? If he was hit by a car and need physical therapy the option is available. We are really taking good care of our pets now. And we expect the best care for them. That care is available.

Hopefully you will never have a pet with cancer. However, the diagnostic abilities are at our fingertips. We can biopsy tissue sometimes right in the exam room and know the result in 24 hours. If it cannot be biopsied in the room then an  ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy is just a few rooms a way. If you pet is ill and all the blood work and radiographs (x-rays) come back normal then an MRI is your next diagnostic choice. Or perhaps your pet has a lameness with unidentified cause then MRI is also a good choice. We are so fortunate to have an MRI facility in the metro area. There is no other facility like this one in the country --even universities are jealous of this one. The profession agrees to be more thorough.

Here is something you may not know. If  your pet has a problem such as a torn ligament in the knee I am obligated to refer you to a specialist unless I consider myself equal in my skill to the specialist. If I don't offer you this option I am at fault. You may not be able to afford a specialist and ask me to do the surgery . You can have the best care for your pet because we want to give that to you.We went to school for many years so we can be the best we can be. Vaccinating cats and dogs all day long is fun but doesn't use our skills to the fullest. Fortunately for you we endeavor to bypass our contemporaries. Our goal is to practice the best medicine we can.

Looking forward to the next few years I wonder want changes we will see. We expect that a chip implant in your pet will contain their entire medical history. We'd like  to have MRI in every clinic and we pray we have more cures for cancer patients. What do you look forward to?