Cold Laser Therapy and your Pet

Altitude Veterinary Hospital is excited to bring you a new tool in caring for your pets.  Cold laser therapy is a painless and non-invasive treatment that increases blood flow to the tissues, promoting rapid healing in a variety of complications from arthritis, periodontal disease, torn ligaments, hot spots and hard to heal sores, as well as chronic pain and inflammation.  

Treatments are quick and painless, and appointments usually don't take more than 10-15 minutes.  Initial treatments are more frequent, and diminish over time to include less frequent maintenance visits.  The number and frequency of treatments vary from pet to pet, depending on the extent and severity of their condition.  Many clients have reported seeing changes after only 1-2 treatments, and those changes have allowed their pets to enjoy a better quality of life, walking and jumping pain free, climbing stairs, or just being more active with less pain.

Call today to schedule your treatment, and take advantage of some of our introductory and package specials.  At Altitude Veterinary Hospital, we look forward to providing you and your pets a higher level of care.

    

Tips for handling pet emergencies

Our Doctors are trained and experienced to handle emergencies whenever they arise.  Should your emergency occur during office hours we ask you to come directly to the hospital, if at all possible have someone call ahead to alert us to your arrival and the nature of your emergency.  Frequently, emergencies don’t follow a convenient schedule, and tend to present at odd hours.  Altitude Veterinary Hospital offers 24 hour emergency response, not 24 hour care-meaning, our office is not staffed 24 hours.  Should an emergency occur after hours, our Doctors are ready to assist you-simply call our office and leave a message on our emergency line.  Briefly describe your emergency, being sure to include your name and phone number.  Your message will be forwarded immediately to the doctor on call, and they will return your call as soon as possible to offer assistance, and make plans to meet you, if necessary, to handle your emergency.  In some cases, treatment options can be discussed over the phone and begun at home, allowing you to postpone your visit until regular office hours. 

Our hospital is furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and supplies that allow us to provide the best emergency care for your pets.  Chest tubes, specialty catheters, and other equipment are readily available.  We are able to run blood work in our in-house lab, providing quick results and allowing us to offer tests at reasonable prices.  Our digital radiography allows us to see pictures immediately, ensuring we get the exact picture needed without additional costs related to film and development as with traditional radiography (x-rays).  Ultrasound equipment enables us to quickly identify and locate internal problems and helps in determining the extent of injuries.  Some pets may require more intensive care that can be received in our climate controlled ICU unit.  This means your pet can receive oxygen therapy without the risk of overheating.  In rare cases your pet’s emergency may require surgery.  We offer human grade anesthetic and monitoring equipment and drugs that ensure your pet’s safety and comfort throughout the procedure.  Typically all your pet’s needs can be handled by our doctors, but certain circumstances may require a referral to CSU or other specialty hospital is indicated-in all cases it is our goal to set up a plan that works for you and your pet, and gets them on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.          

The DO's and DON'TS of Good Grooming

  1.      The right groomer:  Altitude Veterinary Hospital has 2 hardworking, professional groomers whose work is top notch.  Jana’s experience and commitment, along with her attention to detail shows in her work, just ask her clients.  Kara, her apprentice, is coming along great.  They have talent and skill, and are also good listeners, confident and kind, and patient with your pet.  Whatever your request, they work to ensure your satisfaction.

  2.      Nutrition:  Just like in people, proper nutrition is the foundation to healthy skin and hair.  The right food for your pet keeps the skin soft and hair coat clean and shiny. Altitude recommends Hill’s Science Diet-Veterinarian’s #1 choice to feed their pets.  We believe so strongly in the quality of this food, it’s what we feed our pets-and you should too!

  3.      Types of grooms:  There is a lot more to grooming than bathing a dog and running clippers over the hair.  Our experienced groomers can help you decide on the type of groom to keep your pets looking their best, considering its breed and your personal preference.    Just ask our groomers what type of cut will be best for your pet.

  4.      How often to groom:  Some dogs need groomed weekly, but most are about every 4-6 weeks.  The dogs that do not need frequent grooms, like a Labrador Retrievers, are still recommended for a bath and blowout 1 to 3 times a year.  The bath and blowout are essential to getting the dirt and shedding hair out, allowing healthy skin and hair to breathe and grow naturally.  Grooming your pets at home can be a tedious, and time consuming experience-bathing, drying, and combing for hours and hours-not to mention the mess!  Our professional groomers have the experience and equipment to help keep your pet healthy, and looking their best, in half the time, with no mess to clean up. 

Grooming has many benefits-your pets are clean and comfortable, and also looking good.  Come to Altitude Veterinary Hospital for your pets pampering-they deserve the best, and so do you!  Schedule your appointment today, and receive 25% off your first groom.