We offer the following services to keep your pets healthy:
- Preventative Care
- Surgery
- Spay and Neuter
- Microchipping
- Vaccinations
- Wellness Exams
- Nutritional Counseling
- Parasite Prevention
- Ultrasound
- Onsite Diagnostics
- In-House Laboratory
- Pain Management
- Emergency and Urgent Care
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Dermatology
- Puppy and Kitten Care
- Flea & Tick Prevention
- Heartworm Prevention
- Tonometry
- Endocrinology
- Chemotherapy & Cancer Treatment
- Veterinary Specialist Referrals
- Anesthesia & Patient Monitoring
- Dental Care
Preventative Care
We believe the best way to promote overall health is through preventative care. Regular checkups allow us to establish a baseline in your pets’ health and make us aware of any changes that may indicate future problems.
We highly recommend bringing your pet in for regular exams. Often health problems that go undetected can become more severe issues when left untreated, so checkups are important even when your pet appears healthy.
Surgery
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital, you can trust that our talented staff will take wonderful care of your pet! We’re an emergency vet with all the tools needed to address immediate concerns, as well as routine surgeries like spays and neuters. Call our local veterinarian in Concord & Walnut Creek if you need emergency vet services. Our animal hospital proudly serves the Concord, CA & Walnut Creek, CA areas.
Unless you want lots of puppies and kittens running around, we suggest having your female cat or dog spayed to prevent pregnancy. This surgery also protects your pet against bacterial infections, reproductive tract diseases, and several types of cancer. Your pet’s ovaries and uterus will be removed; this is a routine surgery.
Neutering
If you have a male cat or dog, we suggest having them neutered, a surgery in which the testicles are removed. While it helps decrease overpopulation, it also protects your pet against several types of cancer and sexually-transmitted diseases, and it eliminates embarrassing and aggressive behavior.
Soft Tissue Surgery
Examples of soft tissue surgery include removing foreign materials from the gastrointestinal tract, removing tumors, and more.
Orthopedic Surgery
We can repair fractured bones and address ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments, similar to an ACL tear in humans. We’ll let you know all your options and the best choice for your pet’s health.
Spay and Neuter
Spaying and neutering are important and necessary medical procedures that enhance the quality of your pets’ life. Not only does spaying and neutering have positive effects on your pets’ health, it’s also vital to controlling the homeless pet population.
Microchipping
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital, we are happy to offer microchipping. Every year, thousands and thousands of pets go missing. Not knowing where your pet is or how to bring them back can be a helpless, hopeless feeling. It’s a tragedy that happens all too often.
But there is a simple, safe, and effective way to ensure your pet’s safety and retrieval should he or she ever become lost. Microchipping is a standard procedure that implants a tiny chip underneath your pet’s fur. It is a painless and relatively fast procedure and is completely safe.
Vaccinations
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital in Pleasant Hill, CA , we believe that one of the most important aspects of caring for your pet’s health is vaccinating him or her against possible diseases. There are a variety of diseases which affect our pets, and other animals, so proper vaccination is vital to protecting them from many types of illnesses.
It is important to consult with us about the unique risks of living in our region. We will be happy to discuss the benefits of protecting your pet with vaccinations, as well as, provide you with information on the required vaccinations for your pet.
Wellness Exams
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital in Pleasant Hill, CA , we believe that regular checkups and wellness exams are critical to your pets’ well-being. These wellness exams give us a chance to evaluate the overall health of your pet while also giving us a baseline for their unique bodies and tendencies.
Not only do these exams keep us up-to-date with your pets’ health, but they also allow us to detect potential problems before they become serious. This thorough checkup gives us vital information to help keep your pet healthy!
Nutritional Counseling
Sun Valley Animal Hospital offers nutritional counseling for pet owners of Pleasant Hill, CA and surrounding communities. If you have any questions about your pet’s diet or would like more information about your pet’s nutritional needs, please contact us today. We can set up a nutrition plan for your pet.
Obesity is a common problem among pets, as it can be easy to overfeed a cute dog or cat that knows how to beg. Being overweight is a serious problem for animals, and can cause real health problems. With proper diet and exercise, all pets should be able to meet their dietary needs and stay within a healthy weight range.
Parasite Prevention
The idea of your pet being infested with parasites is a disturbing thought, but it’s also a medical issue that can have serious consequences if not properly dealt with or prevented. Parasites pose a variety of health issues for our pets, who can be very susceptible to certain parasites depending on age, region, and other factors.
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital, we emphasize the importance of preventing parasites. Through preventative measures, you can successfully protect your pet. Pets that are not protected often develop parasites, leading to serious problems for them and their owners.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounding is a quick and painless procedure. It uses sound waves to allow us to see inside your pets, without using the harmful radiation produced when we take x-rays.
We are pleased to be able to offer ultrasounds, along with all of our other diagnostic tools, to help your sick pets start to feel better soon. The quicker we can find the problem, the sooner your pets will be back to their normal selves.
Onsite Diagnostics
We have state-of-the-art diagnostic tools that allow our staff to diagnose your pets’ condition or illness better. It is our commitment to stay on the cutting edge of diagnostic technology.
Having these advanced diagnostic tools allows us to examine specific areas more carefully and provide a quicker and more accurate diagnosis. We use many tools such as radiology, lab tests, and various other equipment and tests.
In-House Laboratory
We are very proud of our laboratory. We are able to perform many diagnostic tests quickly and efficiently in it. We can do many simple tests but are also able to offer some more complex ones, too! We are able to run heartworm tests, leukemia and FIV tests, and full blood work for those who are interested in it. There are also many other tests we offer our patients.
The best part of being able to run laboratory tests in our hospital is that we can diagnose your pets much sooner than if we had to send the blood work out to another laboratory. Whenever your pets are not feeling well, we can offer you results and a diagnosis in minutes instead of making you wait a day (or more) for the results.
Pain Management
Pets that are in pain are miserable. For this reason, we will do whatever we can to keep your pets comfortable.
We have many different choices when it comes to treating apets’ pain. There are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which are very helpful with mild pain. We also prescribe steroids which can offer a lot of relief. We also have stronger pain medications if the non-steroidal medications are not enough. We also offer glucosamine in tablets and injections to help with arthritis.
Orthopedic Surgery
We offer a variety of solutions and treatments for your pets’ orthopedic issues. We understand that orthopedic problems can be a big challenge for both pets and pet owners so we are dedicated to working with you and communicating with you throughout the process.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about our orthopedic capabilities or how we can care for your pet, please contact us today at (925) 686-6363.
Dermatology
Cats and dogs are not immune to allergies and rashes! If you notice your pet itching more than usual and you know it’s not fleas or ticks, he or she may be suffering from allergies or another skin-related issue. We’ll expertly diagnose him or her and give you options for treatment.
Puppy and Kitten Care
Getting a new puppy or kitten is very exciting. You have a lot to look forward to. The great companionship that a good pet can bring is very rewarding. However, puppies and kittens come with a lot of responsibility and work. Here at Sun Valley Animal Hospital, we are here to help you with your new addition.
First, you should always bring your new puppy or kitten in for a full nose-to-tail examination to make sure that you have a healthy new animal. You also want to get him or her familiar with our veterinary hospital.
Kitten Packages
Adding a new pet to your home is such a special experience. We want to make sure your new kitten starts out healthy and safe. Indoor Kitten Packages 8 Weeks till 16 weeks. That includes all the basic core vaccines, testing for intestinal parasites and plenty of informative education for your new family member.
** Spays and Neuters are charged by weight. If you bring your pet back before 8 months you will receive 10% off of the spay or neuter price with the purchase of this plan.
Puppy Packages
Adding a new pet to your home is such a special experience. We want to make sure your new puppy starts out healthy and safe. Puppy Packages: 8 Weeks Exam till 16 weeks. That includes all the basic core vaccines ,testing for intestinal parasites and plenty of informative education for your new family member.
** Spays and Neuters are charged by weight. If you bring your pet back before 8 months you will receive 10% off of the spay or neuter price with the purchase of this plan.
We are also here to help you raise him or her to become a well-behaved and healthy adult by discussing many topics with you. Our friendly staff is well prepared to discuss vaccinations, nutrition, behavior, socialization, neutering, and much more! No question is off limits so please bring any questions along to your appointment. We are here to help you succeed at raising a good pet!
Flea & Tick Prevention
Fleas are not only annoying to you and your pets, but they can also cause many problems. Severe itching, irritation, and allergies are common nuisances. Fleas can also transmit tapeworms and other more serious diseases. It’s important that you monitor your pet closely to see if he or she has fleas. These blood-sucking parasites can bite you, too! Our trained staff can recommend preventive measures or if it’s too late, treatment to get rid of them.
Ticks are more common than they used to be. They can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and tick paralysis. Contact us immediately if your pet starts coughing or has joint pain, trouble breathing, fever, weakness, or loss of appetite, weight, energy, or coordination. These are all serious symptoms and need to be addressed immediately. Tick preventives are the best way to protect your pet. We can recommend one for you!
Heartworm Prevention
Heartworms are just as scary as they sound. When your cat or dog is bitten by a mosquito, there’s a chance that the mosquito transmitted a heartworm infection to him or her. These parasites can fatally damage the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Symptoms vary and some pets may not even show signs of infection. Dogs are much more likely to be affected by heartworms, but cats are not immune to them.
In case of heartworms, prevention is always the best answer. Monthly pills can protect against heartworms, and there are several combination measures that also protect against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, ear mites, fleas, and ticks.
Tonometry
While they don’t make eyeglasses for cats and dogs (yet), that doesn’t mean their eye health shouldn’t be addressed. We can diagnose and treat glaucoma to reduce the risk for blindness and much more.
Endocrinology
Cats and dogs have hormones just like humans. They can have diabetes, thyroid issues, and other hormone-related problems. The earlier these problems are caught, the easier they are to treat.
Chemotherapy & Cancer Treatment
At Sun Valley Animal Hospital, we understand that a diagnosis of cancer in your pet can seem overwhelming, but we are here for you every step of the way. Thanks to the many advances of modern medicine, we can treat cancer in ways never before thought possible and, in some cases, eradicate it or comfortably extend your pet’s life.
Many factors come into play when developing a treatment plan for a pet with cancer, such as tumor size, type, and location, as well as how advanced the cancer is. Every pet is different, and we always help you choose the most compassionate, realistic treatment option for their unique condition.
Surgery – the first line of defense when cancer is localized and able to be removed entirely
Chemotherapy – powerful drugs which destroy cancer at the cellular level given orally, intravenously, or directly into a tumor; it is especially useful in treating blood-cell cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, as well as cancers that have metastasized and are thus unable to be surgically removed
Stereotactic Radiation (SRS/SRT) – a highly advanced and incredibly advanced non-surgical radiation therapy that targets the tumor at a submillimeter level, sparing the tissue surrounding it; has very few side effects and generally requires only 1-3 treatments
Conventional Radiation (CFRT) – targeted radiation therapy that can shrink or destroy cancerous tumors and sometimes used in conjunction with chemotherapy; usually administered in 15-21 sessions over 3-7 weeks
Radioactive Iodine I-131 – specifically used in cases of thyroid tumors causing hyperthyroidism
Immunotherapy – biological therapy that uses antibodies to stimulate your pet’s immune system to either fight off the cancerous cells
Cryotherapy – a cold therapy that literally freezes the tumor; used for superficial cancerous tumors in areas such as the skin, eyelids, and oral cavity
Palliative Care – mostly consists of pain management delivered in consistent low doses for when curative treatment is not an option or when a pet owner opts not to treat the cancer for a number of reasons; it will help keep your pet comfortable and improve their quality of life
Whichever option will be best for your pet ultimately depends on many individual factors, and we know it is not a decision that can be made lightly. We strive to ensure all our clients are well-informed about their pets’ diagnoses and the scope thereof. We are a compassionate practice and will always work with you however we can to provide the best care for your pet.
If you have questions about treatment for your pet’s cancer or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our office today at (925) 686-6363.
Veterinary Specialist Referrals
Here at Sun Valley Animal Hospital, we are proud to offer veterinary specialist referrals. As veterinary professionals, we will do everything we can to help your pets. However, there are times when your pets need more than we are able to do. They may need a specialist who is able to perform more complex diagnostic testing and surgeries.
For times like these, we have a list of veterinary specialists that we trust. Often, we work closely with these specialists to give your pets the care they deserve. They are very good at keeping us informed of your pets’ progress. We will help you and the specialist to ensure that your pets have a speedy recovery.
If you think your pets need to be seen by a specialist, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (925) 686-6363.
Anesthesia & Patient Monitoring
There is no such thing as risk-free anesthesia, however we make it our priority to keep that risk as low as possible. We do this by developing an individual anesthetic plan for each of our patients. This will typically include a premedication to help relax your pet before the procedure, as well as a smooth induction into general anesthesia.
Our veterinary nurses monitor each patient very closely while they are under anesthesia. We monitor important vital signs including heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature.
In addition to the trained senses of our astute doctors and nurses, some of the tools we may use to ensure your pet has a safe anesthetic procedure include an IV catheter, EKG monitoring to watch the heart rate and rhythm, SPO2 monitors to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood, Doppler or Oscillometric blood pressure devices, temperature probes or thermometers, and Capnograms to measure carbon dioxide levels.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pet and anesthesia, be sure to speak with your pets’ veterinarian before the procedure.
Dental Care
Dental care is vital to the overall health of any pet. Dental disease can lead to health issues with the heart, liver, and kidneys and has the potential to seep into your pet’s bloodstream. In fact, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over three years of age suffer from some form of dental disease, making it the most common pet health issue among our pet population.