SERVICES
Keeping Your Pet Healthy Through First‑Rate Medical Care
Your pet is an important part of your family and when he or she is ill, you want the best medical care available.
The veterinarians and staff at Chattanooga Veterinary Center are ready to provide your pet with medical care. From wellness exams and vaccines to advanced diagnostics and surgical procedures, your dog, cat, or ferret will receive high-quality care at our hospital
We offer quick, in‑house blood analyzers that are the most accurate machines in the industry. They can give us the ability to get results of your pet's condition within minutes. They also give us the ability to further evaluate patients for surgery or for routine rechecks on senior patients.
Is your pet unhappy or lonely while you're at work? Give your companion the personal attention he or she deserves throughout the day. We offer the same TLC and playtime offered to our longer‑term guests.
Are you tired of wrestling with your pet when it’s time for a bath? Are you nervous about trimming nails? Is regular brushing becoming a chore for you and your pet? Has your pet’s hair become tangled, dirty, or matted? If you’re looking for options when it comes to grooming your pet, why not come to us for your pet’s next bath, nail trim, or haircut? We offer a convenient solution by maintaining a clean, safe, high‑quality grooming facility. When it comes to keeping your pet looking like a star, let us help you! Our professional and friendly staff will take great care of your pet’s grooming needs. We understand that each pet is unique, and we will make every effort to keep your pet safe and comfortable during his or her grooming appointments. We’ll treat your pet with compassion and care while making every effort to create a look you will love! Does your pet have special needs or skin problems? Do you have special requests? We understand that it can sometimes be challenging to find a groomer who will be gentle, take good care of your pet, and give your pet the “perfect” look. We take great pride in providing the highest‑quality services to each pet that comes to us for a grooming appointment.
We welcome your questions about our grooming procedures and policies and are eager to discuss how we can make your pet’s next grooming appointment as happy and stress‑free as possible—for both of you. If you have a young puppy or kitten, let’s get acquainted early to help ensure that your pet will be comfortable with grooming throughout his or her life!
Let us answer all your questions and put your concerns to rest. Call today to schedule your personalized grooming appointment!
Bringing a pet to the veterinarian’s office can be a challenge for pet owners with limited mobility, restricted transportation, or commitments at home that make outside errands and other activities difficult. Pet owners with multiple pets or very large dogs may also have difficulty bringing their pets in for examinations and other veterinary care, and some pets simply don’t do well in a traditional office setting. In our continuing efforts to offer the best veterinary care to all of our clients and their pets, we are pleased to offer house‑call services to accommodate special needs.
House calls permit us to bring our highly qualified staff and medical expertise right to your home. Pets that are fearful or otherwise stressed by coming to our office can benefit from being examined in their own environment, where they are likely to feel more secure and calm. This permits us to better evaluate behavior and overall demeanor in a more relaxed and natural setting.
Very young, sick, or elderly pets or those that don’t tolerate transportation well can also benefit from our house‑call services, as well as pets that don’t get along well with other animals and may become very stressed in our practice’s waiting room.
There are many reasons to consider taking advantage of our house‑call services, so call today to learn if your pet might benefit from a different type of veterinary care experience. Let us know if you would like to have one of our professionals make a house call to assist you and your pet.
Each year, thousands of pets go missing, and many don’t make it back home. Many pets (especially indoor pets) don’t wear collars or tags. Even if your pet wears a collar and identification tag, collars can break off and tags can become damaged and unreadable, so these forms of identification may not be enough to ensure your pet’s safe return. Your pet needs a form of identification that is reliable and can’t get lost, stolen, or damaged. A microchip is a safe, simple form of identification that can significantly increase the chance that your pet will return safely.
A microchip is about the size and shape of a grain of rice and is placed underneath your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. Microchip implantation takes only a few minutes and is very safe. Each microchip is unique and carries vital information about your pet—including your name, address, and contact information. When a microchip is implanted, the pet owner is given a registration form to complete. Registering the number on the microchip includes your pet in a national pet recovery database. Veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and animal control offices across the country are equipped with special electronic scanners that can detect the microchip and read the identification number. If a lost pet is picked up by animal control or found by a good Samaritan and presented to a veterinarian, a quick scan of the microchip reveals the identification number. A toll‑free phone call to the pet recovery database alerts the microchip company that a lost pet has been identified. The pet owner can then be contacted and reunited with his or her pet!
Young puppies and kittens can receive microchips but even if your pet is already an adult, you should consider microchipping. Even indoor pets can get outside accidentally and get lost, so if you’re relying on other forms of identification, you could be placing your pet at risk. Microchipping is a safe, effective way to help ensure your pet’s return if the unthinkable happens.
There was a time when parasites like fleas, ticks, and roundworms were considered mostly a nuisance. Now, however, we know that parasites can cause serious illness and even death in pets. For example, ticks can transmit infections like Lyme disease, and fleas can transmit tapeworms and Bartonella—the bacteria that causes “cat‑scratch fever” in humans. Another type of parasite, called a heartworm, is transmitted by mosquitoes. Heartworms live in your pet’s lungs and heart, causing damage to these organs and sometimes even death. Intestinal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms, also threaten pets and are even transmissible to humans.
You may not always be able to tell if your pet has parasites. Fleas can hide under your pet’s fur, and some ticks are very tiny (only the size of a pinhead), so they are very difficult to find. Intestinal parasites like roundworms can cause diarrhea and other problems, but many infected pets don’t show any signs of illness at all.
Fortunately, we can recommend tests to tell if your pet has parasites. We can also examine your pet for evidence of fleas, ticks, or other parasites. Our expert staff can recommend medications to help control fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites. Preventing parasites in your pets also helps protect children and other family members, so let’s work together to protect your pets and family.
Veterinary examinations and parasite testing are important ways to protect your pet’s health. Let our knowledgeable staff provide you with a comprehensive parasite control program. We can recommend a schedule for parasite testing, discuss what signs of parasites you can look for at home, review ways to control parasites in and around your home, discuss treatment options if your pet has parasites, and recommend ways to control and prevent parasites in the future.
Parasites are not just a nuisance. They can carry serious diseases that affect your pet’s overall health and longevity. Let us help you protect your pet. Call today to find out how!
Rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and other small mammals have become popular pets as increasing numbers of pet owners come to understand the unique bond that can form with one of these special creatures. But did you know that small mammals need some of the same routine wellness care that dogs and cats need? Do you know if your pet should be spayed or neutered? Do you know if any vaccinations are recommended to help maintain good health? Do you have questions about proper nutrition, cage cleaning, grooming, or any other aspects of care and husbandry? Our staff of skilled professionals is well trained in the care and husbandry of small mammals and can give you the information you need to keep your “pocket pet” looking and feeling great.
Why not call to schedule a wellness visit? We can perform a physical examination, answer any questions you may have about your pet, and discuss whether any changes in diet or at‑home care are recommended to help ensure the health and longevity of your pet.
Veterinary medicine for exotic pets is growing as the popularity of these animals increases. When pet owners have access to the best information about nutritional and environmental management, exotic pets have a greater chance to live longer, healthier lives. If you own one of these unique pets, we encourage you to schedule a complete physical exam and consultation on proper care and feeding. Our trained staff can assist you with all of your small mammal needs.
Did you know that pets age faster than people and can be considered “seniors” at around 7 years of age? Just as our health care needs change as we age, your pet’s health care needs also change. Nutritional needs, exercise habits, and many aspects of your pet’s daily routine can change as your pet ages. But how can you tell the difference between “normal” aging and a medical problem? As in humans, some health issues that affect older pets can begin with very subtle changes that may go unnoticed until the problem has become serious.
Regular wellness visits are important for every stage of your pet’s life, so don’t forget to keep your senior pet’s scheduled wellness appointments. The best way to help protect your pet as he or she ages is to understand the aging process in pets. We understand that process and can help you help your pet. Even if your senior pet is already being treated for a medical condition, treatment recommendations can change as a condition progresses. Sometimes medication dosages need to be adjusted, or medication may need to be changed. Routine wellness blood work and other routine diagnostic testing are important for senior pets because these tests allow us to evaluate how your pet’s health is either responding to current management strategies or changing with age.
Your senior pet’s wellness examination is also your chance to have us address any of your questions or concerns about your pet. We welcome your questions and encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your pet’s health care.
Older pets make wonderful companions and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever! You are an important ally in your senior pet’s health care. We are here to help ensure that your pet is safe and happy throughout the golden years.
We offer most of the common basic surgical techniques. All patients are carefully screened for safety, and anesthetics are specifically tailored to your pet. Surgical services and facilities include: fully trained veterinary and technical staff, to ensure the safest, most efficient, state‑of‑the‑art procedures for your pet; heated surgery tables for greater comfort; ventilator; advanced sterilization techniques; ECG and oxygen saturation monitors; intensive after surgery care and full blood testing.
Pets today can live longer, healthier lives than ever before—in part because of vaccines that help protect them from deadly infectious diseases. Over the years, vaccines against dangerous diseases have saved millions of pets and virtually eliminated some fatal diseases that were once common. Unfortunately, many infectious diseases still pose a significant threat to dogs and cats that are unvaccinated. Although vaccine programs have been highly successful and vaccines are considered routine today, we (as caregivers) and you (as pet parents) cannot afford to become complacent about keeping pets up‑to‑date on their vaccinations.
Many vaccines are available for use in dogs and cats but not every pet needs every available vaccine. Some vaccines are considered core vaccines and should be administered to all pets, whereas other vaccines are optional and may be recommended for pets based on a variety of factors, such as their risk for exposure to disease. Vaccine recommendations can also change throughout a pet’s life, as travel habits and other variables change. We will consider all these factors as we determine which vaccines your pet should have.
We understand that your pet is unique and that no single vaccine program will be ideal for every pet in every situation. Our doctors and other staff members are well‑educated about veterinary vaccines, and our goal is to give you the best advice for keeping your pet healthy. Let us develop a vaccination schedule and ongoing booster routine that accounts for your pet’s lifestyle, overall health, risk for exposure to infectious disease, and other factors.
Vaccines help pets live longer, healthier lives. Protecting your pet is our primary goal, so developing an appropriate vaccine schedule for your pet is important to us. Call us today to set up an appointment to discuss your pet’s vaccination needs.
Cat Boarding
Cat owners take the time to feed, nurture, and lavish attention on their feline(s). Our highly qualified kennel attendants do the same when you can't be there. We provide tender loving care to keep your cat healthy and happy.
Dog Boarding
Dog owners lavish attention on their "best friend." Our highly qualified kennel attendants do the same for your dog when you can't be there. We provide three areas of boarding and kenneling: six by four runs, four by four runs, or luxury suites. Luxury suites are 10' x 12' private rooms away from the general runs and kennels. Pets that stay in our boarding will be walked four times a day and get supervised outdoor playtime to keep your dog healthy and happy. You can bring your own pets food and blankets or we can provide those amenities for you. Does your pet need medication daily? Don't forget, we are a veterinary clinic with DVMs in the facility and knowledgeable staff to administer medications and treatments to your loved ones.
Does your best friend have bad breath? Despite what many pet owners may believe, “dog breath” is not just a nuisance—it’s a sign of an unhealthy mouth. Bad breath is caused by bacteria. Over time, bacteria lead to plaque and tartar buildup on your pet’s teeth. The result is bad breath, reddened gums, and other common signs of dental disease. As dental disease progresses, other signs can include drooling, discomfort while chewing, and loose or missing teeth. Even if you’re using treats and chews to help control tartar, these are frequently not enough to keep dental disease in check. Ask us about the best ways to control plaque and help protect your pet from dental disease.
Dental hygiene is an important part of your pet's health because dental disease can be associated with other serious health problems such as heart disease and kidney disease. But how do you know if your pet has a healthy mouth? Let us examine your pet’s teeth and gums to help determine if there are any dental issues you should know about. After a brief visual examination, we may recommend a more detailed examination (which requires sedation), a dental cleaning, or options for at‑home dental care.
Even if you think your pet’s teeth and gums are fine, we can offer expert advice to help you keep them that way! Dental health shouldn’t be taken for granted. Fortunately, many dental problems can be managed through at‑home care and by bringing your pet to us for regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings.
We want your pet to live a long, healthy life, and we understand that maintaining a healthy mouth is part of that. Your pet’s health is important to us, so let us help you with this commitment. Call today to discuss your pet’s dental care needs and how we can help!
Are you having problems caring for a terminally ill pet at home? Does your pet have a medical condition that is painful or causing poor quality of life? Are you afraid that your sick or elderly pet is suffering?
Our staff of compassionate, caring professionals can help you through this painful experience. We offer hospice services and will work with you to ensure your pet's comfort and dignity during his or her last days and final moments. Do you have special requests? Do you have questions about the care of your pet’s remains? We can help you with these concerns and will make every effort to accommodate your wishes at this very difficult time.
Deciding when your pet may need hospice care or euthanasia is a very personal and private decision, but that doesn’t mean you have to make this difficult choice on your own. Our hospice and humane euthanasia services are conducted with respect, compassion, and care. Before you struggle through one more day with a sick, elderly, or terminally ill pet that is suffering, call us to learn how we can help.
We cover all areas of internal medicine, including: cardiology; ophthalmology; neurology; dermatology; gastroenterology; orthopedic surgery; oncology; endocrinology; among others.
The practice of high‑quality veterinary medicine focuses on the entire patient—from medical issues that affect physical functioning, to emotional and psychological issues that affect well‑being. Experiencing pain can affect the body’s physical functioning and can have a detrimental effect on a patient’s well‑being and state of mind. That’s why pain management is among our primary considerations when we are treating a pet for any medical condition.
From routine procedures (such as spays or dental cleanings) to more advanced medical treatments (such as bone surgeries or cancer treatments), to chronically painful conditions (such as arthritis or back pain), we are dedicated to providing safe and effective pain management to every patient. We will also help you recognize signs of pain in your pet so that we can modify his or her pain management plan when necessary.
Recognizing and alleviating pain in our patients is at the very heart of quality, compassionate patient care. We don’t take pain management for granted and will employ all our skills to help ensure your pet’s comfort, well‑being, and full recovery.
Do you have a new puppy or kitten? Congratulations on this addition to your family! One of the first things you should do when you bring your new pet home is to introduce him or her to us—your veterinary care team. Puppy and kitten visits offer a unique opportunity to get you and your new pet off on the right foot!
Your puppy or kitten visit will include a full “nose‑to‑tail” physical examination. We will look for any signs of illness and make sure that your new pet is in good health.
Do you have questions about nutrition, training, vaccinations, grooming, parasite protection, or overall health? What about tips for introducing your new pet to other pets and family members? Even if you are a very experienced pet owner and have had puppies or kittens before, each pet is unique and offers an opportunity to learn something new! We welcome your questions and look forward to addressing any concerns you may have. The more educated you are about your pet, the better you will be able to care for him or her, so we strive to offer you all the support you need.
Puppy and kitten wellness visits also present an opportunity to discuss your new pet’s recommended vaccine schedule and the best plan for parasite testing, treatment, and prevention. Our doctors and other staff members are well‑educated about veterinary vaccines and parasite control, and our goal is to give you the best advice for your puppy or kitten. We will review your pet’s vaccine and deworming schedule and discuss the best way to continue, so don’t forget to bring any records that you have received.
We will work hard to help you understand your pet’s health considerations, and we encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your puppy’s or kitten’s health care. Puppy and kitten visits are an excellent way to get your new pet started on the road to a happy and healthy life. Let’s take these important first steps together.
Please call today to schedule an appointment for us to meet your new pet!
Radiography is a valuable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. As we continually strive to offer the highest‑quality medicine and diagnostic testing, we are pleased to offer radiology services as a means of providing excellent care to our patients.
A radiograph (sometimes called an X‑ray) is a type of photograph that can look inside the body and reveal information that may not be discernable from the outside. Radiography can be used to evaluate almost any organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs, as well as the bones.
Radiography is painless, safe, and completely noninvasive, and it uses only very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure needed to perform radiography is very low, even pregnant females and very young pets can undergo radiography. Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones as well as the size, shape, and position of many of the body’s organs. The size of organs is important because some medical conditions—such as kidney, heart, or liver disease—can alter the size of these organs. The shape and position of organs can be altered or distorted by certain medical conditions, including intestinal blockage or cancer. Tumors, depending on their size and location, can also sometimes be detected using radiography. Radiography can also be used to diagnose bladder stones, broken bones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and a variety of other conditions.
Radiographs are an important tool that can help us make a correct diagnosis for your pet. Our radiology service is staffed by caring, skilled professionals who will provide state‑of‑the‑art care with compassion and expertise.
We are proud of our full in‑house diagnostic laboratory that enables us to evaluate your animal for many types of skin diseases. If it cannot be diagnosed in‑house, we have an outside laboratory that can perform the most up‑to‑date diagnostic tests such as diagnosing tumors, autoimmune disease, and allergies.
Although humans and animals are different in many ways, some advances in human medicine are also very useful for veterinary patients. One of these advances, diagnostic ultrasound, has proven to be a powerful tool in veterinary medicine. As a practice, one of our goals is to offer state‑of‑the‑art medicine and diagnostic testing; so we are pleased to offer ultrasound services as a means of providing a higher level of quality care to our patients.
Ultrasonography is a type of diagnostic technique that uses ultrasound waves to produce an imaging study. This means that when we perform ultrasonography, we can see internal images of the patient’s body. Unlike some other imaging studies, like X‑rays, ultrasonography does not use radiation. Instead, ultrasonography uses high‑frequency sound (ultrasound) waves to create a picture of what is inside your pet’s body. Ultrasonography is a completely noninvasive, painless way to diagnose and evaluate many common diseases.
An ultrasound machine generates ultrasound waves. The machine is connected to a small probe that is held gently against your pet’s skin. The probe sends out painless ultrasound waves that bounce off of structures (for example, organs) in your pet’s body and return to a sensor inside the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound equipment collects these reflected “echoes” and uses them to generate images that are viewable on a screen. Ultrasound waves can generate excellent images of abdominal organs, including the liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys. It is also useful for assessing fetal health and monitoring pregnancy in breeding animals, and it can help us diagnose and stage (determine the severity of) some forms of cancer.
Your pet can benefit greatly from regular wellness examinations or checkups. Whether your pet is a youngster, a “senior citizen,” or any age in between, wellness examinations provide an excellent opportunity for us to conduct a thorough physical examination and develop a health profile for your pet. This information will help us identify medical problems and any other issues that can affect your pet’s health and quality of life.
A wellness examination includes an evaluation of all of your pet’s major organ systems. We’ll use the wellness visit to ask you questions about your pet’s behavior, appetite, exercise habits, and regular activities at home. This is also an excellent time for us to discuss any routine diagnostic testing that may benefit your pet or to recommend any vaccinations that may be due. If your pet seems healthy, a wellness examination is a good opportunity to note any changes, such as weight gain or loss or other subtle changes that may not be evident at home. Sometimes, information obtained during a wellness examination can help detect early signs of illness and address health issues before they progress.
A wellness examination is also your chance to have us address your questions or concerns about your pet. We welcome your questions. No question is too small or too silly, and it is our pleasure to address your concerns. We strive to help you understand your pet’s health considerations, and we encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your pet’s health care.
Finally, wellness examinations help us establish a relationship with you and your pet. Through your pet’s physical examinations, other wellness procedures, and our consultations with you, we get to know your pet and learn about his or her lifestyle, personality, health risks, home environment, and other important information. We encourage you to use wellness examinations to take an active role in your pet’s health care.