Wellness Exams and Testing

We emphasize prevention of health problems by yearly examinations, vaccinations, and diagnostic tests as indicated based on your pet’s age and lifestyle.  We routinely perform heartworm tests on dogs and feline leukemia/feline immunodeficiency tests on cats.  For older pets, we perform blood and urine tests to check the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and thyroid, as well as the red and white blood cell counts.

 Surgery

We perform many types of surgery on both dogs and cats.  Prior to scheduling surgery, we do a complete physical exam to look for any problems that could lead to complications during surgery.  We also recommend pre-anesthetic blood work to check liver enzymes, kidney enzymes, blood glucose level, and red blood cell volume.  This makes surgery more safe by giving us as much information as possible prior to surgery.    After completing the physical exam and evaluation the blood work results, we choose the best anesthetic drugs and doses for your pet.  We place an IV catheter in order to give fluids during surgery.  During surgery, dogs and cats are hooked up to an anesthetic monitoring machine which checks heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure.  In addition, a veterinary assistant monitors anesthetic depth and can adjust the amount of anesthesia given as needed. 

Surgeries performed at Crossroads Animal Hospital include spays and neuters, lump/tumor removals, laceration repair, various eye and ear surgeries, declaws, and various other soft tissue surgeries .

 Hospitalization

We hospitalize pets for various injuries and illnesses.  During hospitalization, we provide care as needed including IV fluid therapy, injectable antibiotics and pain medications, and lots of TLC.  We allow daily visits with hospitalized pets. 

Senior Pet Care / Pets With Chronic Illness

We encourage examinations every 6 months for senior pets in order to diagnose problems as soon as possible.  Many senior pets will eventually develop some chronic diseases - arthritis, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure are some of the more common ones.  We perform exams and blood work every 3-6 months for pets with chronic illnesses.  This allows us to adjust medications as needed in order to slow progression of disease, decrease pain, and improve quality of life.   Our goal is to keep senior pets happy and enjoying life as long as possible.

Nutritional Counseling

We recommend the best diet for your pet based on age and health status.  We provide many prescription diets for pets with obesity, arthritis, kidney disease, urinary tract disease, and other chronic problems.

 Behavioral Counseling

We provide behavioral consults for both dogs and cats.  Common problems encountered are separation anxiety (dogs), inappropriate elimination (cats), and aggression.  Both behavioral modification techniques and/or medications help pets with behavioral problems to be more enjoyable family members.  For serious behavioral problems, we can also make referrals to a behavioral specialist at the University of Georgia .

   Small Mammal Care

We see all small mammals - rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, mice/rats, gerbils, and hamsters - for preventative care and initial evaluation of sick pets.  We also can refer owners to the University of Georgia Exotics Department in case of a very serious illness or if surgery is needed .

 Pre-Adoption Advice

We provide consults for families planning to adopt a dog or cat.  We provide information on how to choose a breed that is right for your family and your lifestyle, whether a puppy/kitten or an adult would be the best choice for you, and what to look for when choosing a breeder or rescue group. 

 Specialist Care

If your pet need diagnostic tests or surgery that we do not have the equipment or expertise to perform, we refer patients to Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Greenville , SC.   We also refer patients to Dr. Pentlarge (ophthalmology cases) in Athens , GA , and to the University of Georgia.