At South Ridge Animal Clinic, we pride ourselves on taking wonderful care of your furry family members. We do our best to stay on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine to provide you and your pet the highest level of care possible.
Anesthesia
There is nothing more important to us than your pet’s health and safety. We perform a variety of preanesthetic tests to carefully screen patients and tailor our anesthetic protocol specifically to your pet. Our trained staff and doctors monitor your pet before, during, and after anesthesia to help ensure the best possible outcome.
Electrocardiography
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart. It is a safe, noninvasive procedure that uses clips (electrodes) placed on the skin over the chest and legs. An ECG is used commonly to evaluate the heart rhythm and identify abnormalities (arrhythmias) in the heartbeat. It may also help to identify enlargement of the heart, a common finding with many heart diseases. We have the ability to submit ECG readings electronically for review by a veterinary cardiologist. Additionally, continuous ECG monitoring is performed during every anesthetic procedure.
Emergency and Critical Care
Emergencies, accidents, and illnesses are unfortunate facts of life, and we understand how upsetting it is when your pet is sick or injured. If your pet is experiencing an emergency, please call our office right away at 402-421-2300. For after-hours emergencies, we recommend you call Veterinary Emergency Services, at 402-489-6800. They are located at 3700 S 9th St here in Lincoln.
Hospice and Euthanasia Services
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 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.
Laboratory
Our in-house laboratory allows for comprehensive diagnostic testing and quicker turnaround of information that can be vital to your pet's health. We also partner with outside labs, allowing for more extensive testing when necessary.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a safe and effective method used to treat painful conditions and accelerate healing time. It is the application of light to pathology to promote tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. The laser device concentrates light into a narrow beam and treats tissue quickly without heating the surrounding areas. Deeply penetrating photons activate a chain of events leading to rapid cell regeneration and healing. Tissue that is damaged and poorly oxygenated as a result of swelling, trauma, or inflammation has been shown to have a positive response to laser therapy.
Laser therapy has been used to manage many conditions including but not limited to:
Acute trauma
Aural hematomas
Autoimmune diseases
Chronic inflammatory conditions
Cystitis
Hip dysplasia
Intervertebral disc disease
Nerve regeneration
Osteoarthritis
Palliative pain relief
Periodontal disease
Post-dental procedure (gingivitis, tooth extractions)
Post-operative healing (treatment of incision sites)
Tendonitis
Microchipping
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. Young puppies and kittens can receive microchips, but even if your pet is already an adult, you should consider microchipping.
Nutrition Counseling
Whether your pet has special dietary needs or simply needs to shed (or gain) a few pounds, our nutritional counseling services can help you accomplish your goals and keep your pet in good health. We offer counseling in dietary selection and feeding practices for pets during various life stages, such as growth, pregnancy, nursing, and the “golden years.” If your pet has a medical condition, we can help you select the most appropriate diet to suit their needs. We stock many prescription diets in-house and have access to many more prescription and non-prescription diets on our online pharmacy. Simply sign in to our online pharmacy for all of your pet’s dietary needs.
Oral Health
Dental disease is the most common illness encountered in veterinary medicine today and affects 9 out of 10 pets. Unfortunately, it is also the most under-treated disease. Pets often live for years with painful gingivitis or even severe tooth infections without noticeable clinical signs to their owner. Dental disease puts tremendous demands on your pet’s organs, weakening the liver, kidneys, and heart. This additional stress can affect your pet’s happiness and shorten their life expectancy.
At your pet’s yearly wellness examination, we will evaluate the mouth for signs of disease. We will discuss preventative at-home oral care steps, such as brushing and the use of dental treats/chew. If appropriate, a dental procedure referred to as a comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) may be recommended. This anesthetic procedure allows for a thorough examination of the oral cavity, removal of tartar and plaque through use of an ultrasonic scaler, dental radiographs (x-rays) to evaluate for disease below the gum line, and treatment of any problem teeth (e.g., bonding, tooth extraction).
Our ultimate goal is to help manage your pet’s oral health to prevent development of disease and pain. We believe this will lead to happier pets and happier owners!
Pain Management
Recognizing and alleviating pain in our patients is at the very heart of quality, compassionate patient care. We will employ all our skills to help ensure your pet’s comfort, well-being, and full recovery. From routine procedures (such as a spays or neuters), 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.
Parasite Prevention and Control
Parasites, such as fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, are not just a nuisance. They can cause serious diseases that affect your pet’s overall health and longevity. However, you may not always be able to tell if your pet has parasites because they may not be showing any signs of illness. Veterinary examinations and parasite testing are important ways to protect your pet’s health. We recommend yearly fecal exams to screen for intestinal parasites as well yearly heartworm testing. Year round parasite prevention is also recommended. Our knowledgeable staff will work with you to determine the best heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea, and tick prevention program for your pet. We stock a select number of preventative products in-house and have access to many more at our online pharmacy.
Pharmacy
We carry a number of medications, preventatives, and prescription diets in-house for your pet. You also have access to thousands more through our online pharmacy.
Puppy and Kitten Care
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 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.
At the time of your new puppy or kitten appointment, we will thoroughly discuss all aspects of caring for your new pet.
This includes:
Disease prevention
Exercise
Good manners
House training
Internal and external parasites
Nutrition and feeding schedule
Oral care
Proper chew toys
Spay/neuter
Vaccinations
We will take the time to answer any and all questions you may have about your new pet's health.
Senior Care
Did you know that pets age faster than people and can be considered seniors at around 7-8 years of age? Just as our health care needs change as we age, your pet's health care needs also change. Nutritional requirements, exercise habits, and many aspects of your pet's daily routine can change as they age. But how can you tell the difference between normal aging and a medical problem? 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. Routine wellness blood work and other 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 comfortable and happy throughout "the golden years."
Surgery
At South Ridge Animal Clinic, we offer a wide range of surgical services, including routine spays, neuters, biopsies, and mass removals as well as more advanced procedures, such as abdominal exploratories, cystotomies, and oral surgery.
The majority of your pet’s surgical needs will be met at our practice; however, there are circumstances where a veterinary surgeon may be required. Under these circumstances, we may direct you and your pet to a specialist who is a veterinarian with advanced knowledge and training in surgery.
Ultrasonography
Ultrasonography is a type of diagnostic technique that uses ultrasound waves to produce an imaging study. Unlike some other imaging studies, like x-rays, ultrasonography does not use radiation. Instead, ultrasonography uses high-frequency sound (ultrasound) waves to create an image of internal structures of the patient’s body, such as the heart, liver, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary bladder. Ultrasonography is a completely non-invasive, painless way to diagnose and evaluate many common diseases. We strive to provide our patients with the highest quality medicine and diagnostic options available.
Vaccinations
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 cannot afford to become complacent about keeping pets up-to-date on their vaccinations.
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 an individual vaccination protocol and ongoing booster schedule that accounts for your pet’s lifestyle, risk for exposure to infectious disease, and overall health.
Wellness Exams
Your pet can benefit greatly from regular wellness examinations. Whether your pet is a young puppy or kitten, 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. 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, and other important information. We encourage you to use wellness visits to take an active role in your pet’s health care.
X-ray Radiography
Radiographs (X-rays) are an important tool that can help us evaluate the health of your pet. Radiography is painless, completely non-invasive, and safe as it uses only very low doses of radiation; 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 internal organs. Tumors, depending on their size and location, can also be detected using radiography. Radiography can also be used to diagnose bladder stones, gastrointestinal obstruction, broken bones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and a variety of other conditions. We utilize digital radiography which allows us to evaluate images moments after they are taken. We also submit all images electronically for review by a veterinary radiologist.