Our Featured Services

VETERINARY HOSPICE CARE AND IN HOME EUTHANASIA

What is veterinary hospice care?

Veterinary Hospice Care  provides end of life services to terminally ill or dying dogs and cats.  These services provide the pet palliative care.  It allows the pet to spend quality time with its loved ones, under adequate pain control, until the owner is able to make a decision regarding euthanasia or until death occurs.

What pets are qualified for hospice care?

A qualified veterinarian will access the physical condition of the animal to determine if hospice care is needed.  The animal must meet one or more of the following conditions:  has less than 6 months to live, has a progressive disease that severly limits quality of life,  exhibits chronic weight loss, pain, diffuculty breathing, or has some other symptom that indicates clinical decline.

What to expect.

Hospice care for animals is time consuming for both the animal family members as well as the veterinary hospice team.  Every member of the family/veterinary team must be committed to the comfort of the animal.  Communication is very important.  Prior to beginning hospice care, a comprehensive physical exam and case review by a qualified veterinarian will be performed. The severity of the animal's illness or condition and the expected outcome will be discussed.  The client will be interviewed and his/her needs and wants will be assessed.  After a careful assessment is made, a palliative treatment plan and schedule will be discussed with the client.  All fees will be discussed and agreed upon before beginning hospice service.

Clients/caregivers will be instructed on appropriate administration of drugs and other necessary care and will be given instruction on accessing pain.  Daily, weekly, bimonthly and monthly home visits or clinic visits will be necessary to help access the patients condition, pain control and organ system failure and to determine how the family is coping.  Visits may be made by a licensed veterinarian or technician.

In home euthanasia and care of animal remains.

Euthanasia services can be performed at home for hospice and non-hospice patients or in the clinic comfort room.  Family members and their pets are invited to be present for the euthanasia if they so desire. Animal remains may be sent for individual cremation or communal cremation or may be buried at home. Routine animal remain disposal can also be discussed.  A veterinary team member will be available to help assess a patients need for euthanasia 24 hours a day.  Referral to a mental health professional trained in grief and bereavement is available.  Several free websites and grief support hot-lines are also available.

For further information, contact Dr. Blackmore at 928-468-6030 or pcac@cybertrails.com

CHEMOTHERAPY

Overview

All veterinarians undergo training in cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Due to strict federal guidelines, logistics of handling cancer chemotherapy drugs and specialty technician training,  most general veterinary practioners refer their cancer chemotherapy patients to oncology specialists.  In the past, our clients and their pets have had to travel to Phoenix for chemotherapy.  Fortunately, that is about to change!

Welcome Ken Crump, CVT

Ken Crump was the head technician at the Colorado State Veterinary Cancer Center for 10 years.  He brings an enormous amount of experience to our new chemotherapy clinic.  He is familiar with all aspects of chemotherapy administration, side effects and  federal regulations.  Ken believes in empowering pet owners to be a part of their pets treatment and helps provide the owner the tools to do so. Ken also provides alternative medicine (acupuncture) to help animals with pain and nausea post chemotherapy treatment.

Types of cancer treated:

Lymphoma
Osteosarcoma (bone cancer, after amputation)
Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the bladder
Melanoma
Mast Cell Tumor
Primary Lung Tumors
Mammary Gland Tumors (with surgery)

Fees and additional information

All fees will be discussed and agreed upon prior to beginning treatment.  Additional blood work, EKG's and x-rays may be necessary during treatment.  Prognosis and morbidity will be discussed prior to beginning treatment.  Please see the website for Colorado State University's Cancer Center for additional information. www.csuanimalcancercenter.org

ACUPUNCTURE

 “Can Acupuncture Help My Pet?”

Understanding Acupuncture

 …from the Pine Country Animal Clinic

Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world.  It is done by the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles through the skin.  Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted.    Some people feel energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed.   Acupuncture seeks to aid healing by restoring the balance and the natural flow of blood and energy (qi) within the body.  Scientists are studying the effectiveness of acupuncture for a wide range of conditions. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has funded extensive research to advance scientific understanding of acupuncture.   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles, requiring that needles be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled for single use by trained practitioners only.  In 1997, acupuncture needles were reclassified from "experimental" to "medical device" by the FDA. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a consensus statement in the same year endorsing acupuncture for the treatment of a variety of human medical conditions. 

In general, acupuncture is especially effective with chronic conditions that are minimally responsive to conventional medical treatment.  Most people associate acupuncture with pain control, but acupuncture has much broader applications. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the use of acupuncture in a wide range of medical problems, including:

 ·         Pain (acute and chronic)

 ·         Digestive disorders

 ·         Nausea from cancer therapy

 ·         Respiratory disorders

 ·         Neurological and muscular disorders  

 ·         Urinary and reproductive disorders  

 ·         Physical and emotional problems related to tension or stress

During your first office visit, the acupuncturist may interview you at length about your animal’s primary health concern, overall health, condition, lifestyle, and behavior. The acupuncturist will want a complete picture of treatment needs, and behaviors that may contribute to your animal’s condition. Inform the acupuncturist about all therapies, or medications your animal is taking.

After the interview and a thorough physical examination of the patient, the acupuncturist creates a plan and begins treatment. Typically, the acupuncturist will use 6 - 12 needles during the treatment. The number of needles used does not correspond with the intensity of the treatment.  It is the precise placement of the needles that is important, not the number of needles placed.  Upon insertion, the animal may feel a slight sting or prick. Once the needle is inserted, there should be no pain, and the patient should feel comfortable for the duration of the treatment.  Treatment length varies from seconds to longer than an hour, with the typical length being about 20 to 30 minutes.  To best manage your busy schedule, plan each acupuncture appointment to take about an hour.  The acupuncturist may use the following techniques during the treatment:

·         Dry needling – inserting and manually manipulating needles.

·         Laser acupuncture – non-needle stimulation of acupuncture points using a laser light.

·         Moxibustion – heating the acupuncture points with smoldering herbs, to activate and warm the acupuncture point (also known as "moxa").

·         Electrostimulation – applying electrical stimulation to two or more acupuncture points.

The number of treatments needed varies from patient to patient, and condition to condition. For complex or chronic problems, two or more treatments per week for several weeks may be recommended at first. For acute problems, fewer visits are usually needed.   For health maintenance and wellness, four sessions a year may be all that are needed.  It is normal to wait until after the third treatment to fully assess the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for a patient.

There are usually no side effects to acupuncture treatment. As blood and energy are redirected in the body, internal chemicals and hormones are released to facilitate healing. Occasionally, symptoms may worsen for a few days, or there may be changes in patterns of appetite, sleep, bowel and bladder habits, or emotional state. These changes may simply indicate that the acupuncture is starting to work.  Please contact your veterinarian or your acupuncturist if changes last more than a couple of days, or if you have questions or concerns.

You don't have to believe in it for acupuncture to work. Animals are treated successfully with acupuncture, and they don't understand or believe in the process that helps them get better.  Your positive attitude toward health and wellness for your pet has been proven to reinforce the effects of all types of treatment, just as a negative attitude will hinder the effects of any form of treatment.   Rest assured, your neutral attitude ("I don't know if this works or not") will not block treatment results.

All over the world, people and their pets have been successfully treated with acupuncture.  In the United States, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).  Acupuncture can be effective alone, or it can be used to support other forms of medical treatment.  The Pine Country Animal Clinic uses acupuncture as a medical tool to support the healing effects of conventional medical therapy.  Acupuncture treatments can be given at the same time other techniques are being used.   So, when you have received a diagnosis from your veterinarian, you may wish to ask whether acupuncture might help.