Dental Care can add years to your pet’s life! Did you know that you can add two to four years to your pet’s life with proper dental care?
Vaccination
Routine vaccinations can prevent a host of diseases, many of which were once considered fatal to pets. Puppies and kittens should start receiving vaccinations at approximately 6 and 8 weeks of age respectively. We understand that each pet has different needs when it comes to vaccinations and we work with you to tailor a vaccine protocol that meets your pet’s needs.
Veterinary Ophthalmology
Evaluating your pet’s vision – Ocular conditions—such as glaucoma, corneal ulcers and dry eye—can be prevented or better treated through regular care and screenings.
Behavioral Counseling
€¢ Obedience - Training is important for your pet's health because behavioral problems account for more deaths in dogs than any known disease. In fact, a well-trained and obedient dog is more likely to live to a ripe old age than a poorly trained one. Obedience-trained dogs are less likely to be involved in car accidents and dogfights, tend to be happier, and are less likely to have behavioral problems. The checkup provides an opportunity to discuss training techniques and behavior concerns with your veterinarian.
Nutritional Counseling
Bowel function may deteriorate with age, causing problems such as reduced ability to absorb food nutrients. This can lead to weight loss. Some elderly cats suffer from constipation.
Comprehensive Examination
Before surgery, every patient undergoes a thorough physical exam. This helps identify any pre-existing medical conditions that might complicate surgery or affect your pet’s response to anesthesia. We also offer pre-anesthetic blood testing on each pet which allows us to get a better idea of your pet’s overall health, and allows us to tailor an anesthetic regimen that suits your pet’s needs.
Radiographs (X-rays) are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. X-rays are useful in examining your pet’s bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, oral cavity and other areas of the body. An X-ray can spot a fractured bone, detect tumors, help with the diagnosis of heartworm disease or locate an obstruction or foreign body(toys, bones, etc.) in your pet’s intestine or stomach. Radiographs are often one of the first tests performed on your pet as the procedure is painless and can often provide an immediate and conclusive diagnosis.
Pain Management
Tharp Animal Health Care Center also believes that identifying and relieving pain is essential to the recovery of your pet because your pet recovers from surgery more quickly when he or she is not in pain. Therefore, pain management is an important aspect of your pet’s surgical procedure with your pet receiving pain medication before and after surgery. We develop each pet’s pain management protocol on a case-by-case basis.
Diarrhea Treatment
Skin Condition and Allergy Treatment
Your dog’s coat and the area around his muzzle begin to turn gray. Because your pet is getting older, it is important to know that skin problems may occur more often since the skin may be thinner, less elastic, and does not repair itself as quickly.
Tharp Animal Health Care Center’s vaccination protocol follows American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines and is carefully tailored to the lifestyle and particular health needs of your pet. We are also able to offer the relatively new transdermal Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) vaccine, which deposits the vaccine directly into the immune-rich layers of tissue just under the top layer of skin. This method does not use a needle and requires a lower volume of vaccine, which decreases the pain and discomfort of the injection as well as possible negative reactions.
Ear Infection Treatment
Infections – Ear infections, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, eye infections such as dry eye which can lead to blinding, etc.
Joints – As your pet gets older, joint pain and stiffness may develop. This may mean that your pet becomes less active and his energy level may decrease. He may become tired more easily and want to nap more often. Dogs with arthritis should still be exercised; however, they may need a diet containing fewer calories to prevent them from putting on weight.
Diabetes Treatment
Thyroid Disease Treatment
Heart Disease Treatment
Your pet’s safety and comfort during anesthesia and surgery are our highest priority. We utilize advanced surgical monitoring instruments, including EKG, pulse oximetry monitors, blood pressure monitors and other instruments to ensure your pet’s vital signs remain stable during surgery. This system continuously monitors your pet's arterial oxygen level, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and core body temperature. We also have the option to apply heat therapy to ensure a safe body temperature is maintained throughout longer procedures if necessary. During surgeries, a specially trained veterinary technician is on hand to assist with the procedure and closely monitor your pet.
Kidney Disease Treatment
Behavioral Counseling – Behavior problems are the number one reason that owners give up a pet. Tharp Animal Health Care Center offers behavior counseling for many of your pet's problems including inappropriate urination or defecation, aggression, separation anxiety, inappropriate chewing and barking, introduction of new pets into the household and household pets that are in conflict with one another. Oftentimes a behavior problem, such as inappropriate voiding, can be linked to a medical issue (cystitis, bladder stones, and kidney disease). We can also refer the owner of a pet with a behavior problem to those more specifically trained in behavior categorizing and behavior modification. There is great success with pets with behavior problems when linked with the right animal behaviorist. See Referrals page under Services.
Periodontal Disease Treatment
Before the physical examination begins, your veterinarian asks you questions concerning your dog's state of health. This is very important for determining whether or not there are problem areas that need to be addressed. After obtaining a history, your veterinarian performs a physical examination on your dog. Starting at the head, your veterinarian examines the eyes, ears, face, and mouth. Examining the teeth is especially important since up to 85% of all dogs and cats over four years of age have some degree of periodontal disease! Early detection of periodontal disease is important, not only for effective treatment but also future prevention.
Whether your pet requires a routine spay/neuter procedure or needs a more complicated orthopedic, soft-tissue, ophthalmic or emergency surgery, the veterinarians at Tharp Animal Health Care Center are well-equipped to handle your pet’s surgery needs.
Laser Surgery
What is a laser? A laser is a device that generates an intense beam of light that can cut, seal or vaporize tissue. For over 30 years, lasers have been successfully used on humans. This knowledge gained in human medicine is beneficial for your pets. Your pet’s health is as important to us as it is to you. Advances in veterinary medicine now allow us to offer laser surgery as an exciting new option for safer, more comfortable treatment. In many procedures, the laser can replace the scalpel and provide a better alternative to traditional surgery.
Spaying and Neutering
A special 20% discount on series of four booster shot appointments (three for kittens) needed over the first 16 weeks of your puppy’s or kitten’s life. Puppy = four appointments in all in first 16 weeks of life starting at 6 weeks. Kitten = three appointments required in first 16 weeks of life starting at 8 weeks. Those truly devoted to their puppy’s (kitten’s) health by scheduling and keeping all four puppy appointments (three kitten appointments) required for complete protection of your pet will receive 20% special discount on total cost of all appointments at time of last appointment. The services include wellness screening and vaccinations. Also ask us about spaying and neutering.
When your pet is sick, he or she cannot tell us what is wrong. Tharp Animal Health Care Center’s laboratory provides fast and accurate information critical for diagnosis of a sick or injured pet. With our modern diagnostic laboratory equipment, our patients can receive appropriate treatment immediately upon arriving at our clinic.
X-Ray
Microchipping
Does your pet have a microchip? Each year, millions of pets go missing and many don’t make it back home. Microchipping your pet is a safe, simple and effective way to prevent this tragedy. About the size of a grain of rice, identification microchips are encoded with your pet’s vital information and implanted beneath your pet’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across the country and around the world are equipped with special scanners capable of reading these microchips. The information in the chip is used to reunite you with your pet.
Boarding Service – have your pet vet checked, vaccinated or groomed before going home! Come home to a well groomed, healthy and happy pet with your boarding service and veterinary services discounted! When scheduling your pet’s overnight stay, be sure to let the front desk know you want your pet groomed or vet checked during his or her stay with us and save. If you want a grooming with your boarding stay, please schedule well in advance. The grooming salon might not be able to accommodate late requests during our busy summer season or holidays.
Grooming
Tharp Animal Health Care Center in Chillicothe, OH is proud to offer one location for all of your pet care needs, from veterinary and grooming services to a safe and secure boarding kennel. We are conveniently located within the city limits, but in a quiet, country setting near the main freeways of 35 and 23 and 1/4 mile from shopping and restaurants. You can even drop off your pet for services while you shop or dine!
Senior Pet Care
Senior Care Program for dogs and cats – This is perhaps one of the most important services we provide our pets. Seniors are far more susceptible to a range of diseases than younger pets, but fortunately many of these diseases, if caught early can be cured or managed. This is why regular twice yearly examinations and screenings for your senior pets are a critical piece of the care we provide. See our subtab Senior Pet Care.
Dog Training
So you have a cute furry companion who loves to play fetch and go to the dog park. But are they well-behaved? It really doesn't matter whether your canine is a four-pound Chihuahua or a 104-pound Rottweiler. An untrained dog is an invitation to disaster. And a dog that won't come when called is always in danger.