Our Services

Doctor’s Consultation and Physical Examination

Your pet can’t talk, so we have to look! We humans can moan and groan and point and complain at the earliest sign of a medical problem. Not so with animals. If we don’t look our pets over regularly, we may miss these subtle early signs of disease and rob ourselves of the chance of early intervention.

All too often disease is well advanced before we even notice. Remember! Your pet’s life span is much shorter compared to your own. A lot can happen in 12 months.

At La Cantar Animal Hospital we recommend a complete physical examination by our veterinarians at least once a year for the young and fit, and twice a year for our less fit and/or older patients.

Vaccination and Health Programs for Puppies and Kittens

Preventive health care is one of our strongest weapons in the fight against disease and we achieve this, in part, through routine vaccination, regular physical examinations, and early detection diagnostic testing.

Vaccinations and Health Programs for Adult and Senior Dogs

At La Cantar Animal Hospital, we have devised a rotating vaccination schedule for our mature patients. This is based on recent scientific data, which indicates that dogs and cats don’t need to be vaccinated against certain diseases every 12 months, as we did in the past.

Our progressive vaccine schedule is in accordance with protocols in use at the most prestigious veterinary teaching hospitals throughout the country, in addition to being endorsed by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Another advantage of a rotating vaccination schedule, compared to the old fashioned annual method is cost savings. However, we won’t compromise on quality. At La Cantar Animal Hospital we only use the very best quality and safest vaccines available. For example, for cats we use only non-adjuvanted vaccines whenever possible to lessen the threat of vaccine associated cancers.

Dental Care and Routine Dental Cleanings

Both animals and people need regular dental care. While humans tend to get cavities, small animals are more prone to tartar (calculus) and plaque build up, which leads to gum disease. Gum disease in animals causes pain, bad breath, eventual loss of teeth, and can even lead to bacterial infections in internal organs, such as the heart and kidneys.

At La Cantar Animal Hospital our yearly physical examinations include a thorough examination of your pet’s mouth and teeth. If we find halitosis (foul breath), gum disease, tartar or plaque when we examine your pet, we will advise you on diet, routine pet dental care and a regular professional teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar and freshen your pet’s breath. This is an important step in preventing lasting dental problems.

Whether your pet is young or old, whether you have a dog or cat, your pet’s dental care is of vital importance and we are here to help. We are fully trained and equipped to provide all of the following dental services:

Oral Cancer Screening

Tooth Scaling

Tooth Polishing

Dental Radiology (X-rays)

Tooth Extractions (for teeth damaged beyond repair)

Oral Surgery

Dental Pain Control

Home Dental Care Instruction & Training

Canine and feline toothbrushes and animal toothpaste

Breath freshening products

Spay and Neuter Procedures

The aim of spaying and neutering is to prevent the production of unwanted puppies or kittens who often end up, unfortunately, on the unwanted and unloved list. Spaying and neutering is also done to avoid certain behavioral issues such as fighting, straying, roaming, urine marking, or the unwanted attention of males when a female is in season, as well as to avoid the inconvenience of having a female bleed for 2 to 3 weeks while in heat every 5 to 7 months. Spaying your female pet will prevent serious medical issues including pyometra (infected uterus)—a surgical emergency—and significantly decreases the probability of developing breast cancer. Neutering your male pet will prevent testicular cancer and can help control prostate diseases that can be life threatening.

Complications and side effects of the surgery, while are possible, are rare. Any changes in temperament are almost always for the better, if they occur at all. The cost is reasonable when compared with alternatives so if you are considering having it done at some stage, sooner may be more economical than later!

Acupuncture, Laser Therapy, and Physical Rehabilitation

Dr. Thompson has incorporated these skills into her practice since 2001, beginning with the acupuncture and physical rehabilitation. Acupuncture is useful for a variety of medical conditions, including pain management, wound healing, neurological disease or injury, and internal medical complaints. Dr. Thompson is a member of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (Certification Pending).

Our practice also was one of the first in San Antonio to obtain a Class IV therapy laser in 2009. Not used for surgery, but for therapy of the soft tissues and bones of the body, the K-Laser is a daily part of practice. We currently use the laser for many conditions, including arthritis, muscular injury, trauma, postoperative care, wound healing, inflammation control, skin infections, and tissue and bone regeneration.

Dr. Thompson has also completed training in Canine Rehabilitation (but we treat cats, too!) at the University of Tennessee in 2004. Certification for the title of Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practioner is pending. We offer basic physical therapy techniques for pets needing assistance recovering from orthopedic, neurological, traumatic or other conditions affecting mobility and physical fitness. The addition of an underwater treadmill is planned for 2012.

Advanced Surgical Procedures

Sometimes surgery is the best, or maybe even the only, alternative to cure your pet. At La Cantar Animal Hospital in addition to routine spays and neuters, we are equipped to perform many types of surgical procedures. For example, removal of intestinal foreign bodies (balls, corks, pins, socks, etc.), removal of tumors, removal of bladder stones, cesarean sections, surgical correction of eye and facial abnormalities, etcetera. We can also have a surgeon with specialty training come to our hospital to perform certain procedures such as orthopedic repairs and advanced soft-tissue surgeries. That’s right—you don’t have to go to another facility to have an expert perform your pets surgery!

At La Cantar Animal Hospital, our surgical services include:

A complete pre-surgical physical examination before anesthesia

Pre-op blood testing for increased patient safety

IV catheter and IV Fluids to speed recovery and increase patient safety

State-of-the-art anesthesia, using generally either sevofluorane or isofluorane gas

The surgical procedure itself using the most up-to-date techniques and highest standards of care

Individual patient monitoring by trained veterinary nurses, during surgery and in recovery

Wholesome foods, fresh water, clean bedding, and lots of TLC

Post-operative pain relief, as appropriate

Return visits for re-check or suture removal, if required

When a patient’s life depends on the skill of the doctor, quality of the medical equipment, and the level of nursing staff training, we cannot afford to take any chances, and we won’t. Having said that, we will communicate with you at all times to make certain you are informed and comfortable with the level of service offered and the costs involved.

Radiology Service (X-rays)

A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, an x-ray is the only way to diagnose and treat illness and injury. Our x-ray suite and radiology team give our veterinarians the tools needed to determine the best course of action and treatment for your pet’s situation. If necessary, we also have a radiology specialist we can send your pets pictures to for an expert second opinion.

Treatment of sick pets and Internal Medicine

At La Cantar Animal Hospital, we take pride that our first priority is identifying the cause of your pet’s illness so that we may treat it correctly. Our in-house veterinary medical diagnostic laboratory provides us with essential information that could be critical to your pets’ treatment and recovery.

With equipment such as our CBC machine, blood chemistry analyzer, tonopen for glaucoma testing, and blood pressure monitors, we can perform same-day diagnostic tests providing results in less than an hour in most cases. This is especially important in veterinary medicine because, unlike human medicine, our patients can’t tell us when and how they’re feeling poorly. We also have several “snap tests” which help us diagnose acute and painful illnesses like pancreatitis. We also have two veterinary diagnostic labs where we send blood and/or urine samples in more advanced cases—usually these results are returned within 1 to 2 days.

As with our specialty surgeries, we can also have an internal medicine specialist visit our hospital to give expert consultations, perform ultrasounds of the belly or heart, and perform certain procedures requiring a specialists’ touch. We can care for your pet with the confidence that a specialist is only a phone call away!

Common illnesses we routinely manage include:

Vomiting, Diarrhea, and/or decreased appetite—Parvo, etc.

Urinary issues—infections, blood in the urine, urinating outside the litter box, etc.

Coughing and upper respiratory infections

Heart disease

Kidney disease

Liver disease

Endocrine diseases—diabetes, thyroid problems, Cushing’s disease, etc…

Skin and Allergy Treatment—is your pet itchy?

Allergies (also known as inhalant allergies or atopy) vary a great deal in both their severity and age of onset. They can start as early as 3 to 6 months and progress through to old age. Symptoms are usually progressive and become clinically apparent before 3 years of age. Among humans, the nose is the primary target of allergies - and hay fever symptoms predominate. Among dogs and cats, the skin is the major target organ, so itching, scratching, and foot licking are the main symptoms.

Depending on what they are allergic to, some dogs and cats have seasonal allergies while others are itchy all year long. The biggest offenders are tree pollens, grass and weed pollens, mold spores and the house dust mites. Food allergies are also a common offender.

Fortunately, there are now many options for diagnosing and treating allergies.
Allergy treatment generally takes the form of some combination of the following:

Treatment of secondary yeast and/or bacterial infections

Medicated baths with soothing leave on conditioners

Anti-itch sprays

Antihistamines and special fatty acid formulations

Allergy shots (hypo sensitization injection), if necessary short term, low dose steroids to control inflammation

Other immune system controlling medications like Atopica

High quality, skin supportive diet

Regular Flea and Tick preventative

Emergency and Critical Care

Accidents, illnesses, injuries and other emergencies do occur. You’re upset, nervous and you need help fast. We understand, we take it seriously, and we stand ready to guide you, gently but rapidly, through the crisis as we work together to determine or do what’s best for your pet.

Call us at any time if you are worried about your pet. Our facilities are available for small animals in medical emergencies during regular business hours.

For after-hours emergency advice, we refer to the Emergency Pet Clinic (www.emergencypetclinic.com) at 210-404-2873. Evening, weekend and holiday critical care services are available to stabilize and maintain pets with cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and endocrine, urinary, reproductive, traumatic or gastrointestinal emergencies.
Again, please call us at any time if you are worried about your pet.

In-House Pharmacy and Prescription Diets

Fully stocked, on site, and for the exclusive use of our patients.
We maintain an extensive inventory of veterinary treatments and medications so that most needed prescriptions can be dispensed before your pet leaves the hospital. Our hospital carries several heartworm prevention options, as well as a large inventory of flea and tick control products.

Pet Boarding

Rest easy and enjoy yourself knowing your pets are in good hands. We offer veterinary supervised pet boarding, at affordable rates for dogs and cats.
Your best friend will get good wholesome food, fresh water, a “comfy” bed, and will be checked on frequently, played with and exercised. Special food or special medications for your pet while he or she stays with us is not a problem! Just bring them along. Other medications or special dietary needs can certainly be accommodated. Remember! Vet supervised boarding is safe boarding!