Cryosurgery

Ultrasound

Parasite Prevention

Microchipping

Surgery

- Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork
- IV Catheter and Warm Fluids
Radiology

- Limping
Dentistry

Nutrition

Behavior

Reptiles, Avian & Pocket Pets

COVID-19Update: We have been working throughout the pandemic to serve our community with everyone’s safety as our #1 priority! Read More.
Surgical Alternative to Remove Skin Tags, Eyelid Mass, and Other Lumps or Bumps. We have some great news to share!! We have a safer and cost-effective alternative to treat your pet’s lumps and bumps which can range from a cosmetically inconvenient skin tag to a troublesome wart. In the past, the only treatment for these lumps and bumps involved surgery with anesthesia.
Step in a great non-anesthetic alternative - Cryosurgery! Cryosurgery has been used in the human medical field for a long time and has been safely adapted to treat our pets. Recently, Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital has added cryosurgery as a service we offer to our patients. It involves using extreme cold to remove superficial, benign skin lumps or eyelid masses. Your Doctor will freeze the area around the unwanted tissue and disrupt the blood supply, which numbs the surrounding nerves and reduces pain, and kills bacteria minimizing the risk of infection. Some lumps and bumps may take multiple treatments and others will dry up and fall off over 1 - 2 weeks. Cryosurgery is performed by your veterinarian in the office as a same-day procedure without anesthesia. Side effects are typically minimal and can include redness & swelling.
Cryosurgery is most successful in treating:
If you feel that your pet could benefit from cryosurgery please call our office to set up a consultation with your veterinarian.
Abdominal Ultrasound:
Ultrasound testing uses sound waves and their ability to travel through tissues to produce an image. Unlike radiographs, ultrasound is able to produce amazing detail. It is ideal for evaluating any of the abdominal organs. Doctors at Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital routinely perform abdominal ultrasounds on many of our internal medicine patients. We are able to diagnose and treat many of our patients using this technology. Although not required with every condition or illness, your doctor will discuss the benefits and limitations of this test.
Echocardiogram:
This test requires a significant amount of training and expertise. Dr. Hanlon completed many intensive weeks of continuing education training in Ultrasound. Dr. Hanlon performs Echocardiograms, which is the best way to test and evaluate the structure and function of the heart. While not all animals with a heart murmur will receive an echocardiogram, your doctor will help explain whether this test is a good idea for your pet.
Let’s get excited about your pet’s poop! No, really, it is important to understand why your veterinarian wants to perform a fecal analysis under a microscope each year. As a pet parent, learning about intestinal parasites and parasite control can protect you and your pet. Some parasites are zoonotic, which means you (humans) can get it too. You can contract zoonotic disease by simply playing in a sandbox that was contaminated with feces containing roundworms. That is why the Veterinarians at Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital made a list of common intestinal parasites, and labeled which ones are zoonotic.
Where are they located? Tapeworms are found in the small intestines. The adult tapeworm buries their head in the lining of the small intestines and is typically 6 – 12 inches long.
Where are they located? Giardia is a microscopic organism found in the small intestines.
HEARTWORM:
Unlike other parasites, heartworm is spread through mosquitoes. A mosquito will bite another dog (or fox, or coyote etc.), and when it feeds off a dog infected with heartworm, it will spread a microscopic version of a heartworm. Over 6 months, this worm will mature and travel to the right side of your dog’s heart. Untreated, this will cause inflammation, scarring and can lead to pulmonary hypertension and/or right-sided heart failure. Last year alone Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital diagnosed more than 15 dogs with heartworm disease.
The best way to prevent heartworm disease is to keep your dog on heartworm preventative medication. There are many options available, including an oral chewable (Simparica Trio, Heartgard, Interceptor), a topical (Revolution), or an injection (Proheart). All of them work well, however the most important thing to remember is that mosquitoes can remain in your home during colder months. Therefore keeping your dog on Heartworm prevention year round is vital to prevent them from becoming ill if exposed.
“…if I keep my dog on heartworm prevention every month, why do I need to test them every year?”.
The answer is simple; if for any reason your dog doesn’t receive adequate protection every month (missed a dose by a week, vomits up the prevention, etc.), future doses of prevention do nothing to stop an adult worm from setting up house in the heart. If your dog develops an adult heartworm, prevention is not effective at removing it. Special injections of medication are required to remove the adult worm, and the longer it is present, the higher the risk of complications. Therefore, testing annually will help us potentially detect an adult worm before it leads to chronic changes in the heart and pulmonary artery.
FLEAS:
Fleas are a nuisance; they cause itching, skin problems, and can live in your home. However, they can also spread some diseases and are the main source of tapeworms. Unlike cockroaches, fleas cannot live in your home without a host. If you are seeing adult fleas on your pets, it is only a small fraction of the entire flea population. A single flea bath or spray will only work for 24 - 48 hours. At some point, more flea eggs will hatch, producing adults which will lay more eggs.
Therefore the solution to treating and preventing fleas is to use a monthly flea preventative. This will ensure that all young fleas that hatch cannot have a meal or reproduce, stopping their life cycle. For more information on flea infestation, click here.
There are many products available for fleas. We carry prescription medications for dogs (Simparica, Simparica Trio: oral chew, Revolution: Topical) and cats (Revolution Plus).
Unlike fleas, ticks rarely will live in your house. Most of the time cats or dogs will become exposed if they are outdoors. Short brush and high grass are the most common places for ticks to dwell. Unlike fleas, ticks can survive and attach even in the colder months. As we all know, ticks also carry common bacterial infections such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichia and anaplasmosis. Most of these diseases require the tick to be attached for several hours to spread these diseases. By using a monthly preventative the flea will die before it is able to infect your pet. Similar to fleas, we strongly recommend a prescription preventative (Dogs: Simparica, Simparica Trio, Cats: Revolution Plus) over any over the counter remedies.
Thanks to the invention of the implantable microchip, we are now able to provide a permanent identification for most patients. We can perform this in minutes without any need for sedation or general anesthesia. Once it is implanted and registered, the microchip number becomes linked to your personal contact information. Therefore, if your pet ever escapes and ends up at a shelter or veterinary hospital, they can easily be returned home. Depending on your area, the microchip also allows you to obtain a lifetime license for your dog. Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital uses Home Again microchips for safe and reliable identification. Feel free to contact us at any time with more questions about microchipping your pet.
To provide the highest standard in medical care we take every precaution to keep your pet safe and comfortable during surgical procedures. Every procedure performed will receive:
Radiology uses pictures to see the inside of your pet and allows Veterinarians to diagnose and treat your pet. Here are some of the common reasons that we may need to use radiographs to diagnose your pet:
PennHIP
Ask your certified PennHIP veterinarian to test your dog’s susceptibility to hip dysplasia.
Why should I be concerned about Hip Dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is the most commonly inherited orthopedic disease. It is a malformation of the ball and socket joint of the hip and can lead to arthritis, stiffness, and diminished quality of life. There is no medical or surgical cure for hip dysplasia and affects large breed dogs more severely than smaller breed dogs.
What is PennHIP Certification?
Research studies conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine pioneered a diagnostic method to assess hip laxity – the key factor in the development of canine hip dysplasia. PennHIP screening is a precise method to measure hip laxity. It can identify as early as 16 weeks of age – dogs that are susceptible to developing hip dysplasia.
Veterinarians must complete specialized training and quality-control exercises before becoming certified to perform the PennHIP procedure. Your veterinarians at Gilbertsville Veterinary Hospital have taken the extra steps to offer this procedure to you and your pet.
What is Involved in the PennHIP Procedure?
A veterinarian will complete an office consultation with you and your pet to determine whether the procedure is right for your pet. If your pet is a good candidate you will be scheduled for the procedure on a separate date. Your pet will be admitted to the hospital and will receive general anesthesia and sedation before the radiographs are performed. Three separate radiographs will be taken and submitted to ANTECH Imaging Services for evaluation.
Who Should Consider PennHIP Certification?
Any large breed dog owner should consider PennHIP certification to be more knowledgeable in caring for their pet. Breeders should consider using the PennHIP certification as a tool for informed selection when breeding their pets. Service and working dog organizations should consider asking for PennHIP certification before they invest time and energy that it takes to prepare dogs for service.
Dental care is an important part of your pet’s overall health. Left untreated, dental disease can lead to problems within the mouth such as pain, bad breath, and tooth loss but can also cause disease elsewhere in the body, like the heart and kidneys. While your veterinarian can diagnose and treat these problems, it is preferable to avoid them if possible with a preventative dental procedure.
One of the key components of keeping our pets healthy is providing them with the most appropriate and beneficial nutrition. Many of our pets have been diagnosed with conditions that can benefit from proper nutrition including diabetes and obesity. See a full list of specialized foods that are available for your pet.
Behavior issues are difficult for you and your pet. If you are new to dog or cat ownership you may have a difficult time deciphering if your pet’s behavior is an issue. General anxiety and separation anxiety are common problems in dogs, while inappropriate elimination or inter-cat aggression is more prevalent in cats. Here are a few common behavioral issues that we see in dogs and cats.
Dogs
Cats
There is never a single easy solution to unwanted behaviors. However, our staff and veterinarians will help you to understand the situation in order to develop a plan to help keep everyone happy. Whether it’s medications, or simply changing your routine at home, our behavior appointments are scheduled with plenty of time to discuss all of your options.
John A. Coniglario, DVM has a special interest in exotic medicine and has spent his entire career treating exotic pets as well as small animals. He has a natural ability to understand and treat the needs of our more unique friends such as reptiles, birds and pocket pets. We offer a variety of services for our exotic friends which include: