Health Maintenance Services
Vaccines
Vaccinations are not only safe and effective; they are an important and fundamental piece of your pet’s preventative healthcare plan. Advances in veterinary immunology have made diseases that once were relatively common and fatal to pets easily preventable. There are also vaccines—such as for rabies and other zoonotic diseases—that help protect your family from very dangerous and difficult to treat illnesses. Additionally, with each passing year, veterinary science is improving on existent vaccines as well as increasing our ability to prevent an even wider array of contagious diseases.
Pets First Animal Hospital’s vaccination protocol is tailored to American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, the lifestyle of your pet, as well as to the diseases he or she is most likely to encounter in our region of the country. In addition to vaccines for diseases such as rabies and distemper we recommend regular vaccinations for parvovirus, leptospirosis and adenovirus for dogs and panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calci, and feline leukemia virus for cats. We also offer Bordetella and lyme disease vaccines.
Additionally, because rattlesnakes are a serious issue for pets in our region of the country we offer a vaccine designed to protect your dog should he or she be bitten by a rattlesnake. This particular vaccine is intended to protect against the venom of the Western Diamondback.
HomeAgain Microchip Lost Pet ID
How would you find your pet if he or she ever got lost?
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.
Pets First Animal Hospital uses the HomeAgain microchip system. HomeAgain provides a number of very useful services to pet owners such as their National Pet Recovery Database, Lost Pet Specialists, Rapid Lost Pet Alerts, Lost Pet Medical Insurance, Travel Assistance for Found Pets, and more.
Behavioral Counseling & Nutritional and Weight Control Programs
Behavioral Counseling
Behavior problems are the number one reason that owners give up a pet.
With more than 25 years of experience in behavioral counseling and a deep love of animals, Dr. Ricia Walker is well-equipped to help you improve your pet’s problem behaviors. These behavior issues include inappropriate urination or defecation, aggression, separation anxiety, inappropriate chewing and barking, scratching, digging, and spraying.
Dr. Walker will work closely with you to understand the source of these behavior issues and to develop a specific plan to help eliminate your pet's unwanted behavior. Oftentimes, the behavior problem, such as inappropriate voiding, can be linked to a medical issue (cystitis, bladder stones, kidney disease, etc.) and can be treated medically. For other behavior issues, the treatment plan often includes behavior modification and may include medication-assisted training.
Nutritional and Weight Control Programs
One of the key factors contributing to the improved health and longevity of companion animals is our expanded knowledge on the important role that proper nutrition plays in overall health. During your pet’s comprehensive physical examination we evaluate his or her body condition and give recommendations based on what we see. However, some pets with nutritional issues or chronic conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease require a little bit more intervention, which may include specialized foods, feeding strategies and even prescription diets.
Pets First Animal Hospital has trained staff available to help you with your pet’s nutritional challenges. We also have a diverse inventory of prescription foods and high-quality nutritional products. We can also offer advice and provide information about diets that benefit specific medical conditions such as liver disease, bladder and kidney stones, renal failure, food allergies, diabetes and other conditions.
Pain Management
In addition to being an important component to any surgery, pain management is a necessary and useful tool when treating injuries and a range of acute and chronic conditions, such as arthritis. Pets First Animal Hospital utilizes the latest pain management medicines and tools such as continuous rate infusion for meds and IV fluids, epidurals, regional blocks, and oral and injectable medicines.
Additionally, given our range of meds and methods, we are able to tailor a pain management protocol to your pet and its specific condition and level of pain. We also may send pain medications and clear instructions on their use home with you after your pet has been treated by your veterinarian should long-term pain management be required.
It is our goal to take a proactive and comprehensive approach to pain management in order to keep your pet as comfortable as possible.
Pet First Animal Hospital also provides Therapeutic Laser treatment. Our state-of-the-art machine accelerates wound healing, reduces swelling and inflammation, decreases scar tissue, and reduces pain. It has also proved to improve vascular activity, enhance metabolic activity, and stimulate nerve function.
Cancer Care
We understand that a diagnosis of cancer can be frightening. However, many pets respond very well to cancer treatments and are able to go on to lead healthy lives after treatment. In particular, animals do not experience the same side effects of chemotherapy that humans do and are able to handle these treatments quite well.
Once a diagnosis of cancer is made and additional treatment is desired, we will discuss the treatment options available to you, which may include referral to a veterinary oncology specialist. At Pets First Animal Hospital we are able to offer you surgery to remove the cancer, chemotherapy and nutritional support. In some instances we will refer you to a surgical specialist for complicated tumor resections.
Our Pharmacy
In numerous acute or chronic conditions, medication is required to cure or alleviate symptoms. At Pets First Animal Hospital we believe that timely and convenient access to these medications is an important aspect of caring for your pet. For this reason, we maintain a comprehensive pharmacy.
Not only does our pharmacy mean you don’t have to wait for important medicines for your pet, but there is a direct line of communication between the examination room and our pharmacy. Each medication becomes part of your pet’s medical record, which reduces the chance for errors and enhances our ability to monitor its use and the outcome for your pet.
Refills are easy too. Simply give us a call or visit our online pharmacy and with 24 hours notice, we can have them ready at your next visit.
The Pet Boutique
With so many pet care products on the market, it can be difficult to know which ones are best for your pet. We have taken some of the guess work out by researching the ones we think are best and then including them in our health products store here at the Hospital. These include premium diets, prescription diets, toys, treats, pet clothing, and more.
Specialists & Referrals
If your pet’s best interest is served by referral to a specialist for care, Dr. Walker will make that recommendation. We will also work with you to ensure that your animal receives the services it needs in a timely manner as well as that there are open lines of communication between our practice, the specialist and you. Not only is it important that they receive necessary medical information from us before your pet is treated, but we must receive test results, diagnosis, and recommendations from the specialist in order to ensure continuity of care.
We refer to the following specialists:
Neurology
Dr. Rainier Ko
Powers Pet Emergency
5886 Tutt Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80923
Cardiology
Dr. Julie Martin
5520 North Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Ophthalmology
Dr. Steven Dugan
Eye Specialists for Animals, PC
3515 American Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Oncology
Dr. Janet Lori
Parker Emergency & Specialty
17701 Cottonwood Dr.
Parker, CO 80134
CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
300 West Drake Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Intensive Care
Alameda East
9770 East Alameda Ave.
Denver, CO 80202
CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
300 West Drake Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Parker Emergency & Specialty
17701 Cottonwood Dr
Parker, CO 80134
Orthopedics
Dr. Lee Wilwerding
Powers Pet Rehabilitation
5886 Tutt Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80923
Pain Management
Dr. James Gaynor
Animal Anesthesia & Pain Management Center
5520 North Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Acupuncture and Chiropractic
Dr. Laura Scott
7702 Barnes Road Suite 120
Colorado Springs, CO 80922