Our Services

Our Services

Care for the Life of your Pet

Our dedicated veterinarians and support staff share the belief that your pets are loved members of your  family.  We will help guide you through all stages of your pet's life from youth to comfortable old age, and we will be there for all the bumps and scrapes along the way.  We select and continually update the products and procedures that we feel are the best and safest available for this journey, and we utilize modern equipment, technology, and education as our tools.

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Visits to our Hospital

Our hospital schedules appointments six days a week for all of your pet's needs.  Please call our office to set up an appointment at a convenient time.  Listed below are some of our services.

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Wellness Visits

We feel the wellness visit is key to identifying issues which may become problems in the future.  We strongly encourage preventative health care.  During the wellness visit, we perform a complete physical exam and discuss any changes that you or we have noticed.

Pediatric Appointments - During young pet appointments, we discuss any current issues, as well as beginning your pet on the preventative care pathway.  We will discuss training, vaccines, nutrition, parasite control, and specific diseases which can occur with your pet's breed or type of animal.

Adult Pet Exams - Adult  pets can develop subtle signs of disease which can be diagnosed or treated before it becomes severe. Yearly or twice yearly exams will help keep your pet healthy, and as long lived as possible. We will  notify you by mail whenever it's time for an exam or booster vaccination.  We will discuss routine preventative tests, like heartworm testing and fecal testing.

Dental Exams - Dental disease continues to be a prevalent problem for pets. Untreated periodontal disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, weakening of the jawbone, heart or kidney problems.  We evaluate teeth for dental disease as part of every wellness exam.

Vaccinations - we will tailor the vaccines we recommend for your pet as determined by the risk factors in his or her life. We chose our canine distemper/parvo vaccine because it is licensed for effectiveness for 3 years after the initial series. Of course, a current Rabies vaccine is required by Rhode Island State law for all cats, dogs, and ferrets.

Exotic Animals - we do examine and treat various types of small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, including rabbits, guinea pigs, african pygmy hedgehogs, rats, mice, snakes, lizards, and turtles.

We also provide these services:

Canine Heartworm Tests on premises - includes screening tests for  3 tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis.

Feline Heartworm Antibody Tests on premises - also tests for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Nutritional Consultation and specialized diet advice for medical conditions

Consultations for Pain Management

Senior Pet Advice

Health Certificates -Most airlines require a health certificate for travel. If you are traveling with a pet to a foreign country you may need a specialized health certificate to enter and leave. Please visit www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals to find requirements for each country and any necessary paperwork that we will need to fill out for you. Our accredited veterinarians will then examine your pet and help you fulfill all requirements for  a smooth trip.

Microchip Implantation - A microchip is a useful tool to help you to recover your lost pet. A rice grain sized microchip with a unique number is implanted just under the skin with a simple injection.   Shelters and hospitals all over the country and the world  have hand-held scanners which will display the number so you can be reunited with your pet.

Parasite Prevention and Control - We follow the recommendations for parasite prevention and control as stated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council, listed at  www.capcvet.org/

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When your pet is Ill

If your pet becomes ill, please call our office! Our knowledgeable staff will discuss with you, consult with the doctors, and do their best to schedule an appointment in a timely manner. We reserve appointments every day for our patients that aren't  feeling well. 

Vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, pain or lameness, lethargy, changes in appetite or thirst, itchiness, rashes and other symptoms lasting more than a day may be cause for a visit to the vet. 

If recommended after the exam, we can perform many blood tests, cytology tests, urine testing, radiography and surgeries on our premises.

Internal Medicine and Cardiology consults and ultrasound exams with Dr. Mark Stamoulis can be arranged for your pet on our premises.

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Surgery

Our Doctors are all very concerned with safety and pain control during surgery. It is normal for you to be apprehensive about leaving your pet for a surgical procedure. With the exception of a few procedures, surgical patients will return home later on the same day. We use pain control methods before, during, and/or after surgeries.

         Before Surgery - we require a recent physical exam be performed, where we will discuss the procedure and recommend appropriate pre-anesthetic testing.

               Monitoring - we use a Surgivet Monitor to follow EKG, pulse and oxygenation levels, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and carbon dioxide levels in most surgeries. In addition, a trained surgical technician also watches heart rate, breathing and depth of anesthesia during surgeries.

    Fluid support - Intravenous catheter placement and fluid administration is given during most surgeries.

          After Surgery - we assess and try to reduce pain both in our hospital and in your home, and we provide you with instructions on aftercare.

Surgical Procedures

Laser Surgery -We perform many of our surgical procedures with a CO2 Laser, resulting in less bleeding, pain and post-operative swelling. We commonly use the laser for spay and neuter surgeries, declaw procedures, and palate and nasal surgeries.

Spay Surgery - Spaying, or ovariohysterectomy, is the surgical removal of the pet's ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. The spayed female cat, rabbit, and dog cannot have reproductive tract disease problems, may have less urinary tract infections, and do have significantly fewer cases of mammary cancer. Female ferrets can develop life-threatening anemia if they are not spayed. Both spaying and neutering of cats and dogs also greatly helps reduce pet overpopulation problems.

Neuter Surgery - Neutering, or orchidectomy, is the surgical removal of the pet's testicles.

The neutered male cat has  less of a tendency to fight and roam, is far less inclined to mark his territory by spraying urine, and has a less pronounced urine odor. The neutered male dog is also less likely to roam, to mark territory, to display aggression toward other dogs and to have prostate or perianal cancers. Neutered rabbits, rats, and ferrets are also much less aggressive.

Declaw Surgery - If you would like to discuss onchyectomy, or declawing your cat, we encourage you to speak with us either on the telephone or during one of your cat's visits.  This procedure is best done at an early age, and is often combined with other surgical procedures, like spaying or neutering, to minimize time under anesthesia. We do declawing  procedures exclusively with a CO2 Laser and with local anesthetic blocks to reduce pain as much as is possible.

Dental Surgery - We have a special interest in dental procedures and we have devoted much time and educational opportunies to advance our practice.  We can use digital dental radiographs to see how healthy the tooth roots are under the gums, we can do nerve blocks to maintain comfort for tooth extractions, and  we can do surgical extractions of unhealthy teeth to make sure the diseased tissue is removed.

Other Surgeries - Other procedures, such as removal of lumps and bumps, biopsies, and bladder surgeries are also performed here. We will discuss possible procedures with you, and then can schedule surgery for one of our doctors to perform, or, if necessary, for a surgical specialist at our facility.

Surgical Specialist - Ferguson Animal Hospital can arrange for a consultation or surgery performed Dr. David Clark, a surgeon Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. 

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R.I.V.M.A. S.N.A.P.

Ferguson Animal Hospital participates in the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association Spay Neuter Assistance Program.  Visit our links page for information about the financial requirements for qualifcation for the discount.

Care Credit

Ferguson Animal Hospital accepts Care Credit.  You can submit your application at our office if you need financing for any pet medical needs.