COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL EXAM
The most important component in maintaining your pet's health is the yearly Comprehensive Medical Exam. In this exam, which is comparable to your own yearly physical, your veterinarian will check your pet's:

• Coat and skin
• Eyes/Ears
• Nose and Throat
• Mouth/Teeth/Gums
• Legs and Paws
• Lungs/Heart/Abdomen
• Lymph Nodes
• Urogenital System
• Central Nervous System

The information gathered at this exam, combined with your own experience and observation, as well as your pet's past medical history and treatment allow you and your pet's doctor to create a custom annual medical plan for your pet. This plan may include treatment options for existing problems or preventative measures such as changes in diet or exercise.

COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR EXAM
If your pet is 7 years of age (or even 5 years in some larger canine breeds) then he or she is considered Senior or Geriatric. As with humans, many health complications such as diabetes, arthritis and heart problems become more prevalent in our pets as they age. A recent study of 100 "healthy", symptom-free senior pets revealed that 20% of them were in early stages of various diseases that were undetectable without diagnostic testing. This is why we recommend the Comprehensive Senior Exam that includes various blood work and urinalysis to reveal any hidden problems before they become more serious. We also recommend that your pet's visits increase from once a year to every six months.

If you would like more information about your senior pet, and the services we offer speak with your veterinarian or a staff member. Or, if you would like, contact us at info@centralpetvet.com and we would be delighted to send you a brochure.

DENTAL CARE
Your pet is not unlike you - her teeth and gums require proper maintenance for them to remain healthy and strong throughout her life. Current research shows that pets with dental infection have higher rates of kidney, liver, heart and lung disease due to the increase of bacteria entering your pet's blood stream from his mouth. So what can you do to help your pet maintain a healthy mouth?

First, make home dental care a part of your pet's routine. At Central Hospital we carry toothbrushes and specially formulated toothpaste, mouth rinses and chews, as well as prescription diets that promote dental health. Our veterinary staff can help you in deciding which products are right for you and your pet.

Second, observe your pet. Symptoms such as trouble chewing or swallowing, excess drooling, mouth or face pain, or halitosis (bad breath) can all be signs of dental or periodontal (gum) disease.

Third, let us know! If you have any questions about your pet's oral health, give us a call. A dental exam is a part of every comprehensive check up, but we would be happy to schedule a brief dental exam to address any questions or concerns you may have. Once the doctor has examined your pet he or she will make a treatment recommendation.

Our staff is trained in performing dental cleaning almost identical to the one you receive at your dentist's office. First, dental tartar is removed from the surface of the teeth using ultrasonic and hand instruments. Second, the areas under the gums are cleaned with dental curettes to prevent pocket formation. Third, the teeth are polished to remove microscopic residues of tartar and to smooth the enamel to slow future tartar formation. If serious disease is found, dental x-rays are taken to determine the extent of tooth root involvement. Unfortunately, teeth that have lost their bony attachments may need to be extracted. Dog and cat teeth are multi-rooted, and due to the expanded nature of their teeth, we usually need to section the tooth with a power drill, than remove each root separately. If necessary the gum is sutured to hasten healing.

As you may imagine, anesthesia is required to perform these dental procedures. Therefore, we follow the same protocol as any other surgical procedure. Your veterinarian will recommend pre-anesthetic diagnostic blood work, and your pet will be monitored during and after surgery to ensure a safe and speedy recovery.

Please give us a call if you have any questions. We would also be happy to send you a brochure on dental health - contact us at info@centralpetvet.com.

• Click here for more about your pet's dental health.

Whether you come to Central Hospital for your pet's routine medical care or if you use one the area's many clinics and hospitals, we welcome your pets for critical and emergency care. We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our goal is to be part of your veterinary care team as we are available at those times when your regular veterinarian may not be. All of your pet's records during his stay here will be sent back to your regular veterinarian to be included in his full medical record.

Experienced staffing: We have assembled a medical team of which we are very proud. Our Staff Veterinarians have over 75 years of combined experience in the fields of emergency and clinical medicine. In addition, our nursing and technical staff includes some of the most experienced and qualified technicians in Connecticut.

BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON
Dr. Melvyn Pond B.V.M.S., M.R.C.V.S., Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, one of the foremost Board Certified veterinary surgeons in the region, performs orthopedic and general surgery at Central Hospital. Dr. Pond graduated from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine and has held teaching and research positions at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Georgia, University of Glasgow and the Yale University School of Medicine

In 1982, he established a surgical referral practice in Connecticut and has been associated with Central Hospital since that time. He does the majority of his procedures at this hospital. Because we are staffed with doctors and technicians 24-hours a day, we are able to provide his patients with the highest level of monitoring and treatment both before and after surgery. Dr. Pond's patients are generally referred to him by the veterinarian responsible for their routine care.

Dr. Pond performs a wide range of orthopedic procedures including, but not limited to, Anterior Cruciate Ligament Replacement, Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy to manage anterior cruciate ligament tears, Total Hip Replacement, Fracture Repair, Spinal Surgery, and Arthroscopy. Dr. Pond is one of twenty veterinary surgeons in the United States performing the recently introduced Total Elbow Replacement surgery. Also, general surgery of the chest, abdomen, head and neck is regularly performed by Dr. Pond at Central Hospital. When appropriate, he will use minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Dr. Pond is available for consultation in person and by telephone to discuss your pet's problems, help with diagnoses and guide you through the process of deciding the most appropriate treatment.

BOARD CERTIFIED INTERNIST
Dr. Leyenda Harley DVM Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine provides medical consultations on an in-house and out-patient basis. Dr. Harley graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 and completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery in Norwalk, Connecticut. She went on to do a residency in small animal internal medicine at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. She stayed on at AMC as staff in Internal Medicine and was co-director of post-graduate education and the internship program.

In addition to consultations, Dr. Harley regularly performs upper and lower GI endoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, rhinoscopy and nasopharyngoscopy. This allows us to help diagnose and treat many problems without having to perform surgery, including the retrieval of numerous items that cats and dogs should not have eaten!

RADIOLOGY / ULTRASOUND
Lance Rozear, D.V.M. Dipolomate American College of Veterinary Radiologists
Dr. Rozear is a 1998 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rozear completed a small animal internship at Boston Road Animal Hospital. He completed his radiology residency at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. Dr. Rozear was the owner/operator of Northeast Veterinary Imaging, LLC, before joining Central Hospital full-time.

As in human medicine, veterinarians rely on diagnostic tools to help evaluate "hidden" problems. Fractured bones, an enlarged heart, fluid or air in the chest, identification of foreign bodies, arthritis, bladder stones, or abnormal growths or tumors can all be visualized through radiography. Dr. Rozear is on site five days a week to give us the highest level of professional interpretation of your pet's radiographs.

Central Hospital recently took advantage of the increasing affordability of digital radiology and installed the IDEXX Digital Radiography System. This new technology has allowed us to increase the level of diagnostics we offer and has also improved our ability to communicate with referring doctors, specialists and clients. This upgrade included the installation of several high definition monitors as well as computer terminals in each of the four operating rooms and four exam rooms, and at each doctor's workstation. This allows our staff to easily interpret, review and discuss radiographs with staff, clients and referring veterinarians.

Dr. Rozear also performs ultrasounds at Central Hospital that allow the doctors to diagnose conditions and disorders that are undetectable by radiography such as heart abnormalities and any problems involving fluid-filled and soft tissue organs. Ultrasound offers a non-invasive, non-painful method for the diagnosis and staging of many diseases. Because it allows us to visualize the internal architecture of many organs, internal abnormalities which are undetectable with radiography, such as nodules, masses, cysts and abscesses, can be detected, counted and measured with ultrasound.