There is no substitute for a hands-on examination with a qualified veterinarian that you trust.
In order to help your pet live a longer, healthier life, yearly check-ups for your pet along with regular vaccinations, dental exams, and annual screenings are highly recommended.

Our state-of-the-art surgical suite allows us to perform many types of surgeries. Gas anesthesia, heart and lung monitors, and IV fluids are used during all surgeries. We offer optional laser surgery for many procedures, which reduces pain and inflammation for your pet. We believe in total pain management before, during, and after surgery so that your pet is comfortable at all times.

Below are documents with some more information;
Preparing Your Pet For Sedation or Surgery Drop Off
“Happy Packs” for Surgery (canine)
“Happy Packs” for Surgery (feline)

Laser therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions such as arthritis, post-surgery pain, wounds, and infection in a noninvasive, pain-free way. Laser therapy is a non-drug way to stimulate the body to heal from within.  Improvement is usually noticeable within hours depending on your pet’s response and condition.

X-rays can be a very useful tool in the diagnostic work-up for a sick or painful pet. All digital images are stored electronically, making transferring medical records as efficiently as possible.

Ultrasound can be an extremely important diagnostic tool. Sometimes a cardiac or abdominal ultrasound can give us important information to pinpoint your pet’s illness and identify the appropriate course of treatment.  If your pet needs an ultrasound, we have an ultrasound specialist that comes to our clinic as needed.

We offer an in-house point of care ultrasound to provide immediate information about your pet in the urgent or critical setting and to assist in the collection of laboratory samples such as urine and chest or abdominal fluid.

Anxiety Resources:

Unfortunately, our pets can have anxiety, fear, stress, and reactivity for many reasons. It is estimated that over 23 million dogs are affected by fear and anxiety disorders in the US. Luckily, there are high-quality supplements available that are backed by scientific research that supports improvement in these symptoms with daily use.

Some pets’ symptoms are more severe and may need behavior modification therapy with a professional trained in behavior, as well as prescription medication to address their anxiety symptoms. We can prescribe medication for these patients, and we can refer you to trusted sources for behavior modification therapy. There is no simple pill that will cure behavior problems- medication can improve the symptoms and the success of behavior modification therapy – but the most important part of treating a pet with fear, anxiety or stress is working with a professional trained in positive-based behavior modification.

One important thing to consider *before* things like behavior modification, supplements, or medications is – are my pet’s emotional needs being met? This means that in addition to providing good nutrition, veterinary care, and safe and comfortable housing or shelter, we also need to make sure we are being attentive to their mental health and emotional needs and safety. Species appropriate environmental enrichment includes giving them safe opportunities in ways that are also acceptable to us to do normal dog or cat behaviors such as sniffing, digging, foraging, playing, barking, scratching, and hunting prey (real or stuffed!). Providing appropriate social interactions, the right amount of exercise (too much can be as unproductive as too little), clear and positive-based reinforcement training, a quiet place to rest, and predictable routines and interactions is HUGE for our pets’ mental health.

Many of us take our dogs for walks, but we may have the notion that a walk should always be a fast-paced exercise. Our dogs benefit mentally just as much or more when we SLOW down and let our dogs sniff all the things they want to sniff. Food puzzles, food dispensing toys, snuffle mats, and hiding treats or toys around the house or yard allow our dogs to use their noses and their brains and exhibit normal foraging behavior. Sniff exercises are also very calming for dogs.

Training classes are not just for puppies! Taking a positive reward-based class with your dog strengthens your bond, improves your communication with your dog, and is fun for both of you. Your dog may like some of our local classes such as obedience, getting their Canine Good Citizen title, a tricks class, scentwork, agility, barnhut, flyball, rally, Fast Cat, or Dock Diving.

What about cats!!??

indoorpet.osu.edu/cats
catfriendly.com
fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/cats-101/

These websites provide a wealth of information about our cat’s environmental needs
including scratching options, litter box choices, perches and resting areas, toys,
identifying your cat’s prey preferences, as well as understanding cat behavior and feline
life stressors, anxiety, boredom, and intercat conflict.

Signs of fear, anxiety and stress include:

• Dogs: hiding, escaping, excessive barking, trembling, panting, pacing, hypersalivation/drooling, destructive behaviors, elimination in the house (urine/feces), changes in appetite
• Cats: changes in appetite, overgrooming, hiding, panting, urine spraying or urinating/defecating outside the litterbox, inter-cat aggression (this can be subtle- even if your cats don’t actively fight, there can be bullying behavior occurring that is very stressful)

Just like in humans, some pets do better on some medications or supplements than others- it is a bit of trial and error to see what works best for each individual pet. Sometimes we need to layer multiple supplements +/- medications (along with behavior modification) to reach the best outcome.

Pheromone Therapy:

A pheromone is a chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal that affects the behavior or physiology of others of its species. Because they are species-specific, we can’t detect dog or cat pheromones; dogs only detect dog pheromones, and cats only detect cat pheromones. You can use both in your house safely and effectively if you need them for both your cat(s) and dog(s).

Using synthetic versions of the calming and happy/positive pheromones that cats and dogs produce can be very effective to reduce fear, anxiety and stress. We use these products in our clinic: we have diffusers in exam rooms and pet wards and we spray ourselves, the blankets, bedding and towels that we use to handle and house your pets when they are in the clinic to reduce their fear, anxiety and stress. You may begin to see improvement within days of starting pheromone therapy but it takes 30 days to reach full effect.

Dog:

Thunderease (formerly called Adaptil): this is available as a pheromone collar,
diffuser and spray:

• adaptil.com/us
• thundershirt.com/collections/all-thunderease

Cat:

Feliway: feline pheromone diffusers and spray us.feliway.com

Thundershirt:

thundershirt.com/collections/all-thundershirts

A ThunderShirt may help some pets in stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks,
separation anxiety, travel and vet visits. The ThunderShirt’s patented design applies
constant, gentle pressure on the torso that helps to calm many pets.

Oral Supplements:

Solliquin: solliquin.com

• This contains 4 ingredients that relax and control stress and anxiety:
• L-theanine: An amino acid found naturally in green tea. It directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, which create a state of deep relaxation, wakefulness, and mental awareness.
• Magnolia / Phellodendron: The combination of Magnolia and Phellodendron extracts appears to be synergistic, which means that the combination of both controls stress and anxiety more effectively than either compound used alone.
• Whey Protein Concentrate: Contains NMXSLQ05®, a trademarked high quality protein source which supplements ten essential amino acids including the precursors of glutathione and serotonin.
• It takes 30-45 days to reach full effect.

Zylkene: vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene

• This contains bovine-sourced hydrolyzed milk protein, an ingredient that has calming properties.
• It can be used short-term (prior to a known stressful event such as boarding or travel), or long-term.
• For short-term use: Use Zylkene for 1–2 days before a planned event or change in environment. Some animals may need earlier administration (5–7 days).

Composure Pro: vetriproline.com/composure-pro

• This contains Colostrum Calming Complex, a patented mixture of bioactive proteins proven to have calming or anxiolytic properties, L-Theanine for stress reduction and relaxation, and Tryptophan, an essential amino acid known for its role in the production of nervous system messengers, especially those related to relaxation, restfulness, and sleep.

Purina Calming Care Probiotic:

proplanvetdirect.com/shop-dog/calming-care-dog
proplanvetdirect.com/shop-cat-1/calming-care

• This is a probiotic that you sprinkle onto your pet’s food once daily, it contains a strain of beneficial bacteria shown to help pets maintain calm behavior.
• It takes 6 weeks to reach full effect.

Assisi Loop: assisianimalhealth.com/calmer-canine/

Calmer Canine is a highly innovative, gentle, effective, safe and drug-free treatment system for canine separation anxiety. The Calmer Canine device delivers targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF) signals to the area of the brain responsible for causing the symptoms of anxiety, effectively returning the anxious brain to a more balanced emotional state – with long-lasting effects. It may help with anxiety and behaviors in addition to separation anxiety.

Music Therapy: icalmpet.com/

• certain music has been proven to be calming for pets.

Food:

Royal Canin and Hills make prescription foods for smaller dogs and cats that have calming supplements in them:

Dogs:

Hills i/d stress:

hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-id-stress-canine-dry

Royal Canin Calm:
royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/calm-dog-dry-3956

Cats:
Hills c/d stress:
hillspet.com/cat-food/pd-cd-multicare-feline-stress-dry
hillspet.com/cat-food/pd-cd-multicare-stress-feline-chicken-and-vegetable-st
ew-canned

Royal Canin Calm:
royalcanin.com/us/cats/products/vet-products/calm-3955

Separation Anxiety:

• Dogs with separation anxiety become very anxious and distressed when separated from their humans. They may bark or howl, become restless or destructive, shake, drool, refuse to eat, or pee or poop in the house. Most dogs with separation anxiety try to remain close to their humans, following them from room to room and rarely spend time outdoors alone. They often begin to display these anxiety behaviors as we prepare to leave and also often become very excited and over-stimulated when we return home.
• Below are trusted links to information about separation anxiety. Some pets with separation anxiety have more mild symptoms and you may successfully work through some of these solutions described below at home. Some dogs with separation anxiety have very severe symptoms in which case working with a trusted behaviorist is critical.
• veterinarypartner.vin.com
• aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety
• vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/separation-anxiety-in-dogs
• akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-separation-anxiety-how-to-stop/
• Reconcile is a prescription medication that can be helpful to improve symptoms and improve response to behavior modification. This website has a quiz you can take to determine if your dog has symptoms of separation anxiety as well as provides additional information on treatment of separation anxiety. reconcile.com

​When your pet reaches the age of 7 (5 for large breeds) they are officially senior citizens! With this milestone comes the need for 6-month exams, blood work, and x-rays. Your pet is now aging 3-4 people years every 6 months. Just as people experience changes as they get older, so do our pets. Senior exams help us identify these changes and treat conditions that could be potentially fatal, such as cancer or kidney failure.

Laboratory

We offer in-house laboratory testing, allowing us to promptly diagnose your pet’s condition, as well as send out laboratory testing.

Hospitalization

For sick pets, we are able to hospitalize, monitor, and provide intensive medical care as needed. Our hospital has isolation facilities for the care of infectious conditions such as parvovirus or kennel cough when necessary.

Pharmacy

Our complete in-house pharmacy is stocked with the drugs needed to facilitate your pet’s recovery. We also have an online pharmacy that offers an extended range of products and allows direct shipping to your house of your pet’s prescription food and medications.

Dental disease is the number one disease in cats and dogs. Our dental services include thorough dental exams, teeth cleaning and polishing, fluoride treatments, dental x-rays, tooth extractions, and oral surgery.

Dr. Sharon Klar treats a wide variety of pocket pets including ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters mice, and rats. Regular veterinary care is important for pocket pets too. This is the best way to catch diseases early before your pet is showing any signs of illness.

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France

We know what an important part of your family your pet is and that this is a very difficult time for you and your family. Our goal is to make this process as peaceful as we can for your pet and to support you both through this difficult time.

Many families struggle with the decision of when to put a pet to sleep. Quality of life scales can be helpful for some families during this process and there are several- one may speak more to you than another. Please reach out to us to talk if you have questions about the timing of this decision.

Quality of Life Scale
Quality of Life Scale by Dr. McVety
Pet Quality of Life Calendar
How will I know it’s time?
Ohio State: How will I know when it’s time?

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” – Washington Irving

What To Expect During This Visit:

Preparing Families for Euthanasia

Home Euthanasia or After-Hours Euthanasia:
Depending on the circumstances surrounding the need and timing of putting your pet to sleep, some owners prefer to schedule a home euthanasia. If you would like to consider this option, please call us and we can provide contact information for veterinarians in our local area who provide this service.

If your pet has an emergent or urgent need to be put to sleep outside of our normal business hours, all of our local 24 emergency hospitals are able to euthanize your pet as well as offer after care services such as cremation.

What if my pet passes away at home?
If your pet passes away at home, you may bring their body to our hospital during regular business hours or to any of the ER
hospitals after hours for cremation and aftercare services if desired.
Please call us to let us know you are coming so we can prepare a room to receive your pet and discuss aftercare options with you.

After Your Pet Is Gone:

“What is lovely never dies, but passes into another loveliness,
star-dust or sea-foam, flower or winged air.”
— Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Losing a pet may be one of the hardest goodbyes you face, the grief can be overwhelming. Know that we understand the pain and loss that you feel. There are pet loss support hotlines to discuss your grief with others and many resources for both adults and children coping with the loss of a beloved pet. Making a memorial to your pet can be a healing step.

Guide to planning ahead
Do animals grieve?
Helping children cope
Coping with loss
Lap of Love
Ohio State University – Veterinary Medical Center