What is Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging?

Understanding The Changing Health Needs Of Mature, Senior And Geriatric Cats

Cat Grooming, Bathing, Clipping, Brushing Services and Tips

Cats typically take care of daily grooming by themselves. If you’ve ever seen a cat lying in the sun grooming itself, it can be quite calming to observe the meticulous routine. Cats instinctively groom themselves to banish any odors that may be noticed by other animals, especially predators. Cats are also able to maintain a healthy-looking coat by daily grooming and distributing natural oils to keep their coats clean and shiny.

Information And Services To Spay And Neuter Cats

The Drake Center offers many different approaches to medical care. Complementary therapies are recommended based upon conventional diagnostic methods as well as traditional Chinese medical pattern diagnosis. They can be used as stand-alone treatments or combined with conventional Western therapies.

Our complementary services include:

Diagnostic or medical imaging refers to the processes used to create images of the body. The purpose of these procedures is to aid the veterinarian in making a proper diagnosis of the disease causing illness.

Digital Radiography (X-rays)

The Drake Center is proud to use state-of-the-art digital radiography. This system is extremely safe and allows us to obtain high-quality diagnostic images much faster than traditional methods. Because the images are digital, we are able to email them for specialty evaluation as well as share the images with our clients.

What Is Veterinary Acupuncture For Dogs?

At The Drake Center for Veterinary Care, we understand that your canine companion is not just a pet, but that he or she is a beloved, cherished family member. The mutual bond of love and loyalty between you can make a diagnosis of any form of dog cancer very difficult to hear. Our veterinarians and support staff are empathetic, compassionate and trained to focus on both the emotional and medical aspects of dog cancer.

At The Drake Center for Veterinary Care, we utilize the most up to date equipment which allows us to offer a very high level of care to all of our patients. Canine endoscopy uses a tiny video camera at the end of a very narrow scope, called an endoscope that is inserted either into the stomach through the mouth or the colon via the rectum. This allows a veterinarian to view a dog's gastrointestinal tract, or other areas of concern throughout his or her body.

What Is The Right Food To Feed Your Dog?

Good nutrition is feeding your dog the building blocks and energy components that allow them to grow, develop to their potential and stay active throughout their life. There are many ways to feed your dog and hundreds of diets to choose from. Most people tend to use dry and canned dog food for convenience and cost. However, for owners who are open minded about their dog's diet, there are alternatives to dry and canned dog food that may offer better nutrition for your particular dog.

If your dog has suffered a sudden trauma or is experiencing any life threatening symptoms, please call us immediately at: (760) 456-9556

What To Do In Case Of A Dog Emergency

What Is Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging For Felines?

Since 1984 the veterinary staff at The Drake Center in Encinitas, has made heartworm prevention for dogs an important part of our approach to preventive care. A heartworm infection can lead to numerous health problems up to and including early death. Therefore, heartworm prevention cannot be ignored. Our team is here to educate you and protect your dog from this terrible disease.

Getting a new kitten is a very special experience with lots of joy, warmth and laughter. There is a reason why the internet is so full of kitten and cat pictures and videos. Kittens are super fun, loving and entertaining. Kitten care does involve some amount of hands-on attention from human family members. The focus of kitten care is on acclimating the kitten to its new family, and providing for the kitten's physical well being to support healthy development.

What Is Laser Therapy For Dogs And How Does It Work?

At The Drake Center for Veterinary Care, we pride ourselves with always searching for new ways to care for your dog especially where pain is concerned. Veterinary laser therapy provides a non-invasive, pain-free, surgery-free and drug-free treatment that is used to treat a variety of conditions, and can be performed in conjunction with existing treatments.

The Pros And Cons Of Different Types Of Cat Food

Feline nutrition is very important for general health. However, the plethora of dietary options, brands and formulas available to consumers can be confusing, when deciding which kind of cat food is best for your feline friend's health and wellness.

What Is Dirofilariasis, AKA: Cat Heartworm?

Dirofilaria immitis is a blood-borne parasitic nematode (roundworm), commonly referred to as cat heartworm. Heartworms in cats are spread through mosquitos carrying cat heartworm larvae. The severity of heartworms in cats is directly dependent upon the number of worms present a cat's body, the duration of the incubation, and the response of the infected cat.

What Goes Into A Dog Health Preventive Care Regimen

At The Drake Center, we believe that a sound preventive health care regimen is the easiest and most effective way to keep your dog healthy and happy. Many canine diseases are easily preventable and most can be effectively treated and cured if detected early enough. However, if allowed to develop and progress unchecked, many diseases can quickly become difficult and expensive to treat, and in some cases incurable. Therefore, we strongly encourage every dog owner to take a proactive approach to preventive care.

Start your new puppy off on the right paw with our Puppy Wellness Package!

This package includes all recommended standard vaccinations, a fecal test for parasites and the recommended preventative physical examinations. Each visit will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your puppy’s health care progress and will include discussions on behavior and training progress, weight management and nutrition, and general adaptation into your family environment.

If you have owned an animal, or if you know anyone who has, chances are you have heard of the terms spay and neuter. Spaying is a term that describes the ovariohysterectomy, or the removal of portions of the reproductive system of a female dog. Neutering is a term that describes the castration, or the removal of the testicles of a male dog. Veterinarians perform these surgical procedures, which render dogs incapable of reproducing.

It is very important to have a veterinarian examine your cat at least once a year. Cats age significantly faster than humans and therefore it is imperative for cat owners to stay on top of wellness exams in order to catch any potential health problems before they begin.

A crucial part of our emergency hospital is our Intensive Care Unit. After your pet has been examined and a plan developed for their care, they may need constant care and monitoring for a period of time. These pets are admitted into our ICU for specialized critical care and monitoring by our emergency doctors and critical care nurses. The amount of time spent in ICU depends upon the severity of the illness and amount of care required to get them through a severe illness.

What makes us the purr-fect practice?

When Will A Veterinarian Order Blood Tests For Cats

Sometimes in the case of an eye or ear infection, your feline friend's medical condition affords a veterinarian the opportunity for a relatively straightforward diagnosis. However, other times the results in the need for further examination. In such a case, your veterinarian will order feline blood tests to aid in his or her investigation. The following situations can result in the need for blood tests for cats: