Untitled Document

Metro Paws Animal Hospital provides small animal veterinary care in the following areas:

Wellness care and Immunizations

We recommend annual exams for all of our canine and feline patients. Some pets will require more frequent exams depending on age, exposure to disease and other special circumstances. At every visit, your pet will receive a full physical exam, laboratory tests and vaccination recommendations. Any questions or concerns you have will be addressed.

We have boarding runs for our large dogs and separate cat rooms for our furry feline friends. All animals are given soft blankets or towels and kept in climate controlled clean areas. Dogs are exercised at least twice daily, and each are given special attention. All animals boarding with us must be current on vaccinations and have had a physical exam within the last 12 months. Boarding animals are kept in separate areas from hospitalized patients. We also board animals requiring medication or specialized care. Don't forget to schedule your pet's bath on their last day of boarding!!

Dr. Lavenders son Wilson, playing with the kittens.

Health Certificates

A USDA certified veterinarian is on staff for international health certificates. Interstate and airline health forms are also available. We recommend you contact the consulate of any foreign country to verify specific entry requirements several months before traveling with your pet. Some nations require extensive testing to avoid quarantine periods. See the web link page for more information.

Electrocardiology (EKG) / Blood Pressure / Pulse Oximetry

We have multiple means of evaluating your pet's heart function. EKG's look at the hearts electrical activity and can identify hidden heart disease. A blood pressure reading assesses the heart's ability to pump, while pulse oximetry reflects the amount of circulating in the blood. All of these tests are part of our anesthetic monitoring protocol for all patients. We also use these diagnostic tools for managing heart disease, toxicities, trauma patients, and a wide variety of other cases.

Dermatology

Dermatology is the study of the skin. In Texas, this often means allergies, but also includes tumors of the skin, endocrine diseases, parasite infections, and immune disorders.

Radiology

We have a brand new x-ray unit minimizing radiation exposure to your pets and our staff. It also enables us to take films to diagnose fractures, tumors, lung disease and many other conditions. We perform Orthopedic Foundation of America films for rating of hip dysplasia and other diseases.

Surgery (soft tissue, general, and orthopedic)

We perform a wide array of surgical procedures with an emphasis on safe anesthesia and pain control to optimize outcomes for your pets. Most surgeries are scheduled Monday thru Friday and animals are usually able to go home the same day. More invasive or painful procedures may require overnight hospitalization. We are happy to review each procedure with you and answer any questions.

Parasitology

Our in-house lab can quickly diagnose most of the common intestinal and bloodborne parasites. We also can send out to a diagnostic lab for other parasites. We recommend screening animals for parasites at least annually and having all pets on a monthly dewormer. We can also provide our clients with information about zoonotic parasites (ones that can infect people as well as pets).

Cytology and Oncology Allie and Bama Lavender working hard in the lab.

Is that bump something to worry about on Max's side? This is a question we often hear. Frequently a simple aspiration of the mass with a needle can give quick reassurance that it is not worrisome. When needed, we can do cytology, or send biopsies to board certified pathologists for diagnosis. This helps us best screen and treat our cancer patients.

Dentistry

Good oral hygiene is an important part of overall health. At every physical exam, your animal's teeth will be checked for dental disease. Chronic infection of the gums can lead to heart and kidney disease. We provide cleanings and exams of the mouth under anesthesia to check for any deep infections, clean the teeth, pull any painful loose teeth, and treat gum disease. We are also happy to demonstrate proper brushing techniques for your cat and dog that will enable your pet to go longer between anesthetized treatments.
Download ORTHO CONSENT FORM here

Emergency, Critical Care and Fluid Therapy

All of our staff has extensive experience in emergency and critical care enabling us to carefully access and monitor even the most urgent and sick of patients.

Reproduction

We can confirm pregnancies, aid in delivery when needed, perform C-sections, help with nursing issues, and orphaned animals. We also strongly recommend all non breeding animals be spayed or neutered to prevent pet overpopulation. We provide low cost sterilization for our stray cat population in East Dallas. Please call for more details.

Bathing

We have a walk-up grooming tub to provide comfortable therapeutic baths for our patients. While we do not do any grooming at this time, we are happy to help with medicated baths or to just get rid of that "doggy smell! We recommend all boarding dogs have a bath before they go home.

Microchip Implantation

Microchips are tiny devices planted under the skin of animals that can identify them even if they lose their collars. Shelters and emergency clinics routinely scan animals brought to them without any identification so they can contact the pet's owner. We recommend all animals have microchips implanted. While it can be done in an awake animal, it is usually best to do when performing a sedated procedure since the needle is large. Microchips are required for most international travel.

In-house Laboratory

We have in house capabilities of diagnosing organ disease, anemia, parasites, and many cellular diseases. We can also send samples to a variety of labs across the country to diagnose problems your pet may be experiencing.

Referral

Occasionally an animal will have a disease that is best managed or treated by a specialist. We recommend referral of our patients to wonderful specialists in the area when needed or requested. While we remain the primary care veterinarian, referral enables us to provide the best of specialized care.