Thorough and Thoughtful
Only the best for your pet.
Surgery
Most surgical procedures begin with anesthesia. Dr. Breite uses some of the safest injectable and gas anesthetic agents available in veterinary medicine. Additionally, Lagrange Veterinary Hospital
is equipped with state of the art anesthetic monitoring equipment that aids in the evaluation of your pet's condition and anesthetic depth throughout his or her surgery to minimize your pet's anesthetic risk as much as possible.
Dr. Breite performs many types of surgical procedures on dogs and cats; most commonly castration (neuter), ovariohysterectomy (spay), lump removal and wound/laceration repair. He is also adept at performing many non-elective abdominal surgeries and some thoracic (chest) surgeries. Should your pet require basic fracture repair, Dr. Breite is comfortable performing those surgical corrections as well. If, however, Dr. Breite determines that the care and well being of your pet requires the expertise of a specialist, he will not hesitate to refer you to a board certified surgeon.
Dr. Breite performs many types of surgical procedures on dogs and cats; most commonly castration (neuter), ovariohysterectomy (spay), lump removal and wound/laceration repair. He is also adept at performing many non-elective abdominal surgeries and some thoracic (chest) surgeries. Should your pet require basic fracture repair, Dr. Breite is comfortable performing those surgical corrections as well. If, however, Dr. Breite determines that the care and well being of your pet requires the expertise of a specialist, he will not hesitate to refer you to a board certified surgeon.
Cytology
One of Dr. Breite's professors in veterinary school shared a profound statement: “A lump is a lump until proven otherwise.” There are many types of lumps that may show up on your pet. Luckily, the vast majority
of them are benign (non-cancerous); but a fair number of them may also be malignant. For this reason, whenever a lump is found Dr. Breite will use a syringe and needle to draw a sample from the lump and place it on a glass slide. Occasionally the diagnosis is immediately evident, but if not the slide will be stained and examined under a microscope. Dr. Breite is largely able to make a diagnosis from his direct microscopic examination. Sometimes the slide requires further evaluation by a board certified pathologist. In either case, we are almost always able to “name” the lump and determine the proper course of treatment. Some lumps are less of a concern and can be handled by “watchful waiting.” In other cases, Dr. Breite will recommend surgical removal and a full “biopsy” to obtain a definitive diagnosis. If needed any follow-up treatment can then be discussed and possibly pursued.
If you have detected a lump on your pet, call to schedule an appointment.
If you have detected a lump on your pet, call to schedule an appointment.
Ophthalmology
At the beginning of each examination, you will notice that Dr. Breite looks into your pet's eyes with a hand-held lens. This instrument is called an indirect ophthalmoscope. Rather than providing
a relatively pinpoint view as does a direct ophthalmoscope (Which you may be familiar with from your own physician's office) an indirect ophthalmoscope yields a full panoramic view of the retina, thus making it much less likely to miss subtle lesions. On occasion, these lesions can help to direct us to a diagnosis that may otherwise remain hidden. While it is true that these conditions are relatively uncommon, finding eye lesions in these cases can be invaluable.
Following this part of the exam, Dr. Breite moves on to evaluate all other parts of the visual system (lids, lenses, etc.) to determine the state of your pet's ocular health and recommend any needed tests or treatment for this finely tuned system.
Following this part of the exam, Dr. Breite moves on to evaluate all other parts of the visual system (lids, lenses, etc.) to determine the state of your pet's ocular health and recommend any needed tests or treatment for this finely tuned system.
Oral Health
Oral Health and dentistry are an important part of your pet's general well being. Lagrange Veterinary Hospital is equipped to perform basic dental care and surgery. Cleaning and polishing are the core
of that service. Your pet will receive a full cleaning under the gum-line, professional scaling (to remove plaque and calculus) and polishing (to discourage buildup of plaque and bacteria). If indicated, we will also perform extractions as necessary. Because these procedures are impossible to perform on pets that are awake, anesthesia is a required component of a comprehensive dental cleaning. Afterward, preventative measures will be discussed to both slow down and reduce the continued buildup of plaque.
In all cases, Dr. Breite will start by examining your pet's mouth and then he will discuss the need for a dental procedure, and the best timing to do so. Lastly, should any oral masses be found, we will arrange to obtain a biopsy so that treatment and prognosis can be discussed and arranged.
In all cases, Dr. Breite will start by examining your pet's mouth and then he will discuss the need for a dental procedure, and the best timing to do so. Lastly, should any oral masses be found, we will arrange to obtain a biopsy so that treatment and prognosis can be discussed and arranged.
Radiology
Lagrange Veterinary Hospital is equipped with its own brand new, state of the art digital x-ray machine to be used when needed to aid in diagnosis. After performing a full examination, Dr. Breite will carefully determine whether
or not radiographs are indicated and will proceed accordingly. Since animals will generally not stay still while being radiographed, except in rare instances your pet will be sedated and or lightly anesthetized in order to obtain the best images possible. These images will then be evaluated by Dr. Berite and can be emailed directly to you so that he can discuss them in detail. If need be, we can also email them to a board certified radiologist to receive even further insight.
Pharmacy
Lagrange Veterinary Hospital stocks many of the medicines, shampoos and prescription diets that may be prescribed for your pet. In addition, we now also have an online pharmacy that can make
your pet's medication and diet refills even more convenient than before - by having them delivered directly to your door. Call ahead and we will help you to determine the most economical and convenient way possible for you to obtain the products that you need.
General Health Care and Preventive Medicine
As is the case with people, annual health examinations of your pets stand at the forefront of patient well being – perhaps even more so. Animals often don't show outward signs of illness so it's
up to us to find them. Each year, Dr. Breite will perform a comprehensive physical examination of your pet to determine his or her well being. Happily most annual exams do not reveal any surprises, but there are many cases where a malady is exposed before any clinical signs are noticed by us, their caregivers. In this way we are less likely to find ourselves behind the 8 ball when health is concerned.
Vaccination is an important part of your pet's wellness care and are routinely administered to prevent serious, sometimes fatal diseases. Some of these include: Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus and Lyme Disease in dogs and Rabies, Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia and Feline Leukemia in cats. Nevertheless, Dr. Breite subscribes to the movement in veterinary medicine toward minimizing vaccines as much as possible and will only administer those which are necessary and recommended on an individual basis. He will discuss your pet's risk and determine the best vaccination schedule for you and your pet. Should their needs and or exposure change, their vaccine schedules will change accordingly.
Finally, regarding parasites - including fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworms - our staff will discuss which products are available for both the prevention and treatment of your pet. There are many choices available in this field and we will go over them in depth so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for you and your pet.
Vaccination is an important part of your pet's wellness care and are routinely administered to prevent serious, sometimes fatal diseases. Some of these include: Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus and Lyme Disease in dogs and Rabies, Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia and Feline Leukemia in cats. Nevertheless, Dr. Breite subscribes to the movement in veterinary medicine toward minimizing vaccines as much as possible and will only administer those which are necessary and recommended on an individual basis. He will discuss your pet's risk and determine the best vaccination schedule for you and your pet. Should their needs and or exposure change, their vaccine schedules will change accordingly.
Finally, regarding parasites - including fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworms - our staff will discuss which products are available for both the prevention and treatment of your pet. There are many choices available in this field and we will go over them in depth so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for you and your pet.