Comprehensive Veterinary Services
Located in Guilford, CT, we have a comprehensive in-house laboratory and utilize two outside laboratories daily. With our team, you will know your pet’s diagnosis, and they will receive treatment promptly.
Wellness & Preventive Care
Annual Wellness Exams
The annual exam is an essential contribution to the longevity and health of your pet. The doctor performs a thorough physical exam and addresses any issues or concerns that the owner may have or identify during the exam. Based on the findings, we may recommend further procedures.
Puppy and Kitten Exams
Start your new pet off right with a complete health exam. We can detect congenital problems and diseases that could be harmful to your pet and others. Once your pet is deemed healthy, the doctor will set up a vaccination schedule for disease prevention. The doctor will also discuss nutrition, housebreaking, behavior, and grooming.
Vaccines
Vaccinations are an essential part of ensuring a healthy and long life for your pet. Our doctors will tailor our patients’ immunizations to their specific lifestyles. We aim to provide effective protection while not over-vaccinating.
Geriatric Health
Pets over the age of 7 are considered seniors. As pets age, risks and health conditions may go undetected until they are advanced and less treatable. We offer a comprehensive diagnostic with a blood count, chemistry screen, thyroid test, and urinalysis. Early detection may help prevent disease development.
Spay and Neuter Surgery
One of the best decisions we can make for our pets is to have them spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering benefits include fewer unwanted pets, fewer aggression issues, and a decreased chance of serious illnesses. Some of these diseases can be life-threatening.
Heartworm Testing
Heartworm disease is a widespread mosquito-transmitted disease. You can avoid it with a monthly heartworm preventative and annual testing. During your pet’s exam, a blood sample is tested. If negative, your pet can start using preventative. If positive, we will discuss treatments.
Parasite Testing
Parasites can be a threat to both your pet’s health and to your family. We can test stool samples each annual examination to test for intestinal parasites. Our team follows the protocols set by the Companion Animal Parasite Council when treating our patients with positive stool samples. It is very common for puppies and kittens to be positive for parasites, even if they have been previously dewormed.
Dental Health
Most pets are affected by dental diseases to some degree. During your pet’s annual exam, the doctor will examine the oral cavity, including the teeth and gums. Pets with dental disease are given a disease staging ranging from I to IV. The doctor will recommend brushing teeth, dental diets, routine cleanings, and extractions.
Microchipping
Microchip implantation is a permanent form of identification for your pet. Microchipping is a simple procedure that can be done during an office visit or under anesthesia for surgery. Each microchip has its own number (pet’s identification number). After paying a one-time fee, this number is entered into a national database. The microchip company that GVH uses, Home Again, also provides free poison control consultations for premium memberships.
Have Questions? Call 203-453-2707 Today!
Surgical
Anesthesia
We mainly use general anesthesia; however, a doctor may use local anesthesia for minor procedures when deemed appropriate. Before a surgical procedure, each patient has a pre-surgical examination. The doctor will order pre-surgical bloodwork that checks for pre-existing conditions. While under anesthesia, oxygen saturation, heart rate, EKG, blood pressure, and respiration are all monitored to maintain normal levels.
Dental
During a dental exam, we administer general anesthesia and follow the same protocol as general surgery. A dental probe is used to look for apparent pockets or other problems. Tartar and plaque are removed with an ultrasonic scaler. In the end, the teeth are polished with a special paste. We also offer digital imaging to detect problems with bone loss and to evaluate the teeth. This enables the doctor to determine if any extractions or further treatments need to be done.
General Surgery
Our doctors are equipped with the tools and expertise to handle elective and non-elective surgical procedures. We can perform spaying and neutering, soft tissue, orthopedic, obstetrical, and emergency surgeries. If a case is too complex, we may refer a pet to a specialist.
Send us a message & inquire about a visit for your pet.
Diagnostics
On-site Laboratory
With our in-house laboratory, we can quickly screen for various diseases and conditions. We perform tests, including blood counts, chemistry profiles, electrolytes, coagulation times, and urinalysis. We also offer Idexx SNAP tests to screen for pancreatitis, heartworm disease, Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia, and parvovirus.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds provide detailed information about internal tissues and organs and can be very helpful in diagnosing certain diseases. Dr. Morna Pixton performs ultrasounds at GVH, or we can refer to board-certified ultrasonographers at nearby referral hospitals.
Endoscopy
An endoscopy procedure allows for visual inspection of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. It is often used for obtaining biopsy samples, removal of foreign objects, and more. Dr. Anthony DellaMonica performs this procedure at our hospital.
Radiography
We have a state-of-the-art, on-site digital x-ray system that delivers images within seconds, so we can quickly recognize many disorders. We have a board-certified radiologist who evaluates most of our images. We also perform x-rays for submission to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
Interested in scheduling diagnostic testing? Call 203-453-2707!
Therapeutic Services
Laser Therapy
The Class IV deep tissue laser therapy uses a beam of laser energy to penetrate tissue without damaging it deeply. During laser therapy, the laser light is delivered through a non-invasive handpiece. Your pet may feel a gentle and soothing warmth. Laser therapy can aid in treating wounds, allergies, cuts/bites, inflammation, tooth extraction, pain relief, arthritis, otitis, and many more conditions.
CryoProbe
Our pets can acquire different skin conditions over time. With CryoProbe, we can provide incredibly accurate, non-invasive treatment for removing common skin conditions such as warts, cysts, eyelid tumors, oral tumors, and more. No anesthesia and little to no preoperative skin preparation or post-op care are needed.
Nutritional Consultations
For optimum nutritional health for your pets, we offer dietary consultations. If you have concerns about your pet’s diet related to their weight or other health issues, we would be happy to help you. Our doctors are here to discuss your concerns and help to decide what diet will best meet your pet’s nutritional needs.
Interested in learning more? Contact us!
Other Services
Behavioral Consultations
If your pet is experiencing behavioral issues, we provide various treatment options to help. Consultations are available with Dr. Morna Pixton by appointment. We offer counseling to improve understanding of the problem and behavior modification plans.
In-House Prescriptions
With our extensive in-house prescriptions, we promptly dispense custom medications and formulations tailored to meet each patient’s unique requirements. Our wide range of products includes flea and tick treatments, heartworm preventatives, and intestinal parasite preventatives. If we don’t have a specific item in stock, we can easily order it through our online pharmacy.
Technician Procedures
Technician procedures are available for services that do not require a doctor’s exam, including nail trims, anal gland expression, medication injections, subcutaneous fluid administration, drawing samples for blood tests, and more. Appointments are required for technician visits.
Euthanasia/Cremation
Saying goodbye to your beloved pet is never easy, which is why we provide the utmost support during this process. We offer in-house appointments and house calls for your comfort. After the euthanasia, you may choose to take your pet home for burial or have a cremation performed. Cremation is done at an off-site location called called Final Gift. Pawprints and special urns are available upon request.
Pet Portals
Get online access to your pet’s health information, free of charge. Enrollment only requires you to submit your email address to our office, after which you will be sent a password. This allows you to:
• Manage your pet’s health care
• View medication schedules and request refills online
• Communicate with us online
• Learn more about your pet’s individual health and life-stage issues
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Technician Visit Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
*Technician visits are unavailable during staff meetings; we will inform owners as to when meetings are when the visits are scheduled.