Every service we provide for your pet is special. The doctors and staff at Tatum Point Animal Hospital are dedicated to excellence and are committed to providing you and your pets with state-of-the-art technology and medical care in a personalized atmosphere.

Annual vaccinations are important for your pet’s health; however, the comprehensive examination your pet receives prior to vaccines is even more important for their medical well-being. During this examination, the doctors will listen to your pets' heart and lungs, palpate (feel) the abdomen for any abnormalities, and check ears, teeth, eyes, and skin. If you have noticed anything different in your pet's routine or behavior, this is the time to discuss it with the doctor.

Pets who are more than seven years of age are considered “Senior Pets,” and need a little extra attention. In addition to their annual examination and vaccines, we recommend these pets receive a complete laboratory screening. This screening will test blood chemistries, including liver and kidney values, thyroid function, a complete blood cell count, and an urinalysis. Monitoring these values as your pet ages, aids the doctors in early diagnosis of potential health problems.

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Tatum Point Animal Hospital offers a wide variety of in-house laboratory procedures, ranging from preventative screenings, such as heartworm tests and fecal floatations, to extensive diagnostics for major health problems. Most results may be obtained within fifteen minutes, which allows the doctors to begin necessary treatments in a shorter amount of time. Our in-house laboratory equipment also enables us to reduce the risks of anesthesia by allowing our doctors to evaluate your pet’s liver and kidneys prior to any surgical procedure.

For those cases in which more complex testing is required, we use a local laboratory which specializes in animal diagnostics. Most results are reported within 24 to 48 hours.

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All pets undergoing anesthetic procedures, from the simplest teeth cleaning to the most challenging orthopedic operation, receive the highest level of care and constant monitoring while under anesthetic.

Prior to anesthesia, the doctor conducts a comprehensive physical examination. We recommend that all pets undergoing general anesthesia have a pre-anesthetic blood screening prior to their procedure. This simple test is done in-house and provides the doctor with information about your pet's internal health and ability to metabolize the anesthetic. We also recommend an IV catheter and balanced electrolyte fluid be given during most surgical procedures. This precaution allows the doctor better maintenance of blood pressure and quick access for any necessary medications, should an emergency arise. All of these potentially life saving services are offered under our Surgical Wellness Plan. While we only require pets seven years of age and older receive this plan, we do suggest the plan for the well being of all pets undergoing a surgical procedure.

A variety of sedation methods and types of general anesthesia may be used for your pet. The doctor determines the best method based on the procedure being performed, the results of the pre-anesthetic screening, and the age and general health of your pet. During the procedure, a trained technician constantly monitors your pet using a variety of parameters, such as electrocardiography (EKG), pulse oximetery, and blood pressure readings. Your pet's temperature is regulated throughout the procedure by use of a heated water blanket and an IV fluid warmer.

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Both soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries are routinely performed at Tatum Point Animal Hospital. Every precaution is taken to assure your pets' safety and comfort during their surgical procedure as well as during the recovery period. Controlling your pet’s pain is a priority for our doctors; therefore, an injection of a sedative and analgesic (pain reliever) is routinely given prior to surgery, which allows the doctors to use less general anesthetic, ensures a smooth recovery from anesthesia and helps to alleviate post-operative pain. Since reducing post-operative pain enables your pet to recover more quickly, so we also prescribe several days of oral pain medication to take home.

While human hospitals are pressured to hurry patients home, we will always recommend what is best for you and your pet. Possible recommendations for your pet may include going home under your supervision, resting in the clinic overnight, or transferring to a twenty four hour facility. Our doctors will discuss all your options and help you decide which choice is best.

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Some complex surgical procedures are best handled by a board-certified veterinary surgeon. There are several great referral hospitals throughout the valley. Tatum Point Animal Hospital also provides this service to our clients and patients through the use of mobile surgeons, who perform these procedures in our facility. This ensures that your pet is in familiar hands both pre- and post-operatively, keeps you from being inconvenienced by having to drive elsewhere, and enables your pet to receive the absolute highest caliber surgical care.

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Regular dental examinations and cleanings are as important for our pets as they are for ourselves: perhaps more so, since most of our pets don't brush their teeth daily! Annual examinations by our veterinarians allow for monitoring of periodontal disease. If your pet shows signs of periodontal disease, then the doctor may recommend a dental cleaning. When a pet receives a dental cleaning under anesthesia, both ultrasonic and hand scaling are done to remove tartar and plaque from your pet's teeth. Then a high-speed polishing is performed which creates a smooth surface, thereby helping decrease the amount of tartar build up. Most of our equipment is the same that "people" dentists use, and we promise your pets will go home with sweet smelling breath and a pearly white smile! TPAH also carries a complete line of dental home care products to help keep that beautiful smile.

Should your dog or cat have periodontal disease or a fractured tooth, our new, state-of-the-art fiber-optic dental unit provides your pet with the latest technology for dental extractions. The use of this type of technology provides many benefits including decreased anesthetic time and less pain and swelling at the extraction site. We will also be able to perform full dental x-rays in the future.

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In addition to x-ray, Tatum Point Animal Hospital also has associations with several specialists valley wide who use ultrasonography when needed. These specialists come to Tatum Point Animal Hospital, allowing your pets to stay with us and not be stressed with transportation to another clinic. Diagnoses are received from these specialists within 24-48 hours. One of the specialists is board certified in Radiology and another in Internal Medicine.

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We all hope that your pet is never in need of emergency care. However, if the need for emergency medical treatment should arise during our normal office hours, you can always bring your pet to us. Our staff is trained in emergency care, and several of our employees have worked at emergency animal clinics throughout the valley.

If an emergency occurs after normal business hours, please contact the Emergency Animal Clinic at (480) 949-8001. The EAC is located on the Southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Acoma (one mile north of Thunderbird). After hours emergencies are referred to the EAC because we want your pet to receive the best possible care.

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