Services

Vaccinations
We recommend regular vaccinations to keep your dogs and cats healthy. Dogs receive Rabies, Distemper, Parvo and possibly Leptospirosis (depending on exposure) vaccines once a year along with the Kennel Cough vaccine every six months. As an adult, dogs receive Rabies and Distemper/Parvo vaccines only once every three years. Ambassador Animal Hospital is one of the few clinics in Columbia that does this.

Cats receive Rabies and Feline Distemper (FVRCP) vaccines. Outdoor cats also receive the Feline Leukemia vaccine. Adult cats can receive the Feline Distemper vaccine every three years.

Puppies and kittens should begin receiving vaccinations at six weeks of age. These vaccines must be boostered every three weeks until the puppy is 18 weeks and the kitten is 12 weeks old. Also during these visits, puppies and kittens receive a physical examination, dewormer, heartworm and flea preventative.

Physical Exams and Labwork
When your pet comes in for vaccines, we also perform a physical exam. This examines different body systems to help make sure that your pet is healthy. We also perform an intestinal parasite exam and a heartworm test. After a pet reaches 7 years of age, we consider the pet a "senior" and recommend six month senior check-ups and bloodwork.

We are also available to perform exams whenever your pet has an ailment, for example: ear infections, irritated skin, wounds, lethargy, GI upset, lameness, or other abnormalities. If any of these things lead us to believe there might be a problem internally, we are equipped to run in-house labwork or send the tests to another lab, where we receive prompt results. If neccessary, we are also able to perform in-house radiographs (X-Rays).

Surgeries
Each and every pet that undergoes surgery at Ambassador Animal Hospital is connected to an EKG and pulse oximeter for the duration of the procedure. We also require pre-anesthetic bloodwork to ensure the safety of your pet while under anesthesia. All surgeries are performed while your pet is under general anesthesia. Most surgeries also involve the placement of an intravenous catheter and IV Fluids to help speed recovery and ensure the safety of your pet.

Most surgery patients are only required to stay for the day and are ready to go home after 4 p.m. We routinely send home pain medications to ensure that your pet is comfortable at home after the procedure.

Our routine surgeries are spays and neuters, front declaw on cats (requires a two night stay), and most soft tissue surgeries. For most orthopedic problems, we refer to the board-certified surgeons at SC Veterinary Referral Center.

Dental Care
Dental care is a routine step that should be taken for your pet. Your pet's teeth can be maintained by routine brushing or using certain dental chews or foods. Some pets will ultimately need a dental cleaning from his or her doctor.

All of our dental patients spend the day with us, as any surgery, because they will be put under general anesthesia. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is run and the pet is connected to IV fluids for the duration of the dental cleaning. We will also extract any teeth if necessary.

Reproductive Services
We are able to perform pre-breeding testing and screening, semen collecting and shipping, and artificial insemination. These can only be performed on certain days, so please call ahead for more information.

Boarding
Our boarding facilities are indoor with central heating and air conditioning. Boarders are let out in the backyard several times a day to play and use the bathroom; always under supervision of course!

Drop-off and pickup hours are the same as our office hours. Please note that we only provide boarding services for current patients who are up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Heartworm Preventative and Flea/Tick Control
Heartworm preventative and flea control are vital to your pet's health. Without heartworm preventative, your pet could easily contract deadly Heartworm Disease. A once-a-month heartworm pill can easily prevent this. We have several to choose from at our office. In order to purchase heartworm preventative, your pet must be a patient with us and have a current heartworm test on file.

In order to prevent fleas, we also have a wide variety of once-a-month flea prevention products. Fleas are everywhere in the south because it is so warm. It's important to keep them off of your pets so they don't contract certain ailments such as flea allergy dermatitis or flea anemia.