Pioneering Standards
The care they deserve.
Preventive Care and Vaccines
We strongly believe in the power of preventative medicine through comprehensive physical examinations, annual vaccinations
and wellness blood testing. Our comprehensive physical exam provides an opportunity to review your pet’s health and address any concerns you have regarding your pet’s health care needs. We currently recommend a tailored annual vaccination protocol that is based on your pet’s age and disease exposure. Our vaccines are aimed at preventing the most deadly and common diseases in the Mid-South area. Our wellness blood screens provide a confirmation of your pet’s health, detection of disease before the condition progresses, and a point of reference in the event your pet becomes ill in the months to come.
Annual
Canine Vaccines:
Feline Vaccines:
Every year your pet ages around seven human years. Because of this aging process, we recommend physical examinations every six months. By performing a thorough physical examination of your pet every six months, we are able to detect disease in its earlier stages and as a result treatment becomes a lot easier. Schedule your pet's annual vaccination visit or semi-annual examination visit today!
Annual
- Comprehensive Physical Exam
- Vaccines (tailored to your pet’s needs)
- Fecal Parasite Exam
- Heartworm Exam
- Early Detection Blood Panel
- Heartworm/Flea/Tick prevention
- Nutritional/Dental Counseling
- DA2LPP vaccine to prevent Distemper, Adenovirus (Hepatitis), Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvo
- Bordatella vaccine to prevent Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis)
- Canine Influenza vaccine (if warranted)
- Rabies vaccine
- FVRCP vaccine to prevent Feline Rhinotracheitis (Herpes virus causing upper respiratory disease), Calicivirus, Panleukopenia
- Rabies vaccine
- Feline Leukemia Virus vaccine (if warranted and after testing)
Puppy and Kitten Care
Do you have a new puppy or kitten? Congratulations on this addition to your family! One of the first things you should do when
you bring your new pet home is to introduce him or her to us – your veterinary care team. Puppy and kitten visits offer a unique opportunity to get you and your new pet off on the right foot!
Your puppy or kitten visit will include a full “nose-to-tail” physical examination. We will look for any signs of illness and make sure that your new pet is in good health.
Do you have questions about nutrition, training, vaccinations, grooming, parasite protection, or overall health? What about tips for introducing your new pet to other pets and family members? Even if you are a very experienced pet owner and have had puppies or kittens before, each pet is unique and offers an opportunity to learn something new! We welcome your questions and look forward to addressing any concerns you may have. The more educated you are about your pet, the better you will be able to care for him or her, so we strive to offer you all the support you need.
Puppy and kitten wellness visits also present an opportunity to discuss your new pet’s recommended vaccine schedule and the best plan for parasite testing, treatment, and prevention. Our doctors and other staff members are well-educated about veterinary vaccines and parasite control, and our goal is to give you the best advice for your puppy or kitten. We will review your pet’s vaccine and deworming schedule and discuss the best way to continue, so don’t forget to bring any records that you have received.
We will work hard to help you understand your pet’s health considerations, and we encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your puppy’s or kitten’s health care. Puppy and kitten visits are an excellent way to get your new pet started on the road to a happy and healthy life. Let’s take these important first steps together.
Please Call today to schedule an appointment for us to meet your new pet!
Your puppy or kitten visit will include a full “nose-to-tail” physical examination. We will look for any signs of illness and make sure that your new pet is in good health.
Do you have questions about nutrition, training, vaccinations, grooming, parasite protection, or overall health? What about tips for introducing your new pet to other pets and family members? Even if you are a very experienced pet owner and have had puppies or kittens before, each pet is unique and offers an opportunity to learn something new! We welcome your questions and look forward to addressing any concerns you may have. The more educated you are about your pet, the better you will be able to care for him or her, so we strive to offer you all the support you need.
Puppy and kitten wellness visits also present an opportunity to discuss your new pet’s recommended vaccine schedule and the best plan for parasite testing, treatment, and prevention. Our doctors and other staff members are well-educated about veterinary vaccines and parasite control, and our goal is to give you the best advice for your puppy or kitten. We will review your pet’s vaccine and deworming schedule and discuss the best way to continue, so don’t forget to bring any records that you have received.
We will work hard to help you understand your pet’s health considerations, and we encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your puppy’s or kitten’s health care. Puppy and kitten visits are an excellent way to get your new pet started on the road to a happy and healthy life. Let’s take these important first steps together.
Please Call today to schedule an appointment for us to meet your new pet!
Dental Care
Your pet's dental health is a priority at Southern Crossing Animal Hospital. Research has shown that by keeping your pet’s
teeth and gums healthy you can add to their overall lifespan by preventing the spread of infection. Signs of oral disease can include bad breath, a hesitation to chew food or play with toys. Most patients are asymtomatic for oral disease, thus making routine dental cleaning and x-rays invaluable for disease detection.
If your pet has bad breath, discolored teeth, or red, inflamed gums, please call for an appointment so our doctors can make the appropriate recommendation for your pet's oral health. If dental cleaning is recommended, our doctors and staff will explain the process in detail. Our dental protocols include the latest techniques in veterinary dental care. We will also provide you with home care recommendations after the cleaning so you can keep your pet's "pearly whites" in good condition. Our desire is to enhance your pet's quality of life by providing a healthy mouth.
Dental Cleaning Includes:
Additional services we offer include:
If your pet has bad breath, discolored teeth, or red, inflamed gums, please call for an appointment so our doctors can make the appropriate recommendation for your pet's oral health. If dental cleaning is recommended, our doctors and staff will explain the process in detail. Our dental protocols include the latest techniques in veterinary dental care. We will also provide you with home care recommendations after the cleaning so you can keep your pet's "pearly whites" in good condition. Our desire is to enhance your pet's quality of life by providing a healthy mouth.
Dental Cleaning Includes:
- Intraveous Catheter and Fluids/ Pain Medication/Anti-nausea medication
- General Anesthesia tailored for your pet and intubation (this is the safest way to perform a proper dental cleaning)
- Anesthestic monitoring of heart rate, heart rhythm, respiratory rate, body temperature
- Ultrasonic scaling of teeth (removal of tarter from teeth and under the gums)
- Periodontal Probing of all teeth
- Digital Dental Xrays of all teeth
- Polishing of teeth
- Sealant Application
- Tooth extraction
- Periodontal treatments
- Abscessed tooth/fractured tooth treatment
- Stomatitis treatment in cats
- Oral surgery
- Soft tissue mass removal
- Gingival hyperplasia
Ultrasound and Digital Xray
We carry the latest advances in technology to help diagnose the most difficult cases. Our imaging capabilities include digital
xray and digital ultrasound equipment.These are painless, noninvasive methods to evaluate many common pet diseases.
Our Ultrasound allows us to evaluate the following:
Our Digital Xray allows us to evaluate the following:
Most of our patients will allow a full ultrasound exam and digital x-rays without sedation. However, when needed, we use safe sedation for a fear free experience for the patient. Our goals is to provide top quality care in a fear free environment.
- Cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) to evaluate heart murmurs, heart rhythm disturbances, screening for heart defects, early disease detection in asymptomatic patients.
- Abdominal ultrasound to evaluate the vital organs of the abdomen (liver, spleen, kidneys, etc), cancer screening, bladder evaluation for tumors, bladder stones, reproductive disease, pregnancy evaluation
- FAST ultrasound exams are used in emergency situations to evaluate the degree of internal trauma or issues with lungs in patients with difficulty breathing.
- Organ enlargement
- Intestinal problems/obstructions
- Heart and lung disease
- Bladder disease (stones, masses)
- Cancer screening
- Osteoarthritis
- Fractured bones
- Spinal disease
Surgery
In our continuing efforts to offer the highest quality veterinary medicine, we are pleased to provide a wide range of surgical
services for our patients. From routine surgical procedures, such as spaying and neutering, to more complex surgeries, such as orthopedic repairs, we look forward to the opportunity to care for your pet’s surgical needs.
We have a full surgical/recovery suite that allows us to offer the following:
Our staff is highly skilled in performing veterinary surgeries and will make every effort to ensure that your pet receives the very best care. Our focus on patient safety, pain management, and employing the most current surgical practices is designed to exceed your expectations and put your concerns to rest. Our staff of compassionate, caring professionals will monitor your pet before, during, and after surgery and will take exceptional care to ensure a safe and complete recovery for your pet.
When your pet is ready to go home, we will review your postoperative care and medication instructions. If any questions arise after your pet returns home or at any other time during the postoperative period, call us. We welcome your questions and will do all we can to help your pet recover fully. Help is only a phone call away.
We have a full surgical/recovery suite that allows us to offer the following:
- Spays/neuters
- Mass removals
- Abdominal Exploratory surgery
- Splenectomy
- Bladder surgery (tumor removal, stone removal)
- Intestinal Foreign Body removal
- Lacertion repair
- Cruciate ligament repair
- Medial Patellar Luxation repair
- Femoral Head Ostectomy
- Amputation
- Biopsies
- Bone Marrow Aspirates
- Ear/eye surgery
- Advanced Monitoring equipment
- Dedicated Anesthetic nurse
- Pre and post-operative pain management
- Anesthetic recovery ICU
When your pet is ready to go home, we will review your postoperative care and medication instructions. If any questions arise after your pet returns home or at any other time during the postoperative period, call us. We welcome your questions and will do all we can to help your pet recover fully. Help is only a phone call away.
Pharmacy
Southern Crossing Animal Hospital provides an on-site pharmacy for your convenience. Filling your pet’s medication at
our pharmacy ensures you are receiving quality pet medications from a trusted source. It also ensures that all medications are closely monitored by our doctors.
Our pharmacy carries prescription pet medications along with heartworm, flea and tick prevention products. Our veterinary team will review your pet’s prescription medication with you and show you how to administer them to your pet. Medications in our on-site pharmacy can be filled same day.
We also offer an online pharmacy. Vets First Choice is a trusted source for veterinary sourced medication for your pet. If you enjoy the convenience of ordering your medication online and having it delivered straight to your home, our online store can accommodate you.
Diagnostic Laboratory
Our animal hospital includes an in-house fully equipped laboratory providing cutting edge diagnostics testing of your pet’s
medical condition. This allows us to perform same day diagnostic testing so we can rapidly formulate a treatment plan for your pet. We also have the ability to diagnose and screen for cancerous lesions, fungal infections and parasites.
A sample of our in-house laboratory includes:
Proper diagnosis of the underlying cause of your pet’s illness is the key to successful treatment. Because of this, Southern Crossing Animal Hospital also provides an outside reference laboratory to perform more specialized tests.
A sample of our in-house laboratory includes:
- Complete Blood Count
- Blood Chemistry Profile
- Urinalysis
- Cytology to determine if lesions are cancerous
- Fungal Cultures
- Intestinal Parasite Analysis
- Heartworm test
- Tick-borne disease testing
- Feline Leukemia Virus/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus/Heartworm testing for cats
- Pancreatitis test
- Parvo test
- Ear cytology
Hospice/End of Life Care
At Southern Crossing Animal Hospital, we realize that as our pets face a difficult diagnosis and a decline in health, care
can become more challenging. We are here to help. We also realize that the entire pet parent family feels the weight of the disease progression, as does the pet.
We consider it an honor to care for your pet and for you as you navigate this difficult season. We are available to discuss all aspects of your pet’s care including quality of life evaluation. We appreciate this is a very personal and difficult decision. Our Hospice/End of Life services include:
Quality of life Indicators
At Southern Crossing Animal Hospital we want to equip you with the most objective tools you need to make the difficult decision regarding euthanasia. We have included information to help with your decision. Our doctors and staff are always available to discuss your pet’s needs.
Appetite
For many pets, loss of appetite can be a strong indicator of a decline in health. Pets can physiologically go for many days without food and water, however, decline of hunger and thirst can signal shutting down of the body. Some pets may not lose their appetite although other issues prompt the need for euthanasia.
Mobility
Many pets lose their ability to rise from a reclining position due to disease progression (osteoarthritis, etc). This creates a problem with their need to go outside to urinate/defecate or to get to a litterbox. Dogs may begin by falling, inability to rise, difficulty urinating and defecating and heavy panting. Cats will exhibit difficulty jumping to perches or normal napping spots. They may also have difficulty getting into litterboxes therefore inappropriately defecating and urinating in the home. Hiding is also a common behavior in cats. When medications to aid mobility cease to help, quality of life is a concern.
Pain
Pain can be very difficult to assess in pets that don’t have human language to articulate. However, we do have clues regarding pain based on an animal’s behavior. Behavior will be the first change noticed in most pets experiencing pain. Some behaviors to watch in pets that might indicate pain:
Enjoyment of life
As our pets decline, owners may notice they have lost their happiness or excitement about life. Owners have observed their pet’s preferences, behaviors and attitudes for their entire life. When pets become more isolated from the family and stop their enjoyment of food, toys and their environment, their quality of life is in decline. Many owners report they see a difference in their pets “eyes” when it is time to make a decision.
Journals can be used to document changes in your pet’s condition. These journals help owners keep valuable information during an emotionally charged time. Another aid in tracking your pet’s quality of life is an app called Grey Muzzle. The Grey Muzzle app can be downloaded to your phone and aids in tracking your pet’s quality of life.
Euthanasia
When the time comes, we will take special care to make sure your pet’s end of life is as pain free physically and emotionally as possible. We offer in home euthanasia (house call) for those families that wish to have their pet’s last moments in their own environment. For those wishing to have their pet euthanized at our hospital, we strive to provide an environment that creates a dignified and calm end of life experience.
Pet Cremation Services
Southern Crossing Animal Hospital will help coordinate cremation services for your pet. We work with Dixie Memorial Pet Cemetery and Crematorium to arrange dignified and compassionate aftercare of your pet.
- Alternative therapies for pets and their families that have declined traditional treatment
- DVM counseling for managing diseases that lead to end of life decisions
- Pain management
- Coordination of care for pets that are referred for specialist care
- Quality of life discussions (Grey muzzle app)
- End of life discussions (Pet X talk video link)
- In-home euthanasia
- In hospital euthanasia
- Pacing
- Excessive panting
- Hiding in unique areas
- Isolating from the family
- Growling/snapping/hissing
- Whining/vocalizing
- Not eating
- Decrease mobility
Boarding
Southern Crossing Animal Hospital offers boarding for your pet when your family is away. Our staff takes great strides to
make your pet as comfortable as possible while staying with us. We offer spacious runs and kennels and make every effort to help your pet feel at home.
- Accomodations tailored to your pet’s size
- Twice daily feeding with Science Diet Sensitive Stomach dry food or your own pet’s food
- Climate controlled accomodations
- Administration of heartworm preventative or medications brought from home
- Kennel cleaned/sanitized twice a day (or more as needed)
- Fresh water at all times
- Canine guests are let out 3 times a day for playtime and bathroom breaks
- Canine guests are put in outdoor runs on weather permitting days to allow them to stretch their legs. We also offer a large dog yard for exercise and play.
- Complimentary bath with a stay of at least 2 nights
- Playtime for cats including toys and laser chase
- Photos of your pet posted on our social media (facebook and instagram with owners permission)
- Veterinarian onsite to address any medical issues that may occur
- Complimentary Veterinary Exam with 7 nights of stay
