Our Services

Good health starts with preventative care. Animals are exceptionally good at hiding their illnesses. That is why it is up to us to stay on top of their health, to catch any issues before they become severe. With preventative care, we are able to stay on top of your pet’s wellness. At Bayside Animal Hospital LLC, we will work with you to create an ideal preventative care schedule that is appropriate for your pet’s age, lifestyle, and risk factors.

Wellness Exams
We recommend annual wellness exams for all pets and biannual exams for senior pets. During these wellness visits, our veterinarian will examine your pet from nose to tail – checking their teeth, eyes, and ears; listening to their heart and lungs; feeling for any abnormalities in their abdomen or lymph nodes.

They will chat with you about their habits, nutrition, and behavior and answer whatever questions you may have. They may also recommend blood work to check for any changes in organ function or blood cell quality and will make sure your pet is up-to-date on all of their vaccinations.

Vaccinations
Regular vaccinations are one of the cornerstones of good preventive health care for dogs and cats. When administered by your veterinarian, vaccines provide cost-effective protection against infectious and contagious diseases for both pets and people.

Vaccines help prevent many contagious illnesses, including ones that can be fatal, that pets may encounter if they are outdoors at all, socialize with other animals in public places, or travel with you.

Our team can help offer you some of the best advice regarding your pet’s vaccination plan, which can help lead to many happy years of health and wellness. Our doctor can help to tailor a vaccination protocol for your pet based on his or her individual risk factors.

Our pets are faced with many deadly infectious diseases, and vaccines can help protect them. Over the years, vaccines against dangerous diseases have saved millions of pets and virtually eliminated some fatal diseases that were once common.

Intestinal Parasite Screenings
Checking your pet for intestinal parasites is another part of preventative care. We recommend annual screenings of your pet’s feces. These screenings allow us to catch any parasitic eggs, which point to an infection in your pet. Parasitic infections can cause diarrhea and vomiting and can be transmissible to humans. Schedule an appointment with us to have your pet checked for parasites!

At Bayside Animal Hospital, we offer diagnostic services to help discover your pet’s illness. These services can give us answers in minutes, allowing us to quickly start treating your pet.

Laboratory
With our in-house laboratory, we can run blood work analysis on your pet. This allows us to check your pet’s blood cell count, which can reveal problems such as anemia or infection. We are also able to analyze your pet’s blood chemistry, checking them for problems, electrolyte imbalances, or changes in their organ function. Our test results are usually back in under 15 minutes and can give us a lot of information about the inner health of your pet.

Radiology
Radiology (X-ray) is routinely used to provide valuable information about a pet’s bones, gastrointestinal tract (stomach, intestines, colon), respiratory tract (lungs), heart, and genitourinary system (bladder, prostate).

When a pet is being radiographed, an X-ray beam passes through its body and hits a piece of radiographic film. Images on the film appear as various shades of gray and reflect the anatomy of the animal. Bones, which absorb more X-rays, appear as light gray structures. Soft tissues, such as the lungs, absorb fewer X-rays and appear as dark gray structures. Interpretation of radiographs requires considerable skill on the part of the veterinarian.

The use of this diagnostic tool allows us to check for problems that are normally not visible, such as hairline fractures, possible foreign bodies, or stones in the bladder. Our X-ray machine uses a digital system, meaning our images are immediately displayed and can be easily manipulated for better image quality or sent to specialists to consult on difficult cases.

When your pet needs surgical help, the team at Bayside Animal Hospital is available to assist you. Your veterinarian will work closely with you to ensure every step is taken to provide your pet with the very best level of care. After a full examination and any necessary diagnostics, your pet will be given the attention of a trusted and experienced local veterinarian.

We offer most pet surgeries your animal may need in our Daphne animal hospital, such as soft tissue surgery, mass/tumor removal, spays/neuters, or foreign body removal. Our team is highly trained to maintain the safety and comfort of your pet during any surgical procedure.

Isn’t my dog supposed to have bad breath? Dental health is an issue that pet owners often overlook. Like people, pets need to have their teeth cleaned regularly to keep their mouths healthy and prevent dental disease. We recommend brushing your pet’s teeth as well as regular dental cleanings at our hospital.

At Bayside Animal Hospital, we are able to provide a full dental cleaning for your pet. This involves placing your pet under general anesthesia so we can thoroughly examine and clean your pet’s teeth. We will scale and polish their teeth, check for any pocketing around the teeth or abnormal growths in the mouth, and take X-rays of the teeth to look for anything beneath the gum line.

If there are any broken, loose, or abscessed teeth, we may recommend a tooth extraction. This means we surgically remove the tooth and all of its roots. This removes any source of infection or discomfort for your pet.

Bad breath, red or bleeding gums, excessive or abnormal drooling, pain when eating, broken teeth, or brownish/yellowish buildup on the teeth are all signs of dental disease. If you notice any of these signs, please schedule an appointment for a dental examination.

Unfortunately, Alabama has a high rate of heartworm disease and infection. All it takes is one bite from a heartworm-infected mosquito to transfer this potentially deadly disease to your pet. The key to stopping this is heartworm prevention. Luckily, prevention is easy and affordable.

Prevention
All dogs and cats should be given heartworm prevention year-round. Monthly chewables or tablets, monthly topicals, and 6-month or 12-month injectables are all possible preventatives that can be provided by our hospital. You can check out our recommended parasite prevention schedule here. Talk to our veterinarian to see which option is best for you and your pet.

Testing
Because the drugs to prevent heartworm are very different than the ones used to treat heartworm, it is incredibly important to regularly test your pet for heartworm infection when giving them a preventative. Annual blood tests are necessary even when giving your pet consistent prevention. Luckily, this blood test is quick and only requires a few drops of blood. Heartworm can damage the heart and other organs, and too many pets die from complications. Making sure your pet is free of heartworm infection can save its life.

Treatment
Heartworm treatment involves a series of injections of a medication that kills the adult heartworms in your pet. The schedule is determined based on the severity of the infection and your dog’s condition.

After the injection, the adult worms die, and in a few days, their bodies begin to decompose. The pieces then travel and are lodged in the small vessels in your dog’s lungs, where they are eventually absorbed. This makes quiet and rest for your dog after treatment absolutely essential as any excitement or exercise is very dangerous.

When your pet shows signs of illness, we are here to help. At Bayside Animal Hospital, we will examine your pet, taking a complete history of their current condition. We are able to run in-house bloodwork to look for any signs of infection or decreased organ function. We will quickly work towards a diagnosis for your pet, offering the best veterinary care to treat their illness, getting them back to normal as quickly as possible.

Proper nutrition is one of the most important parts of your pet’s health. A balanced and properly proportioned diet is the key to energy, a healthy weight, and long life. We understand that your pet’s nutritional needs change with lifestyle, health, and age. Our team at Bayside Animal Hospital is highly trained to discuss the nutritional needs of your pet.

We believe that providing education to pet parents on how to read pet food labels and how to be informed when selecting pet food is extremely important. Schedule an appointment with us today to discuss your pet and how their nutrition can be improved.

With our in-house pharmacy, we have everything you need to care for your pet. From parasite prevention to pain medication, we are able to provide you with the treatments needed to keep your pet happy and healthy.

At Bayside Animal Hospital, we offer grooming and “spa day” services for your pet. These treatments are based on your pet’s needs and can include a bath, styling, shaving or trimming, anal gland expression, ear cleaning, and nail trims. Please call us to discuss our grooming services and schedule an appointment.

We offer boarding services for your pet when you go out of town. Boarding at our facility is especially helpful for pets with ongoing health problems or those that require medication. Keeping them at our animal hospital means peace of mind for you, knowing they are receiving the best possible care while you are away.