We accommodate emergency appointments during normal business hours. For after-hours emergencies, call or take your pet directly to:
MedVet Medical Center For Pets
(614) 846-5800
300 E. Wilson Bridge Road
Worthington, OH 43085M
OSU Veterinary Medical Center At Dublin
(614) 889-8070
5070 Bradenton Ave
Dublin, OH 43017
Patients are seen on an appointment basis. Our appointment schedule is set-up to accommodate sick patients that need to be seen within in a day or two. Life-threatening emergencies take top priority and we ask for your patience as we treat these patients. We strive to stay on-time so everyone is happy.
Please bring your pet's previous medical records to your first appointment. This includes vaccination dates and any previous lab work. You can either bring a paper copy or ask your previous veterinarian's office, rescue organization or breeder to fax or email them to us.
Cats:
Please arrive with your cat in a travel carrier. Cats are much more comfortable when contained in a small hard or soft-sided cat carrier. Our waiting room has ample room to separate cats from dogs. Our goal is to escort cat owners into an exam room as soon as possible in order to avoid potentially stressful contact with dogs, other cats, or new people. Cat carriers with a top-loading door are the best as they allow us to retrieve your cat in the least-threatening way. Sometimes we will do a physical exam while your cat is still in his or her soft bed or in the bottom section of the cat carrier. We want to do everything we can to reduce stress for you and your kitty. If you need guidance on how to get your cat into a carrier, don't hesitate to call us for advice. More helpful information for transporting your cat to the veterinarian has been published by the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Dogs:
It is essential that your dog is on a leash when visiting our hospital. We are located on a busy road and our parking lot is active with car traffic. Inside our waiting room, your dog must remain on a leash until taken into the exam room. Even if your dog is a good listener and is great with other dogs, some other dogs are very frightened at the veterinarian and may act unpredictably.
Payment is expected at the time of service. We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, & Discover, and personal checks. We participate with all major pet health insurance companies.
Pet insurance has become more prevalent and, while it doesn’t cover all your veterinary expenses, can be helpful should your pet have an unexpected injury or illness. Every company is different; it’s a good idea to visit this pet insurance review to compare policies and find the one best suited for you and your pet.
Just like with a human pharmacy, medications that have left our facility cannot be returned. However, unopened or opened dog and cat food may be returned or exchanged if your pet will not eat them because they are guaranteed by the manufacturer.
We recommend spaying or neutering every pet, this surgery is usually done around 5-6 months of age. This recommendation may vary based on each individual pet. Please schedule an appointment to discuss spaying or neutering your pet with one of our veterinarians.
Vaccines are an important part of your pet’s health care. Vaccines keep your pet healthy and prevent serious diseases. Our veterinarians will make sure your pet avoids these serious diseases through a vaccination schedule based on your pet’s lifestyle, health, exposure to other animals in kennels and urban dog parks, your pet’s risk of preventable diseases and other individual circumstances.
The first Rabies shot your pet receives is good for 1 year. Subsequent canine Rabies vaccinations immunize your pet for 1- 3 years depending upon the vaccine your dog receives. Dogs are required by Ohio State Law to be vaccinated against Rabies. For cats, we use feline-exclusive rabies vaccines which are good for 1 year.
Heartworm disease is a serious disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes and, if left untreated can be fatal. Heartworm prevention is administered once a month either by pill or by topical application. Depending on the specific product you and your veterinarian choose for your pet, heartworm prevention medication can prevent other parasite infestations including internal parasites (worms) and external parasites (fleas). Cats can get heartworm, too. We recommend cats be on heartworm prevention, and we will discuss your available options during cat’s preventative care exam. In accordance with the guidelines of the American Heartworm Society, we recommend all dogs and cats be given year round (12 months) heartworm prevention regardless of lifestyle.
Your dog will need to be tested with a simple blood test for heartworm disease on an annual basis. Dogs could get sick (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or death) if placed on heartworm prevention when they have heartworm disease. Even if they have been on heartworm prevention year round there is always the possibility that the product may have failed for various reasons (your pet spit out the pill, did not absorb the pill appropriately, topical medicine was not applied properly, forgot to administer medication on time, etc.) and the earlier we can treat your pet for heartworm disease the better the prognosis. Some companies will guarantee their product providing you use the heartworm prevention year round and are performing yearly heartworm tests. When starting heartworm prevention it is important that you perform an initial heartworm test.
Yes. Heartworm disease is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito and all mosquitoes can get into houses.
No. Heartworm disease is a blood-borne disease that is transmitted through mosquitoes. A simple blood test will confirm whether or not your dog has heartworm disease.
It is important to prevent fleas. We recommend all dogs and cats be given a monthly flea preventive from April through December. Not only are they uncomfortable for your pet, fleas are also carriers of disease, such as tapeworms. There are many medications for the treatment and prevention of fleas. Some medications are in a combined form with the monthly heartworm medication. Not only is this convenient, but it reduces the cost of two medications!
All pets need professional periodontal care. Bacteria and plaque irritates the gum tissues, the gums become inflamed in the early stages of dental disease causing gingivitis. Left untreated, this leads to periodontal disease which causes the loss of the bone and gingival support structure of the tooth and subsequent pain and tooth loss. In addition, the bacteria are consistently released into the blood stream allowing for systemic infections, which can cause damage to internal organs, such as the kidneys, liver and heart. A dental exam is a part of every physical exam at Creature Comforts Animal Clinic.
Yes. Proper dental care at home is highly recommended to help maintain the oral health of your dog and cat. Home dental care for companion animals should start early, even before the adult teeth erupt. It is best if owners brush their dogs and cats teeth daily. Although tooth brushing is the best method of minimizing bacteria, plaque and calculus build-up, there are many options for dental home care. Other oral home care options such as dental formulated foods, water additives, and dental treats can be considered and discussed with one of our veterinarians or technicians.
In preparation for the procedure, your pet will receive:
If your pet is on a special diet or on any medications, you should bring these with you to the hospital. To make your pet more comfortable, you may bring familiar items from home like bedding or clothing that you have worn.
Please do not feed your pet after 9:00 p.m. the evening before a scheduled procedure. There is no restriction on drinking water. Plan to arrive at the office at the appointed time and allow 15-30 minutes for check-in procedures.
At Creature Comforts Animal Clinic we take all anesthetic cases very seriously. We utilize the safest, multi-modal approach that is individually created for each dog or cat. It includes injectable medications for sedation and pain management as well as gas anesthetic agents. The combination of pre-anesthetic assessment of your pet (including blood work), use of modern anesthetic agents, dedicated doctors and technicians, and the latest anesthetic monitoring equipment means that anesthesia is generally considered to be very low risk for your pet.
When we place your dog or cat safely under general anesthesia, a breathing tube is inserted into the trachea (windpipe) to administer oxygen mixed with the anesthetic gas. As with people, an intravenous catheter is placed into your pet’s leg to infuse with fluids during the procedure. Once the procedure is completed and the anesthetic is turned off, oxygen is continued to be delivered to your pet until your pet wakes up and the tube is removed.
We closely monitor your pet during the procedure and the recovery process using advanced monitoring equipment. Parameters often monitored include oxygen concentration in the blood stream (pulse oximetry), electrocardiogram (ECG), core body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and carbon dioxide level. The monitoring findings help us to maintain anesthesia safely.
A multi-modal approach refers to the layered administration of small amounts of different medications to achieve the desired levels of anesthesia and pain management. We administer lower doses of each individual anesthetic which generally equates to fewer side effects, complete pain relief and faster post-operative recovery.
We believe in performing surgery with advanced pain management techniques because we want to maximize the comfort of your pet during and after his or her procedure. Comfort control improves your dog or cat’s recovery and speeds the healing process. We administer pain medication before beginning the procedure, during and post-operatively as needed by your pet.
Anesthesia in otherwise healthy, older pets is considered safe. It is essential to have recommended pre-operative testing performed prior to anesthesia to check major organ function and allow us to tailor the anesthesia to any pre-existing medical conditions.
Prior to anesthesia, patients with kidney disease should be fully evaluated with blood tests, urinalysis, and possible ultrasound. Cardiology patients should also be evaluated including blood tests, chest x-rays, and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). Our veterinarians will determine based on each individual situation if it is safe for your pet to undergo anesthesia.
You will receive a call from us when your pet is awake and in recovery from the procedure. If there are any abnormalities on pre-anesthetic exam or blood work, you will receive a call prior to the procedure in case we need to change plans. Remember that no news is good news, and you will be contacted immediately should the need arise. One of our veterinarians will be available at discharge to discuss the procedure and discharge instructions with you in detail, as well as answer any questions.
Most pets undergoing outpatient procedures will be ready to go by close of business the same day unless noted otherwise during the post-operative phone update. Pets having abdominal surgeries, like spays and cystotomies will spend the night so that we can closely monitor pain control and allow them to rest comfortably.
It can sometimes be difficult to tell. If you are not sure but suspect your dog or cat may be hurting, or is just not acting right, call us to have us examine your pet. Some signs of pain are more obvious, such as limping, but some signs are more subtle and can include: not eating, a change in behavior or normal habits, being more tired and having less energy. Of course, these symptoms can also be caused by many problems, so early observation and action is important.
