Practice Information and Services Provided

Clinic Hours

Mountain View Veterinary Health Center is open
Monday through Friday, 8:00AM – 6:00PM. Appointments start at 9:30am
Saturday, 8:00AM-1:00PM. Appointments start at 9:30am

We are closed Sunday and some of the major holidays:

Emergency Service

We offer 24 hour emergency care seven (7) days a week and on holidays. One of our doctors is always on call to assist you with serious or life-threatening situations that your animal may encounter. This service is available for all pets—exotics (reptiles, turtles, lizards, birds, hamsters/gerbils, rabbits), small animals (dogs/cats), and large animals (horses, llamas, goats).

We also have, if needed, a fully equipped intensive care unit, oxygen cage, an incubator and isolation for critically ill or highly contagious patients.

Payment Options

PAYMENT IS DUE AT THE TIME SERVICES ARE RENDERED

We accept Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

In cases of extensive medical or surgical procedures where full payment may be difficult at discharge, we have financing available through Wells Fargo Financial Services.

There will be a $25.00 service charge for any check returned unpaid.

Any balance over 30 days will receive a $5.00 monthly repeat billing charge and accrue interest at 1.75% per month (21% per year) and will continue to accrue these charges every month until paid in full.

Any balances referred to a collection agency will incur a collection referral fee.

We will gladly prepare a written estimate if you would like one. We make every effort to present you with an accurate and comprehensive estimate of service. Please understand that this is only an estimate and occasionally additional services may be medically necessary to ensure the best care of your pet.

Immunizations and Health Care

Many serious diseases can be prevented through routine physical exams and vaccinations. A vaccination appointment includes a complete physical exam to ensure that there are no underlying illnesses that can be prevented or treated early. We have special discount packages available for puppies, kittens and senior (over 7 years of age) animals. The receptionists can provide you with more information about these packages.

We also have a complete in-house pharmacy; however, on occasion we may refer you to another pharmacy for specialized items to help keep your costs down.

Glaucoma Screening

We use a state-of-the-art device called a Tonopen to measure your pet’s eye pressure to determine if they might be developing Glaucoma. This procedure is quick and painless, and can help us catch this serious disease early before it can damage your pet’s eyesight.

Dental Care

We have an excellent dental facility to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy. The technicians use a professional grade ultrasonic dental machine to remove the plaque and tartar from the teeth. Tartar and plaque can cause infections, bad breath, loosening of the teeth, abscessed roots, gum erosion and serious internal infections to organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. We also perform oral surgical procedures such as, root canals, extractions and mass removals. Most of the time, these procedures are same day surgeries and your pet can go home that evening.

To keep your pet’s teeth clean and healthy, we have special diets, toothbrushes/toothpaste, and treats that clean their teeth and freshen their breath.

Acupuncture and Herbal Remedies

Dr. Melinda A. Hillegass, is a certified veterinary acupuncturist. She also studies and implements the use of herbal medicine in the treatment of animals. Acupuncture may be defined as the insertion of needles into specific points on the body to cause a desired healing effect. This technique has been used in veterinary practice in China for at least 3000 years to treat many aliments. The Chinese also use acupuncture as preventive medicine against such problems as founder and colic in horses. Acupuncture is used all over the world, either by itself or in conjunction with Western medicine, to treat a wide variety of maladies in every species of domestic and exotic animals. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but can work very well when it is indicated.

Herbal remedies can be used to treat or lessen the affects of numerous conditions ranging from arthritis or pain control, diabetic symptoms to improving kidney function.

Chiropractic

Dr. James E. Israelsen, is a certified veterinary chiropractor. This is an exciting and rapidly emerging treatment modality for musculoskeletal pain, dysfunction, and other disorders. In most cases, chiropractic problems arise in the spinal column, and directly affect the spinal cord and spinal nerves, but occasionally chiropractic problems may be found in extremities, including shoulder, elbow, carpus (wrist), toes and even tail.

Animal chiropractic is often combined with X-rays analysis, physical therapy, acupuncture, and/or herbal therapy to reach a diagnosis and treatment plan. Chiropractic care is not limited to small animals only, and about half of our caseload is equine care. Performance horses have benefited from our care as well as pleasure horses.

Surgery—Soft Tissue and Orthopedic

We have two surgery suites, one for small animals (cat/dog) and one for large animals (horses/cows/llamas). Our anesthesia machine is state of the art, human quality and we have two gas anesthesia options available. Most of our surgeries are done on gas anesthesia because it is safer for the animal and they recover faster. The large animal surgery suite has a hydraulic surgery table that is raised up underneath the animal to provide a safe and convenient surgical environment.

The most common surgeries that are preformed are castrations (neuters) and ovariohysterectomies (spays). Most spays stay overnight because it is an abdominal surgery and we want to ensure that there are no complications before going home. Neuters are same day surgeries and can go home that evening.

Our doctors are skilled at orthopedic surgeries like fractures, cruciate repair, patellar luxation repair, and amputations, as well as soft tissue surgeries such as total ear canal ablution, diaphragmatic hernias, gastrointestinal foreign bodies, and urinary or bladder stone removal. If necessary, we can refer to a Board Certified specialist for consultation and/or to perform other, more specialized procedures.

Diagnostics

We have numerous tests and aids to help the doctors correctly diagnose and treat many problems that may arise throughout your pet’s life. Some of these tests and aids are:

• Diagnostic lab services—blood tests, chemistry panels, thyroid tests, biopsy, necropsy
• Dermatology—skin scrapping tests for itchy skin (mites or mange), allergy tests (food or environment), and fungassay for ringworm
• Dentistry—Dental exams (recommended every 6 months) and dental x-rays
• EKG—Pre-anesthetic, routine or as a geriatric screen to set a baseline
• Endoscopy—A fiber optic scope that allows the doctor to view the internal organs. By visualizing the organs the doctors are better able to retrieve foreign objects and observe the overall appearance of the organs.
• Radiology—X-rays to detect fractures, masses, foreign bodies, gun shot wounds, etc.
• Ultrasonography—Pregnancy check, check for abnormalities like tumors or masses, check organ health
• Reproduction—Fetal count x-rays, ultrasound, vaginal cytology (to determine if in heat or abnormalities), and semen evaluations (to determine if there are any abnormalities)