Every Family. Every Pet. Every Time.

General Wellness

Primary Care recognizes the importance of comprehensive, routine annual examinations in order to evaluate and assess each aspect of your pet’s lifestyle. Our annual wellness visits concentrate on providing a greater picture on a health history baseline by focusing and addressing any general or specific concerns with your pet, as well as by performing a thorough physical examination evaluating diet, dental and oral health, eyes, heart, ears, and lungs. During the annual exam, each pet is tailored to their own treatment or health plan – this often includes wellness bloodwork panels, heartworm and intestinal parasite screenings and prevention, and vaccination recommendations. Our team acknowledges that preventative care is the foundation for healthy pets; our goal is to be able to detect any changes or signs of health issues pre-emptively in order to better the chance of effectively managing them. Read More

Comprehensive Pharmacy

We at Primary Care use a fully stocked and well-equipped pharmacy in-house in order to conveniently provide the appropriate pharmaceutical needs for your pet and to ensure our patients are receiving fast and efficient treatment. Each prescription ordered through our pharmacy is processed exclusively by our pharmacy alone; your pets’ medical history is accessed by our team to ensure that the correct medication, product, and dosage are being sent home safely to use based on your pets’ history and diagnoses. Many of the medications stored in our pharmacy are produced by manufacturers who uniquely sell directly to veterinarians to ensure overall product quality and effectiveness. Primary Care takes pride in our complete pharmacy equipped with pain medications, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, controlled medications, probiotics, de-wormers, and flea/tick/heartworm preventatives. Our pharmacy also has the ability to compound chewable and liquid medications in a variety of flavors more enticing to your furry loved one.

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Urgent Care

Primary Care takes pride in our long hours, 8am-10pm on weekdays and until 6pm on the weekends. We understand that no one knows our pets better than we do as owners and there are often times our pets’ ailments do not have the luxury of waiting. Although our hospital is not an ‘emergency’ clinic, we are fully equipped to handle a multitude of urgent care scenarios on a case-to-case basis. If you feel like your pet is undergoing distress and needs to seek medical treatment promptly, please call us as soon as possible so our team can properly assess your pets’ situation. Our team is staffed and trained to take care of critical cases, and also houses the appropriate immediate and comprehensive diagnostic equipment needed for testing in real-time in order to develop the best treatment plan. However, should our team be unable to take in your pet on an emergency or life-threatening basis, we may make a referral to the nearest 24 hour facility. Read More

Geriatric Care

Our pets’ age at an accelerated rate 5 to 8 times more than their human companions. Yet just like humans, older and geriatric pet needs will change as they grow with age; facing a higher probability in life-threatening health issues and diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, renal disease, periodontal disease, mobility changes and arthritis, weight fluctuation, hormonal imbalances, and diabetes. Primary Care strongly acknowledges the importance of routine senior preventative care in order to detect any potential underlying disease and to further increase our chances to control them with the appropriate course of action tailored to your pet’s specific needs. Our team at Primary Care recognizes that each treatment plan is not a cut and paste copy for all of our patients. We take value in finding the perfect treatment plan for your furry friend with your help along the way in order to help guarantee a long and healthy life. Read More

Nutrition Counseling

Your pet’s nutrition and healthy diet is a vital aspect in their overall health and well-being, much like us as humans. Primary Care acknowledges that our pets’ diets, when fed proportionately and balanced, are the most easiest and effective key methods in maintaining their health, happiness, and longevity. Our veterinarians understand that each pet is different and have different dietary needs and restrictions; therefore, our veterinarians conduct dietary assessments that delve into your pets’ age, growth, activity levels, and weight maintenance. Our dietary consultations help veterinarians paint a better picture of your pets’ lifestyle and specific dietary needs in order to develop a tailored nutritional plan to provide a fully-balanced diet or even as an aid in the treatment of specific diseases or ailments. Primary Care is also conveniently equipped to cater to your furry friends’ dietary needs as we maintain a variety of specialty and prescription food inventory in house for retail. Furthermore, Primary Care also remains a strong advocate for JustFoodForDogs - a fresh, human-grade and vet-developed nutrient blend diet for cats and dogs - conveniently located next door to our facility.

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Dentistry

Oral health is an imperative aspect in your pet’s overall health, wellness, and happiness. Poor dental hygiene can be painful and may lead to other serious health issues and illnesses such as bad breath, difficulty eating, excessive tartar build-up, inflamed or receding gums, fractured or abscessed teeth, periodontal disease, and systemic infections – many of which are not regularly visible without a proper dental consultation. Primary Care advocates for preventative dental care by maintaining oral health and assessing dental disease in our comprehensive examinations. Our in-house dental team incorporates in-depth anesthetic dental procedures for your loved one by performing full-mouth dental radiographs to evaluate any potential broken teeth and to further examine underneath the gum line, perform any necessary dental extractions, and diminish tartar by providing a deep fluoride cleaning. Dental patients are sent home with their own go-home bag including a brief summary, a dental report card demonstrating before and after photographs, and a chart representing any missing or extracted teeth. Read More

Advanced Diagnostics

Primary Care has the capability to use innovative medicine for diagnostics whenever possible. Our veterinarians offer a different, modern approach in maintaining and monitoring diabetes through a continuous glucose monitoring device. The continuous glucose reader is a faster, more effective, and less-invasive method in monitoring your pet’s glucose levels at the comfort of your own home. We understand the stress and challenges of having to prick and prod your furry companion at home to record their glucose readings and we also acknowledge the additional stress of having to bring your pet to and from the hospital for glucose readings and curves in house over periods of time. The glucose disk is the most convenient and effective method to record glucose readings for your pet without disrupting the nature of their normal day to day life. The monitoring system works via a sensor attached to a catheter implanted into your pet’s skin. The catheter is linked to a glucose analyzer and can be scanned and read periodically as its’ glucose data is uploaded to the app remotely. Our veterinarians then monitor and review the glucose trends from your pet to help make any necessary adjustments to their insulin dosages in order to better manage their diabetes. Read More

In-house Laboratory

Primary Care utilizes our own fully functioning onsite laboratory with state-of-the-art lab equipment that allow us to perform a variety of routine and comprehensive testing in-house. Our team of advocates recommend regular preventative screening for your pet In order to determine their overall health, blood work values, organ functioning, infections, and early potential disease detection. Our onsite laboratory is also strongly utilized for comprehensive and critical cases that cannot wait; we use this to our advantage by receiving prompt lab work results in real time rather than having to be sent out to a third-party lab. Our in-house lab also further helps our team perform the appropriate tests and screening for your pet that may have not been clearly visible in the physical exam such as heartworm disease, FELV/FIV, pancreatitis, ear cytology, skin scrapings, and the evaluation of aspirates accordingly. The Primary Care team heavily relies on our in-house lab as it plays an essential role to your pet’s routine and any critical care needs.

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Pain Management

Primary Care recognizes that your pets’ pain management is essential by treating and alleviating discomfort in order to get your pet back on track to healing and resuming their happy life. Our furry companions feel pain for a multitude of reasons much like humans – joint pain, infection, cancer, disease, and common discomfort after surgical procedures. Often times, our pets are resilient when it comes to revealing pain; they are notorious in disguising symptoms for long periods of time to hide their vulnerability, much like the behavior in the wild. As a pet owner, your role is crucial in identifying any subtle changes to your pets’ every day behavior that may potentially represent signs of pain and discomfort. We at Primary Care are devoted in helping owners determine if their pet is in pain; because the sooner your pet is diagnosed and given their own pain management plan, the faster they can heal. Our veterinarians acknowledge that each pet may respond to pain management differently; this is why we are dedicated in working with owners in determining the best pain alleviation options for you and your loved one. Regardless of your pets’ acute or chronic pain, Primary Care offers several safe and effective options for your pets’ pain prevention, diagnosis, and treatment such as pain control with medication trials or alternative therapies such as acupuncture and laser treatment.

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Laser Therapy

Primary Care is excited to offer therapeutic laser therapy to your pets! Laser therapy is utilized as a non-invasive, non-anesthetic, painless, and drug-free alternative to treat numerous conditions that may affect your pets’ daily life. Laser therapy often times can be used simultaneously with a current treatment plan to accelerate improvement and relief. Therapeutic laser therapy works in providing energy by light waves that penetrate skin tissue and change cellular metabolism, thus affecting endorphin production and relieving pain. The benefits of pain-free laser therapy essentially create an optimal healing environment for your pet by reducing inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, chronic wounds, rehabilitation, joint pains, and burns by increasing circulation and enticing oxygen and nutrients to the damaged area. Laser therapy is also widely used and beneficial in improving a faster wound or trauma healing as well as post-surgical healing, improving nerve function, accelerated cell growth, gastrointestinal and skin issues. Whether your pet is recovering from injury, recovering from a surgical procedure, in need of advanced rehabilitation, or simply slowing down with age – your furry companion can greatly benefit to this new innovative treatment approach. Read More

Acupuncture

Primary Care is devoted to your pet's overall wellness and healing. We take pride in our ability to offer a variety of treatment options rather than a single ‘cookie cutter’ plan for all. Our Bixby team offers and integrates acupuncture treatment as an alternative therapeutic option to our small animal companions. Acupuncture is a minimally invasive technique that utilizes small needles to neuro-modulate the body in order to address a multitude of different conditions that may affect our pet's quality of life such as arthritis, chronic pain syndromes, post-operative orthopedic or soft tissue surgery inflammation and pain, urinary issues, gastrointestinal issues, infections, allergies, auto-immune disorders, stress, and more. Acupuncture works via a variety of mechanisms of action including, but not limited to, increasing blood supply locally at the site of needle insertion to improve healing and by bringing nutrients to the site of injury or inflammation, it also causes the release of natural endorphins, stimulates binding of endogenous opiate receptors to allow for pain modulation, and lastly neuro-modulates the nervous system allowing for distant effects on the brain and other tissues. Acupuncture is an effective treatment and can be used alone or in conjunction with other treatment modalities. Please contact our Bixby location (562) 471-7711 to schedule a consultation with our Advanced Veterinary Acupuncturist. Read More

Medical Imaging

Primary Care is fully equipped with our very own radiograph and ultrasound unit. There are often times when a thorough examination for your pet can only provide so many answers. Imaging procedures, such as radiographs and ultrasonography, are vital in identifying certain diagnoses in order to provide the best and effective treatment for your loved one.

Ultrasound

Primary Care offers ultrasounds within our hospital as an outpatient basis; they help provide pertinent information to your pets’ health that are not commonly visible with the human eye. Ultrasounds are extremely safe and performed non-invasively by the use of high frequency sound waves to give a closer live image of your pet’s soft tissue and organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, gallbladder, prostate, and urinary bladder.

Radiographs

Our team offers readily available radiology equipment that allow a non-invasive look to your pets’ bones and a variety of soft tissue ailments within minutes to be interpreted by our veterinarian. Radiology continues to play a crucial role in diagnosing common conditions, especially during time-sensitive and critical situations where time is of the essence. Furthermore, Primary Care is partnered with board-certified radiologists if a situation arises where another layer of expertise and experience is needed in radiograph interpretation.

Surgery

Here, at Primary Care Animal Hospital, we offer a variety of different surgical options for your loved one if the need arises. Whether your pet is in need of a routine surgical procedure, such as a spay or neuter, or a more invasive surgery, our team and hospital are proud to be equipped to handle all your pet’s surgical needs from the moment they walk in the door for their surgical consult, throughout the procedure and into recovery, and then safely returned back home to you and your family. Each of our surgical patients are initially evaluated by their primary veterinarian and also undergo pre-anesthetic bloodwork prior to surgery to identify any potential pre-existing conditions that may require their surgical plan to alter. Our team remains well-trained and experienced during all procedures and ensures families understand their pets’ recovery time, any potential risks, and all associated costs. During your pet’s surgery, our team work diligently and efficiently to ensure that your loved one’s vitals are monitored and tracked, while also given the appropriate pain alleviation to minimize healing and recovery time. Primary Care is honored to be able to handle all surgical needs for your pet, many of which include spay and neutering, mass and tumor removals, caesarian sections, abdominal exploratory, bladder stone removals, enucleations, entropion repair, foreign object removal, gastropexy, laparoscopic, and orthopedic surgeries.

Orthopedic

When an orthopedic problem happens, we're here to help! Dr. Jacobo Balairon has over 15 years of orthopedic experience between his practice in Europe and here in the United States. During your visit, an orthopedic examination will be conducted to evaluate your pet's condition and treatment options. Whether your pet is dealing with an acute traumatic event with broken bones, a congenital orthopedic anomaly, or a chronic and more delicate soft tissue injury like a Cruciate Ligament Injury (CrCL), our goal is to provide the best care to help you and your pet resume a normal and fully functional life. Although orthopedic surgeries can be intimidating due to their intricacy and may require more diligent rehabilitation pre and post-surgery, our team is dedicated in walking you through the process each step of the way, as well as being here for any potential questions or concerns, should they arise. Orthopedic surgeries offered at Primary Care Animal Hospital include, but are not limited to, the following – TPLO or Tibial Plataeu Leveling Osteotomy (realigning bone surfaces in the knee joint), Extra-capsular Stabilization (strategically placing a new and synthetic ligament to replace the ruptured ligament) , FHO or hip surgery (removing the hip joint), and Fracture Repairs (Plates, External Fixators, etc).

Soft Tissue

Soft tissue surgeries are surgical procedures that that do not relate or involve bones or the joints. Primary Care veterinarians are highly skilled and experienced to perform a variety of soft tissue surgeries, utilizing the most advanced and modern surgical procedures and equipment, on a daily basis. Our doctors conduct in-depth pre-surgical consults to assess your pets’ condition if a surgical intervention is required. Our team of veterinarians and our staff are devoted in making your pets’ procedure as stress-free, safe, and comfortable as possible prior to surgery, during surgery, and throughout surgical recovery. Primary Care Animal Hospital is proud to offer the following soft tissue surgical procedures here in office: spays, neuters, exploratory surgery, stomach or “bloat” surgery, mass removals, tumor removals, growth removals, caesarian sections, foreign object removal, obstructions, and the removal of diseased sections of the intestine, to name a few.

Specialty

There may be a time when a specialty service or surgery may be needed for your pet, Primary Care is well-equipped and proud to offer specialty services to your furry loved one! Primary Care provides innovative, cutting-edge veterinary surgery utilizing state-of-the-art surgical equipment and techniques. Our goal is to utilize modern techniques and quality veterinary medicine for your pet. Specialty services and surgeries offered at Primary Care include, but are not limited to - perineal urethrostomy, spinal surgery, endoscopy, tracheal collapses, splenectomy, and mammary tumors.

Our team at Primary Care understands how challenging and difficult it can be to watch our pets grow older, especially when there is decision-making in regards to their end-of-life care. Our goal for us as a health care provider to your loved one is to ensure that end-of-life care is done as smoothly and easily as possible. We understand that keeping our pets comfortable during this sensitive transition is an important aspect in their life; this is a responsibility that we, as a team, take respectfully and sensitively. Primary Care empathizes with the emotional hardship that accompany the decision to humanely euthanize your pet, but it does not have to be a decision to make on your own. Our compassionate veterinary team can help provide options and give you and your family the time to make a decision once it is determined that your pets’ quality of life has declined. Our goal is to make your pet’s passing to the other side of the rainbow bridge as peaceful as possible. Read More