One of the easiest ways to keep your pet healthy is to have regular exams and up-to-date vaccinations.  Dogs and Cats age faster than people, and significant changes can occur within a short time.  Wellness programs allow us to review any changes that are happening at home and pick up concerns on physical exams.  We recommend healthy adult dogs and cats visit us once per year, Senior visits twice per year, and puppies get their own schedule! 

 We’ll work with you to create an individualized wellness program, including vaccination and prevention protocol customized specifically to your pet and family’s needs. 

New puppies and kittens should come in shortly after their adoption for an initial assessment.  A physical examination and plan will be discussed at that time, as to what and when your new furry friend will need to come back in.  The typical puppy/kitten would receive vaccinations at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, and deworming every 2 weeks.    You should plan ahead for these visits when you adopt or rescue a new pet.  Each situation will be unique, and your animal’s wellness plan will be created in consultation with you. 

At our hospital, we can perform bloodwork both in-clinic and sent to the lab, imaging (x–rays and ultrasound), biopsies, cytology, urinalysis, or other diagnostics.   We offer medical services and management of dermatology, cardiology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, and other medical conditions your pets may encounter.  

Our veterinarians provide many surgical services, ranging from spays and neuters to more advanced procedures.  Each patient will require a consultation and exam, prior to booking a surgery. 

Patients are rarely kept overnight at our hospital.  We will typically send your pet home with you in the evening or discuss having you transfer it to a 24-hour facility, for closer monitoring, should it be warranted. 

All surgeries are provided with an estimate prior to the procedure, which will be reviewed by one of our staff members.  

Because we want to ensure that our patients receive the best possible outcomes, we will occasionally discuss referring your pet to a specialist, to perform complex operations when advanced equipment or training will be beneficial.   

We take our oral health care seriously!  Performing dentistry on animals falls within the scope of practice of veterinary medicine.  Dental care in veterinary medicine is not just a cleaning.  It involves the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders of teeth, and the associated structures.  Competent and safe performance in dentistry requires training and may include radiographs and full general anesthesia.  At LBVH we include full-mouth radiographs (x–rays), with your dental care.  Some procedures may be referred to a Boarded veterinary dentist if the veterinarian feels it is in the best interest of the patient. 

Long Beach has in-house ultrasound, and radiography (x-rays) available.   

Ultrasound:  Diagnostic ultrasound, or sonography, is an imaging method that uses sound waves to produce images of structures within the body.  At LBVH Dr. Craig is trained in ultrasonography and is happy to offer it to her clients.  Ultrasound aids us in diagnosing and managing diseases of your pets.  We use it on a daily basis, and it is a huge benefit to our clients! 

Radiology (X-rays): LBVH has a dedicated x-ray suite.  Radiography (x-rays) use a low dose of radiation, to produce a picture of the inside of the body.  We can diagnose broken bones, organ diseases, infections, lung diseases, and other common pet conditions.  At LBVH we do our best to offer hands-free x-rays, which is safest for our staff!   

Minimally invasive surgical options via surgical camera technology will be coming soon. 

Coming Soon!

Click here to call to ask about booking your Spay or Neuter!

This group of therapies includes such things as acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, laser, and massage therapy.  LBVH hopes to offer more alternative therapies as we grow.  We’ll keep you posted. 

Our veterinarians, and technicians, can help you to make the best choices for your pet’s needs.  Many medical conditions that animals suffer from, can be managed with diet.  We will recommend certain foods based on conditions that are diagnosed.  We will inform you of why we are making these recommendations and discuss options with you based on your finances.   

We do not offer complete professional grooming at our facility.  Grooming is however an important part of many pets’ general health care, and without regular care such as nail trims, medical concerns will develop.   

We can discuss the grooming needs of your pet with you, and in some cases will make medical recommendations for managing conditions via bathing or coat management, for example. 

For patients that have excessive anxiety, or require sedation for procedures, we can prescribe medications to use prior to your grooming appointments.  We will book sedated grooming procedures in our clinic, on a case-by-case basis.   An exam would be required prior to medical grooming. 

We know that visiting the hospital can be a stressful outing for any patient.  We do our best to create a calm and welcoming environment for our furry friends.  In some situations, when a patient or owner is not able to visit us in the clinic, or where home euthanasia has been requested, a home visit can be booked.  These appointments will need to be booked ahead of time so that the appropriate scheduling can be done.

We love all furry friends!  However, we do not specialize in the care of exotic pets.  Give us a call if you have a question or need to be seen, and we can let you know if we feel we can support you, or we can try to recommend someone that can.