Lakeview Veterinary Care

Just like you, we want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible. That starts with the basics: quality food, enough exercise, good grooming, and yes, regular check-ups.

Annual wellness exams are your pet’s first line of defense. Lakeview Veterinary Care’s comprehensive annual exams include checking their overall health from nose to tail and looking for any changes that may have occurred.

These wellness exams also allow us to develop a customized care plan for your pet’s optimal health—one that includes preventive services like vaccines and blood screenings, parasite prevention, nutritional and behavioral advice, and medical intervention when needed.

While we do advise annual visits for all adult dogs and cats, we recommend that senior animals should have twice-yearly exams and blood work. Pets age differently based on species, breed and size, but generally speaking, most dogs are considered seniors around age 7; cats at 9. Since animals age much faster than we do, disease and illness progress more quickly, and we want to catch problems early while they’re more treatable.

Wellness exams are also important for another reason: they enable us to truly get to know you and your pet. We consider it part of our job as your pet’s health care provider to understand not only your animal companion’s physical needs, but to support the bond you have with your pet. Our goal is to help your pet have as many happy, healthy years with you as possible.

To schedule an exam for your pet, request an appointment online or give us a call at 815-585-4146.

Congratulations on the new addition to the family! For many pet lovers, there’s nothing more exciting and fun than getting a new puppy or kitten. We’ll be your partner in making sure your young pet gets started off on the right paw, because the first few months of life are critical to their development, future health and well-being.

You should schedule your puppy or kitten to see the veterinarian as soon as possible after you adopt, as puppies and kittens need an initial series of vaccines during their first 16 weeks of life to protect them from disease.

After your puppy or kitten has completed these first series of shots, your veterinarian will recommend a vaccine protocol that best fits your pet’s lifestyle. Vaccinating your pet is the most effective way to prevent certain diseases in your dog or cat—and to protect your human family as well, since some diseases that affect pets can be transmitted to people.

If you have a puppy or a kitten, this first exam is the perfect time to discuss spaying and neutering, obedience & housebreaking for dogs, litterbox training for cats and to get started with a flea, tick and heartworm prevention products.

We also strongly advise microchipping your pet. Microchips are inexpensive, quick and painless to implant and can significantly increase the chances your pet is returned to you if lost.

Finally, you might want to consider enrolling in a pet insurance plan at this time. These plans are very reasonable for young animals, can spare you thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses, and even save your pet’s life down the road.

Have questions about caring for your new pet or ready to make an appointment? Call us at 815-585-4146.

Fleas, ticks, worms, and mosquitoes: it's important you protect your pet from these pests and the problems they can cause for both animal and human family members:

• Fleas – can trigger dermatitis, tapeworm, hot spots and infest a home
• Intestinal worms – cause illness and can also infect humans
• Ticks – can transmit numerous dangerous illnesses to both pets and people, including Lyme disease
• Mosquitoes – carry potentially deadly heartworm, which is on the rise nationwide.

In addition to preventive medications, you should thoroughly check your pets for fleas and ticks if they’ve been outdoors.

Some worms can be detected in your pet’s stool, although others cause different symptoms. Intestinal worms are usually easy to eliminate with medication but left untreated, they can eventually make your pet very ill.

Heartworm from mosquitoes is potentially deadly for pets and often there are no symptoms until the disease is well advanced. Currently, there is treatment for dogs, but it can be expensive and very hard on your pet.

At Lakeview Veterinary Services, we believe prevention is always the best treatment! We carry many different types of flea, tick, and heartworm preventive and many of them also prevent some intestinal worms. Our veterinarians can help you choose which one is right for your pet. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 815-585-4146.

For your convenience, we are happy to deliver your pet's medication and prescription diets.

Medications and food can be paid for by phone and we will arrange delivery to your doorstep.

Please give us a call at 815-585-4146 to place your order.

Vaccinating your pet is a relatively inexpensive but essential way to protect his or her health. In addition to preventing many life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations can prevent diseases prevalent in wildlife and those that can be passed to humans. It's important to administer vaccinations when pets are puppies and kittens because their young immune systems are still developing and need protection to stay healthy.

While any medical treatment involves some degree of risk, in the case of vaccinations, the benefits far outweigh any potential side effects. Adverse reactions are rare and usually mild and short-term when they do occur.

Which vaccines should your pet have? “Core” vaccines are those recommended—and possibly mandated by law—for most pets. Core vaccines include:

• Rabies (dogs and cats)
• DA2PPV - Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus 2, Parvo and Parainfluenza (dogs)
• FVRCP - Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (cats)

Other non-core, but highly suggested vaccinations for cats include FIV for feline immunodeficiency virus and FeLV to protect against feline leukemia. For dogs, bordetella and canine influenza shots are recommended if they frequent dog parks, boarding kennels, or any place where they’re socializing with other canines.

It’s also important to note that even pets who live primarily indoors should be vaccinated, as they can still be exposed to disease. Your Lakeview Veterinary Care veterinarian can advise you which vaccinations are required or recommended for your pet based on age, health, and lifestyle. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 815-585-4146.

One of the worst feelings to experience as a pet owner is the realization that your pet has gone missing. Only 17% of dogs and 2% of cats make it back to their owners—which can make it seem like you’ll never see your pet again if they get lost.

Lakeview Veterinary Care wants to encourage you to consider microchipping your pets, even if they live entirely indoors--because even indoor pets can escape and become lost. Unlike collars and tags, microchips can’t fall off and they serve as permanent identification for a pet’s entire life. Microchips are also rated for 25 years, meaning they never need to be removed or recharged during your pet’s lifetime.

Microchipping a pet is simple, relatively painless and very affordable. Once implanted, authorities only need to scan the chip to locate your information. But remember: a microchip is only useful if your contact information is updated.

To get your pet “chipped”, request an appointment online or call us at 815-585-4146.

Sometimes diagnosing a health issue means piecing together all the information you have about a pet—their lifestyle, medical history, clinical signs, lab results, imaging and testing—to create a clear picture of the problem.

At Lakeview Veterinary Care, we have the experience and state-of-the-art technology to assess your pet’s condition as accurately as possible, and to provide advanced treatment, hospitalization, surgery, and specialist referrals if necessary.

Some of the conditions and diseases treated with internal medicine include:

• diabetes
• thyroid issues
• infectious diseases
• anemia
• inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal disorders
• hepatitis
• acute or chronic kidney failure
• asthma and respiratory conditions
• pneumonia and bronchitis
• fever

Pets can’t tell us specifically how they’re feeling, so having a skilled veterinary internist can mean a more positive outcome for your pet. Schedule an appointment for your pet by calling us at 815-585-4146.

It can be hard to admit when we see the signs of old age in our animal companions, but the fact is that most dogs are considered seniors when they hit seven, cats around nine. Pets age much more rapidly than humans, which means diseases and illness progress quicker as well.

To ensure that your pet has the longest, healthiest, most comfortable life possible, Lakeview Veterinary Care encourages you to bring your senior pet for exams and blood tests twice each year. This way, we can track how your pet is aging, and we’ll be more likely to catch any developing diseases before they’re big problems.

Blood tests are one of the most important parts of a senior exam. These blood screenings—often referred to as a “senior panel”— monitor red and white blood cell counts and reveal how well the kidney, liver, pancreas, and thyroid are functioning. Your vet may recommend a chest x-ray to ensure that the heart is a normal size and that there are no masses in the lungs.

Periodontal (dental) disease is always a threat to our pets’ health and comfort, and it’s particularly tough on older pets. That’s why a dental exam is always part of any senior pet screening as well.

One of the most common conditions seen in elder pets is osteoarthritis. General symptoms in dogs include limping, spinal issues like a hunch or a back that is sensitive to touch, tiredness, loss of muscle and constant licking, chewing or biting sensitive areas. In cats, the symptoms may be more subtle, but usually a reluctance to jump or leap up as before is a tell-tale sign. We can help your arthritic pet feel more comfortable utilizing a variety of treatments including medication and physical therapy.

Finally, make sure to let your vet know about any behavior changes in your pet. Once dogs and cats get to the geriatric stage, monitoring for signs of cognitive dysfunction—such as losing housebreaking, getting lost or wandering aimlessly—is very important.

To schedule a wellness exam for your senior pet, call us at 815-585-4146.

Pets feel pain much like we do, but they can’t really tell us where or how bad it hurts—and they often instinctually hide symptoms of discomfort. Pain can result from surgery, injury, illness, or chronic conditions such as arthritis, and some signs to watch for include:

• Heavy panting
• Decreased activity
• Reluctance to jump up on surfaces (cats)
• Overgrooming or licking a particular area
• Difficulty standing after lying down

While acute or urgent pain is obvious, chronic pain can be subtle and pet owners may see it as simply “getting old” or “slowing down”. In fact, recurring or prolonged pain can be treated and sometimes even prevented when the cause is found early.

At Lakeview Veterinary Care, we take treating pain seriously and can offer several options for treatment. If your pet is exhibiting any of the behaviors above, don’t hesitate to call us at 815-585-4146.

Lakeview Veterinary Care has the capability to perform various blood tests, pre-anesthetic bloodwork, and other types of testing on-site instead of sending samples to an outside lab. This saves time, money, and most importantly, you don’t have to wait overnight for results—meaning your pet gets a diagnosis and needed treatment sooner.

Testing provided in the hospital includes:

Chemistry Panels:

• Liver enzyme screening
• Pancreatic evaluation
• Renal (Kidney) profiles

Wellness screenings:

• Complete blood counts
• General chemistries
• Blood gases

Viral screenings:

• FelV, FIV in cats
• Parvovirus in dogs

While we do offer an extensive range of on-site testing, it is possible that your pet may need laboratory work beyond our scope. For those cases, we are happy to send blood work or other testing to an outside lab that will send results back to us.

For more information on our in-house lab services or to schedule your pet for testing, call us at 815-585-4146.

Lakeview Veterinary Care employs advanced imaging technologies to offer the highest quality of diagnostic care for our patients.

Radiographs, or X-rays, use electromagnetic radiation directed towards the body to highlight objects within. They can detect abnormalities including skeletal fractures, soft tissue damage, foreign bodies and dental disease.

Orthopedic radiographs and contrast studies require the patient to remain completely still to work correctly, necessitating sedation in most cases. Some specialized procedures may require anesthesia. The duration of sedation or anesthesia is usually short, patient recovery is swift, and your pet is closely monitored throughout the procedure.

Have questions about radiography (X-rays) for your pet? Give us a call at 815-585-4146.

Ultrasound is a powerful diagnostic tool that creates a real-time internal image of an animal’s body, giving us important information about the circulatory, skeletal and gastrointestinal systems.

When used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools like X-rays ultrasound images can help identify disease, blockages, skeletal fractures, soft tissue damage and other internal injuries. Because ultrasounds don’t require radiation, they're also used to monitor pregnancies and fetal health in breeding pets.

An ultrasound works by broadcasting high-frequency sound waves that reflect off your pet’s internal structures. A small probe held against the skin collects the returning signals to create an image of the internal body, most commonly used to examine abdominal organs like the stomach, kidneys, liver, spleen, and gallbladder.

An echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart, provides precise information about heart valves, blood flow, chamber size, and contractions. Completely painless and non-invasive, ultrasounds usually require some sedation because the patient must remain completely still.

To schedule a consultation or to learn more about our ultrasound services, call us at 815-585-4146.

Imagine if you never brushed your teeth or had them cleaned. Pretty frightening, right? As you can guess, things would soon start to go very bad inside your mouth: teeth would rot and decay, gums would become inflamed and painful, then infected. You could have trouble eating or loose teeth. Bacteria from periodontal disease could eventually travel into your bloodstream and cause other serious health problems.

It’s the same scenario for your dog or cat. While some people might laugh at the idea of brushing their pet’s teeth or taking them for a dental cleaning, the fact is that by age three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some evidence of periodontal disease. Periodic dental exams help maintain proper oral hygiene and prevent future problems.

Lakeview Veterinary Care offers complete pet oral health services, including:

• Dental exams
• Annual dental cleanings
• Dental X-rays
• Extractions

Following American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, Lakeview Veterinary Care only does cleanings and dental work on anesthetized pets. To ensure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia, we do require a routine blood test before the procedure.

Preventative Dental Care

Brushing your pet’s teeth several times per week is the best way to prevent plaque and tartar build-up. Interested in learning how to brush your pet’s teeth? Just ask and we’ll be happy to help you get started. If you have a pet that won’t tolerate brushing, we can recommend products that will help keep your pet’s mouth healthy in between cleanings.

You can also help prevent severe oral problems by looking at your pet’s teeth from time to time, investigating bad smells, growths and discolorations. If you’re uncertain about something you find, you can always call us and bring you pet in for a quick assessment. Catching the problem early can help your pet live a longer, healthier life.

To make an appointment for a dental exam or cleaning, call us at 815-585-4146.

Ever heard the expression that “you are what you eat”? Well the same is true for our pets!

A nutrition-rich diet is your pet’s first line of defense and a cornerstone of preventive care. Proper daily nutrition will go a long way in keeping your pet healthy by bolstering the immune system and supporting normal development in younger animals.

Every pet’s nutritional needs are different, based on age, breed, health conditions and lifestyle factors. For example, giant breeds such as Great Danes, mastiffs and giant schnauzers have unique needs that can’t always be met by commercial dog foods. Puppies require more calories than seniors, so your vet will recommend specially formulated foods for them and for animals who have certain health conditions, such as kidney disease.

At Lakeview Veterinary Care, our team can take the guesswork out of feeding your pets by advising you about what’s right for your animal.

Have questions or concerns about what your pet is eating? Call us at 815-585-4146.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet, and we want to help make that difficult time more manageable by providing compassionate hospice and euthanasia services for your pet.

In addition to a quiet “comfort room” at the hospital where you can say goodbye to your pet, we also offer at-home hospice and euthanasia, which may be a better choice for both you and your animal companion.

For hospice care, we’ll work with you to see that your pet’s pain is managed and that he or she is as comfortable as possible until it’s time to say goodbye. When you’re ready to make that decision, our veterinarians will be with you every step of the way, and our staff can help with recommendations for aftercare.

We know it won’t be an easy call to make, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 815-585-4146 if we can assist you with end-of-life care for your pet.

Serious health problems, injuries and illness require immediate care. When your pet urgently needs to see a veterinarian, Lakeview Veterinary Care offers quality emergency care during our regular business hours.

While we understand you may not always be able to call in advance, if you are able to do so it will help our staff be prepared for your pet's arrival so the animal gets needed medical care that much quicker.

If your pet has an emergency after those hours, we recommend the following 24-hour veterinary hospitals:

Premier Veterinary Group
1810 E Belvidere Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030
(847) 548-5300

Companion Animal Specialty & Emergency Hospital
1095 Pingree Rd #120, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(815) 479-9119

Signs your pet may need emergency care:

• Pale gums
• Rapid breathing
• Weak or rapid pulse
• Change in body temperature
• Difficulty standing
• Apparent paralysis
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Excessive bleeding

Safety tips:

Pets who are severely ill or injured may try to bite, claw, or act in an aggressive manner toward those trying to help them. Approach any injured or sick pet slowly and calmly; say their name and see how the animal reacts. Call for help if the pet reacts aggressively.

For dogs, fashion a makeshift stretcher if the animal is unable to move. Make sure the neck is supported.

For cats, slowly place a blanket or towel over the head to prevent biting. Slowly lift the animal into an open-topped carrier or box.

Elevate and apply pressure to any bleeding wound.

If you think your pet has eaten something poisonous:

Call us, or if after hours, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. Trained toxicologists will consider the age and health of your pet, what was ingested, and then make a recommendation about what action should be taken.

Do you or your pet have limited mobility? Is transportation an issue? We want to make sure your pet gets the care he or she needs when they need it, which is why Lakeview Veterinary Care offers house calls!

House call services offer most routine veterinary care including:

• Wellness exams/illness evaluation
• Vaccinations
• Testing/sample collection
• Topical treatments
• End of life care (euthanasia)

If your pet needs more involved services such as surgery, dental procedures and advanced diagnostics (ultrasound, X-ray, etc.), a visit to the veterinary hospital will be necessary.

For availability and scheduling of in-home visits, call us at 815-585-4146.

The chewing. The scratching. The licking. These behaviors are all too familiar to many pet parents and they can be symptoms of a significant health problem. It could be food or environmental allergies, an infection, stress or any one of many issues, and it’s important your pet see the vet when these symptoms start to happen. 

At Lakeview Veterinary Care, we can examine and test your pet and based on the diagnosis, offer you treatment options that will provide relief to your pet—and you as well.

Symptoms of Skin Problems in Cats & Dogs

•    Excessive scratching, chewing or licking
•    Rashes
•    Lesions
•    Irritated or dry skin
•    Scabs
•    Red or inflamed skin
•    Hair loss
•    Rubbing of face against furniture or carpets

If your pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms above, schedule an appointment for your pet by calling us at 815-585-4146.

Lakeview Veterinary Care is proud to have a fully stocked in-house pharmacy where you can purchase your pet’s medications, flea, tick and heartworm preventives, and prescription diets.

When you buy directly from us, prescriptions can be filled right on site, and you can be sure of their safety and effectiveness. Also, your purchase is logged in your pet’s medical record, so our veterinarian knows your pet is getting the correct medication.

You should know that the manufacturers of many parasite preventives specify that their products only be sold directly by veterinarians. This is so product guarantees remain intact and ensures that manufacturers pay 100% of the diagnosis and necessary treatment of adverse reactions or product defects.

We hope you appreciate our level of care and invite you to call us at 815-585-4146 if you have any questions or concerns.

Surgery is often the most effective way to treat many serious injuries and disorders, and Lakeview Veterinary Care is proud to offer skilled surgical care and advanced equipment. Our hospital provides most routine soft-tissue surgeries including:

•    Spay/Neuter
•    Dental
•    Foreign body removal
•    Tumor removal
•    Bladder stone removal

For more advanced procedures, we can refer your pet to a trusted specialist for care.

Patient safety and comfort is our main priority. Lakeview Veterinary Care’s experienced veterinary technicians provide skilled pain management during and after all surgical procedures, ensuring your pet recovers quickly and with minimum discomfort.

Our veterinary team will walk you through the entire process, giving you the tools to make informed decisions regarding your pet’s treatment options. We understand surgery is a stressful time for any owner, and we’re available every step of the way to answer questions and put your mind at ease.

If you have questions or are considering surgery for your pet, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 815-585-4146.