Medical & surgical services for dogs, cats & exotic pets

Pet Care

Preventative Care & Vaccinations
Wellness Exams

Preventative care is the most important thing you can do to ensure your pet keeps living the good life. However, it goes much further than simply keeping up with regular vaccines. Thorough annual examinations detect abnormalities before they start obviously impacting your pet’s quality of life. Regular bloodwork lets us catch illnesses before they show up on exam, giving us more options for treating the issue and a better outcome. Combined with proper nutrition and vaccinations, we can keep your pet happy and active longer and you can feel better knowing your pet is healthy.

Vaccination

Vaccines are an important way to prevent often fatal contagious diseases by training your pet’s immune system so it is ready if they are exposed to a certain disease. As your local clinic, our vaccine recommendations are appropriate for this area, and not another city. We are able to tailor a protocol to best protect your pet based on discussions with immunologists and the risk levels of vaccine-preventable diseases in the area. By partnering with us for all your pet’s life, we can further tailor their preventative medicine. The end result is more quality time with your pet.

Puppy & Kitten Packs

You want your new bundle of joy to have the best life can offer, and we want to make it easier for you to provide that! We offer a preventative care package for new puppies and kittens that includes everything they need to stay healthy during the first year of life:

  • Three veterinary visits to keep a close eye on your new furry family member and make sure they are growing and developing properly. If any issues do arise, early intervention leads to a much better prognosis.
  • Initial vaccinations plus two boosters to ensure long-lasting immunity. Puppies and kittens who do not receive enough booster vaccines never develop long-term immunity. Packages include the following vaccines against life-threatening illnesses:
    • Puppies: Distemper, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Rabies
    • Kittens: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Feline Leukemia Virus (screening test and vaccine included), Rabies
  • Comprehensive parasite prevention
    • Intestinal parasites
    • Ear mites (kittens)
    • Heartworm
    • Ticks (puppies)
  • Free toothbrush and dental care lessons

And…to make sure you have a little left over for puppy classes, that luxury cat tree, or the “must-have” puppy shirt, our puppy/kitten packs include a generous 20% savings on the above services, as well as a 10% savings on your little one’s spay or neuter.

Parasite Prevention

With growing dewormer resistance in parasites, it is no longer good enough to simply rotate dewormers. We need to know if your pet actually needs to be dewormed, which worms are present and which dewormer works. By performing in-house fecal tests, we can quickly tell whether or not your pet needs to be dewormed – and it’s a simple as bringing in a fresh sample of poop you’ve already picked up!

Tick & Heartworm Prevention

Proper preventative care for your pet goes beyond regular vaccines and deworming. Did you know that the Similkameen valley has been considered a high-risk area for heartworm for several years now? Did you know that ticks in the Princeton area can cause both Lyme disease and Tick Paralysis? Did you know that you can keep your pets safe from these often fatal diseases just by giving them a flavoured monthly chew? Ask us about a preventative program today!

Preventative Blood Testing

Proper preventative care for your pet goes beyond regular vaccines and deworming. Did you know that the Similkameen valley has been considered a high-risk area for heartworm for several years now? Did you know that ticks in the Princeton area can cause both Lyme disease and Tick Paralysis? Did you know that you can keep your pets safe from these often fatal diseases just by giving them a flavoured monthly chew? Ask us about a preventative program today!

Medical Examination

Thorough examination appointments are standard at Cascade Veterinary Clinic, and are the cornerstone of our services. We don’t believe in rushing through and limiting all appointments to 10 minutes just to fit more patients in a day. Some cases are more complicated, and we will always book accordingly. You and your pet are worth this extra time. This means we can assess your pet’s whole health, so we can find the real cause and come up with an effective plan and not just a band-aid treatment for the obvious symptoms.

Behaviour & Anxiety Consults

Just like us, our pets can develop stress and anxiety. In fact, the majority of animals surrendered for adoption are because of anxiety issues that could have been helped with anxiety medications and proper training. Nobody loves being stressed all the time and we’re here to help keep your pet happy. immunologists and the risk levels of vaccine-preventable diseases in the area. By partnering with us for all your pet’s life, we can further tailor their preventative medicine. The end result is more quality time with your pet.

Specialist Consultation & Referral

We’re not going to try and pretend we’re specialists – we’re general practitioners who have taken some advanced courses – but we do spend lots of time consulting with specialists on your behalf to get an answer without you having to travel. Thanks to advances in Telemedicine, we can have results and recommendations from specialists quickly – often within 24 hours and sooner.

Blood Testing

To give your pet the best chance in an emergency, treatments depend on precisely knowing your pet’s internal health – organ function, blood cell analysis, electrolyte analysis and more! Our comprehensive in-house lab analyzers can get us those answers within minutes. We can perform complete blood cell analysis, full serum biochemistry analysis, blood electrolyte testing, fluid protein analysis, as well as tests for thyroid disease, early-stage (pre-clinical) kidney disease, and long-term diabetes management in-house, all with results within the hour. Proper analysis of your pet’s internal health saves unnecessary treatments and leads to faster recovery.

Urine Testing

Urine testing isn’t just for infection! We do commonly perform testing for urinary tract infection in-clinic, including rapid bacterial testing (15 min) and in-house culture and sensitivity testing, to ensure proper treatment of infections. We also analyze urine for the presence/type of crystals, test for kidney disease, diabetes, and other internal organ problems. Additionally, we can perform rapid drug testing on pet urine in the case of suspected toxicosis.

Contagious Disease Testing

Knowing whether your pet has an infection and what is causing the infection is very important – particularly with antibiotic resistance on the rise. We have numerous options available to determine whether your pet has a commonly seen infection. For less common illnesses, we utilize the skills of specialists at referral laboratories to get the answers you need.

Parasite Testing

With growing dewormer resistance in parasites, it is no longer good enough to simply rotate dewormers. We need to know if your pet actually needs to be dewormed, which worms are present and which dewormer works. By performing in-house fecal tests, we can quickly get you these answers – and it’s a simple as bringing in a fresh sample of poop you’ve already picked up!

Bacterial Culture & Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing

We provide in-house testing for antibiotic effectiveness against your pet’s infection, which significantly reduces the wait time for results. Rather than wasting precious time in transit to a referral lab, we can typically provide results in 24 hours to ensure your pets receive effective treatment.

Cardiology

Your pet has a heart of gold – let us help keep it as healthy as possible by detecting heart disease before it’s too late to help. From something as simple as investing in specialized cardiology stethoscopes to catch early heart murmurs and recommending pre-anesthetic electrocadiograms read by board-certified cardiologists, to digital radiographs, doppler ultrasound and blood-pressure monitoring – we are dedicated to always improving how we keep heart disease from shortening your pet’s life. We can also perform screening blood tests for cardiac function. Heart disease slows down over 70% of elderly pets – we’re glad we can help them still feel like puppies in their golden years.

Mass & Lesion Cytology

Lumps and bumps are common in pets and can be very serious. We focus on finding an answer and treating it quickly before it becomes a complicated illness. With both in-house microscopic evaluation and referral to pathologists and oncologists, we can find a treatment plan that works best for you and your pet.

Specialist Telemedicine

To help minimize the stress of travel, we are able to consult with numerous specialists via the internet. From radiographs to electrocardiograms and more, we are able to take the stress out of finding an answer by sending the tests, not your pet, to the specialists.

Digital X-Rays

We are proud to offer high-definition digital radiographs because of their higher quality images and improved safety for your pet and our staff. Digital radiographs require a much lower dose of radiation compared to conventional film images or CR images, which means pets are not exposed to as much radiation when radiographs are taken. When your pet is coughing or limping, we can find the answer quickly. Our calm, caring approach to your pet means we can obtain most images without the use of sedation.

Ultrasound

Having a high quality in-clinic ultrasound with doppler is integral to our ability to fully diagnose why your pet is sick. By investing in an in-clinic ultrasound with doppler, and advanced training with our ultrasound, we have rounded out what digital radiographs can’t do. We primarily use ultrasound to evaluate your pet’s organs. We can also utilize telemedicine for specialists to read any images that we can’t.

Soft-tissue & Orthopedic Surgery

We take pride in our surgical skills and you can too. We aren’t simply a spay and neuter clinic – we offer many other elective and emergency soft-tissue surgeries as well as several orthopedic procedures. Procedures offered include surgical biopsy, tumor removal, wound repair and tissue reconstruction, various ear and eye surgeries, gastrointestinal surgery, surgeries for arthritic hips, some fracture repairs, and many more. Your pet’s comfort and safety is our primary concern. We utilize a modern multi-modal approach to pain management to keep your pet more comfortable before, during and after surgery. We take care that everything that goes into our surgeries – from the anesthetics used, to our choice of suture, our surgical technique, and our care and attention of sterility and cleanliness – results in as comfortable and speedy of recovery as we can provide.

Spays & Neuters

Our spay and neuter packages include many things which increase your pet’s comfort and safety. What they don’t include are hidden surprises for you. We know that every pet should benefit from comprehensive pain control – before, during and for several days after surgery, so we include it in our price. Anesthetic safety should always be a priority, so continual monitoring by a Registered Veterinary Technician, including ECG and capnography, isn’t an added “deluxe package,” it’s included in our price. An IV catheter shouldn’t be optional for surgery any more than seat belts should be optional in cars, so it’s included in our price. Pre-surgical examinations, e-collars or After Surgery shirts, surgical recheck examinations…all are important, and all are included. Please call for up-to-date pricing; all prices are fully inclusive and rates are very competitive.

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Included Services


  • Pre-Surgical Physical Examination – Animals are examined by an Veterinarian prior to sedation for anesthetic and surgery.
  • IV Catheter – An intra-venous catheter is placed in all patients prior to anesthesia to allow rapid administration of any life-saving medications needed, which makes anesthetic much safer.
  • Meloxicam Injection – Given prior to surgery, this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory minimizes pain and facilitates faster incision healing.
  • Cerenia Injection – Given prior to surgery, this medication provides exceptional pain control of the ovaries and uterus or testes, and also eliminates post-op nausea due to anesthetic agents, meaning your pet is not only more comfortable, but also has a better appetite on recovery.
  • Sedation – Patients are sedated with a combination of medications prior to anesthetic, so that induction of anesthetic is not stressful for your pet, and also to provide additional pain control during and after the surgical procedure. Unlike some older and cheaper sedatives, we use sedatives that minimize the drop in blood pressure that can accompany sedation and anesthetic.
  • Anesthetic – We use safe, modern gas anesthetic which allows for easy and almost instant adjustments to keep patients at an optimal plane of anesthesia, and not the intra-venous type which is more difficult to adjust as needed. All of our patients, including cat neuters, are anesthetized this way and provided with supplemental oxygen by means of a properly fitted endotracheal tube and not just a mask, to ensure anesthesia is safer.
  • IV Fluids – Increase anesthetic safety, and allow smoother recovery. Did you know that anesthesia causes a drop in blood pressure? IV fluids not only help keep blood pressure in a safe range, but also help flush sedatives from you pet’s body quicker during recovery, and also correct for dehydration that develops during the pre-anesthetic fasting period.
  • Surgery – Surgeries are performed in our dedicated surgical suite. While not required by CVBC bylaw, our surgeons wear sterile gloves and gowns not just for dog spays, but also for dog neuters and cat spays. This attention to sterility means we don’t need to send home antibiotics “just in case.” We only use modern absorbable suture to minimize post-operative swelling, inflammation and discomfort. We offer ovariectomy surgery for most females in addition to the traditional spay, or ovariohysterectomy . Ovariectomy procedures are thought to be less painful, and minimize certain risks during the recovery period.
  • Monitoring – Patients are monitored by Registered Veterinary Technicians during anesthesia and recovery. Did you know this isn’t required by law? Anesthesia is complicated, and we don’t believe that untrained, unlicensed people should be responsible for ensuring your fur baby’s safety and comfort. So at our clinic, we only allow RVTs or Veterinarians to be responsible for anesthesia. During anesthetic, your pet is continually observed and measurements of heart rate, blood oxygenation, respiratory rate, respiratory function, blood pressure, heart ECG, temperature, and pulse quality are monitored.
  • Recovery – An RVT sits with your pet while it recovers to ensure it is safe and comfortable. We never just throw pets back in a kennel and turn our attention to something else! Pets are hospitalized for several hours following surgery so that we can keep and eye on them; discharge doesn’t occur until they are bright, alert, and comfortable.
  • Post-Op Meloxicam Perscription – All animals are discharged with at least a 3 day perscription of this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, to provide pain control and facilitate faster healing.
  • E-collar or After-Surgery Shirt – Every spay includes an after-surgery shirt, and each neuter includes an e-collar (cone) which prevents your pet from licking (and damaging and contaminating) their incision.
  • Complimentary Nail Trim – Offered to all surgical patients free of charge!
  • Recheck Examination – A follow-up examination is included in all spays and neuters, because we believe its important to make sure your pet is healed before returning to regular activities.

  • Recommended for your pet’s safety:
  • Pre-Anesthetic Blood Profile – Did you know that 1 in 9 animals that appear perfectly healthy on pre-surgical exam have hidden abnormalities which are found on a pre-anesthetic blood profile? This is why we recommend pre-anesthetic blood tests! We run a thorough panel of tests including a biochemistry panel, electrolyte panel, and complete blood cell count. Many changes can be corrected for by altering the amount or type of sedatives, anesthetic, or intravenous fluids, to make your pet’s procedure that much safer!
  • Pre-Anesthetic ECG – A screening ECG checks for abnormalities in heart function. A shocking 1 in 14 apparently healthy animals has heart abnormalities found on this tests. While this doesn’t mean that all of them have heart disease, it does mean that different sedatives are needed to provide a safe anesthetic. We strongly recommend this test prior to all anesthetics!
Anesthesia

Many pet owners fear putting their pet under anesthesia – we understand as we are all pet owners too. Because of this, we take every anesthesia seriously and treat anesthesias for young spays and neuters with the same care and diligence as we do for our geriatric pets. For your pet’s safety, we have invested in our monitoring equipment so that we can keep a close eye on many vital parameters (heart ECG, blood pressure, respiratory carbon dioxide levels, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, temperature), which means we can safely make adjustments long before your pet is in danger of anesthetic death. We have also invested in diagnostic equipment to minimize the risk of anesthesia by catching early stage illnesses that don’t show up on pre-surgical exam but which would impact anesthetic safety. Our anesthesias are never monitored by informally trained assistants – a Registered Veterinary Technician or  Veterinarian keeps a close eye on your beloved pet during anesthesia and recovery.

Surgical Extractions & Professional Dental Cleanings

Do you know all the illnesses linked to dental disease in our pets, or that they are similar to those in humans? Did you know that dental care in humans has been a contributor to longer lifespans because of this? With the current advances in dentistry available to our pets, we are excited to see how much longer they are living when we perform preventative dental work rather than extracting badly rotten teeth. We have invested in a digital dental radiograph unit to minimize radiation, as well as a piezoelectric dental scaler much like the one your dentist uses on you – one that is shown to have the lowest risk causing heat damage to a tooth. Because we perform radiographs as a part of our oral exam, we can find the actual cause of the issue and only extract teeth that are required to. If extractions are required, we can determine the fastest, least traumatic way to surgically remove any teeth. By using proper dental nerve blocks, sending home pain medication and utilizing absorbable surgical foam to prevent a painful condition called dry socket, we help get your pet over the pain of dental disease, and back to the playful pet you remember, quickly.

Anesthesia

Did you know that it’s the law in Canada for all veterinary dental procedures to be performed under general anesthesia? That’s right, anesthesia-free dentals are illegal, and for good reason! This is because of pet safety – the instruments used to clean teeth are very sharp, and if a patient is awake and moves (which it will), the dental instruments will cause painful damage, such as ruptured eye balls and lacerated tongues. Tooth extractions are painful if performed in pets that are awake. Dental x-rays are impossible in a pet that’s awake and able to chew or swallow. It’s also not possible to thoroughly examine all aspects of a cat or dog’s mouth when they’re awake – pet’s don’t sit still and say “awwww” like you do at the dentist.

Many pet owners fear putting their pet under anesthesia – we understand as we are all pet owners too. Because of this, we take every anesthesia seriously and treat anesthesias for young spays and neuters with the same care and diligence as we do for our geriatric pets. For your pet’s safety, we have invested in our monitoring equipment so that we can keep a close eye on many vital parameters (heart ECG, blood pressure, respiratory carbon dioxide levels, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, temperature), which means we can safely make adjustments long before your pet is in danger of anesthetic death. We have also invested in diagnostic equipment to minimize the risk of anesthesia by catching early stage illnesses that don’t show up on pre-surgical exam but which would impact anesthetic safety. Our anesthesias are never monitored by informally trained assistants – a Registered Veterinary Technician or  Veterinarian keeps a close eye on your beloved pet during anesthesia and recovery.

Every Month is Dental Month!

Eliminating dental disease is too important to your pet’s health to postpone important treatments, that’s why at Cascade Veterinary Clinic every month is dental month! You don’t need to wait for January or February to roll around before you can afford to take care of your pet.

Our dental packages include a savings of 10% on the overall cost of treatment (which generally adds up to $100-150!), along with a gift bag valued at over $60. Your gift includes a toothbrush, veterinary exclusive toothpaste and water additive which both break down tartar and prevent the accumulation of calculus without damaging the enamel, as well as a bag of prescription Hills dental food. And we don’t just give out tiny samples – all items are full-sized!

How do you take advantage of this amazing offer? Simply schedule your pet’s dental prophylaxis or surgery to occur within 2 weeks of the date we provide you with a treatment plan.  Not sure if you can afford treatment? We offer payment plans through two third-party providers to make caring for your fur-baby easier.

Euthanasia in our Dedicated Comfort Room

Saying good-bye to a beloved pet can be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. It can also be one of the kindest acts for a fur-friend whose suffering can’t ever otherwise be relieved. At Cascade Veterinary Clinic, we have all personally been through the heart-wrenching experience of saying a final farewell to a dear pet. We understand that while we can never make “good-bye” easy, we can make it a little better. We make every effort to allow clients the time and space they need during this emotional and private time with their pet. Pets are given a sedative prior to euthanasia so that they are relaxed and feel more comfortable throughout the procedure. Once the sedative has taken effect, we gently place an intra-venous catheter to ensure that the euthanasia drugs are delivered smoothly and precisely and without discomfort. The euthanizing drug is essentially an overdose of general anesthetic – your pet gently and painlessly falls asleep and passes away very quickly. We encourage owners to remain with their pets throughout the procedure to provide comfort and companionship in the final moments.

Our dedicated comfort room is designed to make euthanasias as easy as possible for you and your beloved pet. We built our space to include thorough sound-proofing so you won’t be disrupted by external barking or the sound of lab machines running. Comfortable seating is in place for people. Pets can pass peacefully while resting on our cushioned, height-adjustable table that can be wheeled out to the curb for animals with mobility issues. Our comfort room features natural lighting, views to the outdoors, and a separate exit so you can avoid the main reception/waiting area when coming and going. As a further courtesy, payment is offered in the room, so there’s no need to leave the comfort of your private space.

Cremation & Aftercare

All of our pet aftercare services are provided with dignity and respect. We offer cremation services through Okanagan Pet Cremation, including the option of private cremation with ashes returned, private cremation with ashes not returned, or communal cremation with ashes not returned. A selection of urns are also available. Please contact Cascade Veterinary Hospital for more information.

We also offer care of remains to the local municipal site, which is a cost-effective option.

Please note that it is against the Town of Princeton bylaw to bury deceased pets within town limits. For those residing outside of town limits, please ensure that burial is at least 6 feet deep, for the safety of wildlife.

Proper nutrition is the basis of good health. Different breed and different life stages have different dietary requirements. Whether your pet needs a food that keeps their teeth clean, their joints comfortable, or their skin itch-free, we’ve got the high-quality diet they need.

Did you know that the majority of pets are obese? This is leading to an epidemic of diabetes, arthritis and heart disease in pets. Need a little encouragement to help them lose the weight? We’re here to help.

We’re also here to help customize your pet’s diet to their illnesses – from commercially available diets to homemade cooked recipes. A range of conditions, from kidney disease to diabetes, benefit from proper dietary management.

Euthanasia in our Dedicated Comfort Room

Saying good-bye to a beloved pet can be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. It can also be one of the kindest acts for a fur-friend whose suffering can’t ever otherwise be relieved. At Cascade Veterinary Clinic, we have all personally been through the heart-wrenching experience of saying a final farewell to a dear pet. We understand that while we can never make “good-bye” easy, we can make it a little better. We make every effort to allow clients the time and space they need during this emotional and private time with their pet. Pets are given a sedative prior to euthanasia so that they are relaxed and feel more comfortable throughout the procedure. Once the sedative has taken effect, we gently place an intra-venous catheter to ensure that the euthanasia drugs are delivered smoothly and precisely and without discomfort. The euthanizing drug is essentially an overdose of general anesthetic – your pet gently and painlessly falls asleep and passes away very quickly. We encourage owners to remain with their pets throughout the procedure to provide comfort and companionship in the final moments.

Our dedicated comfort room is designed to make euthanasias as easy as possible for you and your beloved pet. We built our space to include thorough sound-proofing so you won’t be disrupted by external barking or the sound of lab machines running. Comfortable seating is in place for people. Pets can pass peacefully while resting on our cushioned, height-adjustable table that can be wheeled out to the curb for animals with mobility issues. Our comfort room features natural lighting, views to the outdoors, and a separate exit so you can avoid the main reception/waiting area when coming and going. As a further courtesy, payment is offered in the room, so there’s no need to leave the comfort of your private space.

Cremation & Aftercare

All of our pet aftercare services are provided with dignity and respect. We offer cremation services through Okanagan Pet Cremation, including the option of private cremation with ashes returned, private cremation with ashes not returned, or communal cremation with ashes not returned. A selection of urns are also available. Please contact Cascade Veterinary Hospital for more information.

We also offer care of remains to the local municipal site, which is a cost-effective option.

Please note that it is against the Town of Princeton bylaw to bury deceased pets within town limits. For those residing outside of town limits, please ensure that burial is at least 6 feet deep, for the safety of wildlife.