When you step through the doors at Animal Care Center; our front office team is there to assist you. Our staff has years of experience and training in customer service and will make sure that you and your pet have a pleasant stay, however brief, at ACC. Whether you need to make an appointment, have a question about your invoice or are looking for nearby accommodations, our exceptional front office staff is dedicated to helping you and your pet when you have a question or are in need of assistance.

The staff members at Animal Care Center are more than just professionals, they are real people with a passion for animals. Our staff is dedicated to insuring your pet is comfortable and your experience is a positive one. Afterall, it isn't by chance that we have been caring for special family members for over 20 years. We like what we do. This is Karen, one of our critical care nurses, taking a break with her family member Kirby.

Animal Care Center is a community resource that provides state of the art solutions to animal health care problems in a compassionate environment. Our doors are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are fortunate to have 3 full time emergency clinicians on staff and one of the most accomplished teams of veterinary specialists in Northern California with experts in cardiopulmonary disease, internal medicine, neurology & neurosurgery, radiology, and surgery. Here you see Internist Dr. Kay with her patient, a Great Dane named Tiffany.

This is the radiology room which was specially designed to accommodate x-ray procedures. The interior walls have been lined with lead to shield the radiation. This photo shows one of our veterinary nurses, Karen Hysell, monitoring a patient after a myelogram, a procedure used to assess compression of the spinal cord due to intervertebral disc herniation or other mass lesions such as a tumor or infection.

Our X-ray reading room enables us to view the results of many diagnostic procedures. This particular picture shows the results of a CT brain scan. One of the benefits of a CT scan is that it can provide a very detailed view of a particular area of the body by taking multiple images as slices, like a loaf of bread. This detailed information helps our specialists to make their diagnoses and determine the optimum treatment.

Animal Care Center is very fortunate to have some of the most progressive, state-of-the-art equipment allowing us to perform quicker, more efficient diagnosis and treatment of critically ill pets. In July of 2000 we installed our very own on-site computed tomography (CT) scanner. The scanner has been instrumental in increasing our efficiency and has allowed for better patient monitoring and increased safety. This enables the patient to stay in the hospital avoiding unnecessary transportation.

This is the control monitor for the CT Scanner. Our specialists and technicians have gone through extensive training and practice on the proper use of this equipment. The addition of the CT Scanner has allowed us the capability to obtain incredible results that other diagnostic procedures are unable to provide.

Surgery is a common practice at ACC. Here is Dr. Maguire, one of our neurosurgeons, performing back surgery on a patient in our surgery suite. We are fortunate to have not only some of the best specialists in Northern California but also some of the most state-of-the-art equipment including Pulse oximetry, ECG, blood pressure monitor, mono and bipolar electrocautery and a Bair Hugger® body warmer.

Laparoscopy is another new diagnostic and surgical procedure used by our specialists at ACC. It is much less invasive than traditional surgery. By inserting an instrument containing a fiber optic device into the patient's abdomen, our specialists are able to biopsy and inspect various organs; biopsy masses; collect bile for culture; confirm the presence of pancreatitis; and inspect the interior of the urinary bladder. Here, Dr. Kay is shown evaluating a pancreas of a dog.

Here are two pieces of equipment we use frequently during and after surgery, a Bair Hugger® and an infusion pump. (The Bair Hugger® is the white tubular object shown sitting around the infusion Pump.) The Bair Hugger® is a valuable warming device used in maintaining the body temperature of anesthetized patients. The IVAC Pump enables us to provide the patient with a constant rate of intravenous fluids.

The treatment area shown at right is figuratively and literally the hub of our medical operation. This busy area is where all routine patient care, wound care, casting, post-procedure exams, suturing, and medication administration occurs. It is conveniently adjacent to our patients beds and is central to all of our medical services. It also doubles as an impromptu meeting area for staff members to discuss current cases.

This photo shows our ultrasound area where the monitor and supporting equipment allow us to perform as many scans a day as are needed. The ultrasound is a valuable tool in evaluating the heart, abdomen, liver and kidneys as well as the fetus during pregnancy.

Here you see the laparoscopy and endoscopy equipment cart. Shown on this cart is a monitor and VCR for recording and viewing examinations; a camera to obtain images through the use of fiber optics; and a thermal printer to print the images. This equipment is valuable for both diagnosis and surgery.

Our laboratory allows us the capability to perform lab tests in-house when we need prompt results. When time is of the essence, our specially trained nurses can perform various tests, such as complete blood counts, electrolyte analyses and in-house cultures, to assist us in making expeditious diagnoses. When appropriate we also utilize the services of outside laboratories.