Preventive Care

• Dental Care
  Shirley Veterinary Hospital is a full-service veterinary medical facility located in Shirley, NY. The professional and courteous staff at Shirley seek to provide the best possible medical, surgical, rehabilitation, and dental care for their highly-valued patients. We are committed to promoting responsible pet ownership, preventative health care and health-related educational opportunities for our clients.
• Vaccination
  You may have heard the saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Similarly in veterinary medicine, we believe that the best way to stop disease is to prevent it entirely. Not only do vaccinations help keep your pet safe, they help keep the community of pets and owners safe. At Shirley Veterinary Hospital, we want your pets to stay as happy and healthy as possible.
• Veterinary Ophthalmology
  In older pets, we often look for signs of developing cataracts, which may lead to clouded vision and can lead to blindness if untreated. Senior cats and dogs may be more prone to infections, so we’ll be sure to carefully look for changes in bodily functions. They may start to develop longer-term diseases or conditions, like arthritis and diabetes, that respond to treatments best in their early stages.
• Nutritional Counseling
  We’ll weigh your pet to determine if they’re at a normal weight and body condition. Nutritional counseling and exercise recommendations may be provided at this time if we notice any weight issues.
• Comprehensive Examination
  When you bring your pet in for a wellness exam, they’ll receive a nose-to-tail checkup – but what exactly does that entail? A comprehensive exam includes an examination of all of your pet’s major body systems to help ensure that they’re functioning at their best.

Illness Treatment

• Parasites Treatment and Control
  By manipulating and feeling your pet’s legs, joints, and abdomen, we can check for unusual reactions, appearance of pain, or abnormal lumps. If a stoop sample is available, we’ll also perform tests to check for intestinal parasites.
• Pain Management
  At Shirley Veterinary Hospital, we take your pet’s chronic pain seriously. We know that your pets are precious to you, and we want to ensure that they’re living their happiest and most comfortable lives by your side. Pain relief can have profound effects on our pets’ attitude and activity at home and beyond.
• Skin Condition and Allergy Treatment
  We offer specific diagnostic tests like allergy testing, fungal testing, cultures and biopsies, along with the most cutting edge treatments to ensure the health of your pets’ skin.
• Injury Treatment
  We are proud to announce we are now offering laser therapy, an innovative new way to treat pain and inflammation in pets. Laser therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to create therapeutic effects such as improved healing time, pain reduction, increased circulation and decreased swelling. Multiple studies have shown laser therapy can help with a variety of problems including arthritis, joint pain, ligament sprains, muscle strains, dog/cat bites, feline acne/asthma, hotspots, post trauma/surgery pain, hip dysplasia, lick granulomas and snake/bug bites.
• Intestinal Foreign Object Removal

Infection Treatment

• Leptospirosis Treatment
• Parvovirus Infection Treatment

Chronic Condition Treatment

• Arthritis Treatment
  There are a number of health conditions that may lead to chronic pain in animals. Osteoarthritis and joint-related issues are common in older pets, while younger animals may suffer long-term effects from an accident or genetic disorder. The first step in developing a pain management plan for your pet involves identifying the cause or causes through physical assessments and diagnostic testing. Once we’ve identified the condition, we can begin an effective treatment plan that’s tailored to your pet’s individual needs.
• Hip Dysplasia Treatment
  Dogs that are born with congenital conditions can use hydrotherapy to maintain their strength as they grow, and older dogs suffering from arthritis or hip dysplasia can use the therapy to maintain their strength and mobility as well.
• Diabetes Treatment
• Thyroid Disease Treatment
• Periodontal Disease Treatment
  Your pet’s nose will be checked for any abnormal appearance or irregular discharge. After the sniffer check, we’ll look in their mouth to examine dental health for any abnormal smells, swelling, or masses. We’ll also check for plaque and tartar build up and for any missing or injured teeth. This helps to detect signs of periodontal disease. Since dental health is an important contributor to a health pet, regular brushings can greatly improve your pet’s dental health and overall quality of life. Based on the veterinarian’s findings, we can provide important recommendations to improve your pet’s dental health.

Emergency Care

• Wound and Fracture Care
  Dexter Archer, V.M.D. CCRP, graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. He spent the first three post-graduate years at both a general practice and a specialty animal hospital. While there, Dr. Archer worked alongside various Board Certified Specialists in different fields of veterinary medicine, including Surgery, Oncology, Internal Medicine, and became the director of the Emergency Critical Care department. He moved to Long Island in 2000 to become the Medical Director for a small animal hospital in Oakdale, NY. After a year in this position, he decided to purchase his first animal hospital, which was located in Riverhead, NY. Dr. Archer successfully practiced there for over six years, building lifelong, compassionate relationships with his clientele. He purchased his second veterinary hospital, Shirley Veterinary Hospital, in February 2007. Dr. Archer has expanded his role as General Practitioner to include special interests in Canine Rehabilitation, Wound Management, Dentistry, and Pain Management. In 2013 he obtained his Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) from the University of Tennessee. With his passion in physical rehabilitation and the benefits seen in his patients, he opened and currently operates a successful physical rehabilitation center, Healing Hands 4 Paws, located in Shirley, NY.

Surgery

• Veterinary Surgery
  It is our commitment to provide affordable quality veterinary care throughout the life of our patients. Our services and facilities are designed to assist in routine preventive care for young, healthy pets; early detection and treatment of disease as your pets age; and complete medical and surgical care as necessary during their lifetime.
• Spaying and Neutering
  Part of being a responsible pet owner is ensuring that your animal receives a spay or neuter procedure to help prevent sudden litters of puppies or kittens. As cute as they are, there are far too many cats and dogs out there without a loving home. Not only does spaying and neutering help your community and the general population of pets, it’s also good for your pet’s long-term health.

Lab and X-Rays

• Laboratory Services
  Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have about our In-House Laboratory services.
• X-Ray
• Dental Radiology
  Digital x-rays are a great way for us to tell what’s going on with your pet’s health in places that we can’t easily see with a regular exam. One of the most common versions your pet may receive is a full mouth dental radiograph. This lets us see your pet’s oral health beyond just the gums and plaque. We’ll often suggest this diagnostic test if your pet is receiving a dental cleaning with us, or if they’re experiencing mouth-related issues recently. That can include a decreased appetite due to painful chewing, swelling or bleeding from the mouth, or severely bad breath. Leaving a decaying tooth untreated can lead to some pretty serious health consequences for your pet, which is why we try to stay on top of things with the appropriate diagnostic tools.
• Microchipping
  Microchipping your pet is a great way to ensure they stay by your side for years to come. We highly recommend it for any new puppies or kittens, or any adult pet that hasn’t been microchipped before. In the event that your pet goes missing, people will now have a permanent way to identify them. This can be especially useful if your pet doesn’t normally wear a collar or if they slip out of it on a fence or a tree.

General Pet Care

• Boarding
  In addition to our veterinary services, Shirley Veterinary Hospital is pleased to offer convenient and affordable cat and dog boarding. Whether you’re going on vacation, need us to watch your pet for the day, or your animal needs to stay for medical boarding, we are happy to accommodate them. There are many benefits to boarding your pet at a veterinary clinic. If your they experience any health problems, our staff are available to take care of their needs.
• Grooming
  If you’re interested in adding grooming services to your pet’s trip to the vet, or if you’d just like to bring them in for a bath, please feel free to give us a call today. We’d be happy to schedule a time that’s most convenient for you. request an appointment
• Senior Pet Care