Quality care for pets in the greater Andover area

Quality Care for Pets in Lawrence, Methuen & Beyond

At River Road Veterinary Hospital, we go above and beyond to provide all the services you need to care for your pet. We want to be the team you turn to when your furry family member is experiencing health problems. That’s why we offer everything from routine care to dentistry to surgical procedures.

For the last 10+ years, our community in Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and beyond has trusted our veterinary hospital to deliver top-quality, compassionate care for pets of all ages, including exotics. When you are here, you are part of our family. If your pet requires a service that is not listed below, don’t hesitate to talk to us about it.

Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call today at (978) 306-4144.

Services We Offer

Comprehensive Exams

Dogs and cats should have a comprehensive health exam at least annually, and ideally every six months, as recommended by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). Preventive care is the best medicine, and biannual exams allow us to not only have an accurate baseline but also detect and treat serious issues earlier in their development. In addition to cardiovascular, respiratory, oral, musculoskeletal, abdominal, coat, and skin examinations, our comprehensive exam and consultation also include routine optic and ophthalmic evaluations.

Pediatric Visits

Puppies and kittens mature quickly and should be examined every 3-4 weeks, as they are in a rapid phase of development. We will also discuss nutritional needs for pediatric pets, benefits of spaying/neutering, microchipping, deworming for intestinal parasites, heartworm, flea and tick prevention, and behavioral/training.

Senior Care

Improved pet diets and progressive veterinary care allow our pets to live longer and healthier lives. Biannual exams aid in the early detection of many diseases and allow treatment to be started sooner. This means that senior pets (seven years old and older), just like their human counterparts, require special attention and a different approach to health care. Joint pain, diabetes, urinary disorders, weight management issues, dental health issues, and thyroid disorders are some typical senior pet health issues that we address in order to provide the best quality of life as possible.

Surgery

The doctors at River Road Veterinary Hospital perform a wide variety of soft tissue surgeries, including neuters, spays, mass removals, splenectomies, and cystotomies. We have a visiting board-certified surgeon that performs orthopedic procedures and other specialized surgeries. Our modern surgical suite is equipped with the latest in veterinary monitoring systems, including ECG, oxygen saturation, temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Every patient is different and therefore a safe, individualized anesthetic and pain management plan is determined for each pet undergoing surgery. Additional safety protocols include full blood screening (CBC/Chemistry) and an IV catheter placement is mandatory for all pets to be anesthetized.

Dentistry

Healthy teeth and gums are essential to your pet's quality of life. Our dental services include ultrasonic teeth cleaning, polishing, tooth extractions, and minor oral surgery. Not only can oral disease cause serious pain, but it also may lead to the spread of harmful bacteria to your pet's heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

Diagnostics

Our hospital maintains an in-house diagnostics laboratory as well as having twice-daily courier service to a commercial lab for specialized tests. This is valuable because it means that you don’t have to wait for important lab results, losing (possibly critical) time in the process.

Vaccines

We believe in doing a risk assessment for each pet before deciding on appropriate vaccinations. This means vaccines are recommended based on your pet's lifestyle. We will complete a physical exam to ensure your pet is healthy and able to receive vaccinations safely.

Pharmacy

We maintain a complete inventory of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, shampoos, flea and tick control products, and heartworm preventatives to meet the needs of your pet. By having our pharmacy onsite, you are able to start treating your pet immediately. We also carry a full line of prescription diets.

Microchipping

Millions of dogs and cats get lost every year. Pets who are microchipped are returned home at a much greater frequency than pets that aren’t microchipped. The procedure itself is very simple – we inject the microchip (which is about the size of a grain of rice) into the loose folds between your pet’s shoulder blades. Virtually every veterinary hospital and animal shelter has a microchip scanner, meaning that if your pet is ever lost and found, you will be able to be reunited. Unlike collars, which are often lost when pets run away, a microchip is a permanent identification in case your pet runs away.

Nutritional Counseling

Expert nutritional advice is an important part of the treatment of various health issues. We are medically educated in pet nutrition and can counsel you about the appropriate dietary requirements of growing pets as well as a nutritional regiment that enhances mobility or improves weight loss. Our hospital stocks the highest quality veterinary regulated pet foods to suit any pet’s health and dietary needs.

Travel

If you are planning to travel with your pet to another country, you will need to meet certain pet health criteria of the country you’re going to. We will examine your pet and provide any appropriate travel documents.

Euthanasia

The decision to euthanize is difficult to even imagine, but sometimes it is the noblest act of compassion that we can do for our beloved pets. Please know that this decision is always yours, yet we will be there to educate you about your pet’s quality of life and prognosis of their condition. If you decide that this is the right decision for your pet, we will make sure it is a private, compassionate, and gentle goodbye for your companion.

Have a question about one of our services? We’re happy to provide an answer. Reach out to us today!