Our Services


Puppies or kittens born receive antibodies (maternal antibodies) from their mother’s milk (colostrum) for the first few days of their life. These antibodies protect these young animals from certain diseases for few weeks. Protective level of antibodies gradually decreases as the animal grows older. In some, decrease of maternal immunity happens as early as six weeks old or later until they are 16 weeks old. In such scenario, a series of Immunization is recommended to increase and maintain the protective level using vaccines. Some vaccines used are combination of killed or modified-live organisms to protect the animal against different diseases. Most of the vaccines are repeated yearly thereafter to make sure the protective level of antibodies is well maintained to prevent diseases.
A thorough physical examination is performed first and made sure that the animal to be vaccinated is apparently healthy. The physical examination does not guarantee that the animal is not infected at all before being presented for vaccination but will at least minimize the risk of having post vaccination problems or reaction or at most vaccination failure.
Vaccination protocols differ from age, risk of exposure to certain diseases and animal species. Geographic locations or traveling to different countries requires different kind of vaccines. Patients are advised to stay in the hospital for at least 30 minutes to make sure there’s no allergic reaction to vaccines.

Spay and Neuter

Spaying is the term applied to the procedure removing the uterus and ovaries of a female animal. It is done to prevent the animal being bred and produce off-springs afterwards. Intact female cats will come into heat every 21 days on the average and every 6 months for dogs. This stage of heat will last for a week and the animal will become very uneasy and very vocal trying to find a mate, which can be very disturbing and annoying. They will try to get loose or get out of the house, which is very dangerous and might not come back for some days. As they grow older, intact animals will have a higher tendency of having infection in the uterus (pyometra) or may have hormonal imbalance, which might lead to cysts or tumor growth in the reproductive organs. These consequences will require more complicated surgery, which may be costly and risky.
Intact male dogs and cats are hard to keep indoors. They may want to go out and find a mate especially if they can sense that there is a female animal in the area, which is in heat. They may become territorial and may fight other pets and might mark territories urinating or spraying everywhere frequently. Prostate problems and tumors associated with uncastrated males are common. The testicles are removed in this procedure on male animals at 6 months of age or before they reach sexual maturity.

Nutritional Counseling

Every dog, cat or any animal has unique nutritional needs depending on the age, health condition and the level of activity they do everyday. Feeding each pet either less or much more than the required nutritional needs can negatively affect growth, performance and health. Especially for dogs, level of activity differs from each breed. Some breeds are used for show, hunting, herdings aside form the very wide range of sizes depending on the breed. Cats compared to dogs have the ability to utilize high levels of fats and require niacin and more vitamin B. Household with 2 or more pets especially those with dogs and cats together are more likely to have problems in respect to feeding and nutritional issues.
Lifestage nutrition is a very common knowledge that most of the time neglected by pet owners. Shifting to another kind of food when the pet reaches a different stage in life is very important. From puppy/kitten, to adult, and to senior age, each kind of food is changed in each life stage. Pregnant, nursing, active animals and those with health problems are also given different kind of ration. Spaying or neutering your pet will also affect activity and metabolism and feeding should also be decreased and given attention.
The RAH Team are well adept of the nutritional needs of your pet. The main goal of the team is to help and assist owners in providing information on pet nutrition and feeding. Making appropriate recommendations to the client depending on their pet’s needs to prevent health problems. Prescription diets, aside from the regular food for dogs and cats are available in the hospital.

Dental Cleaning

Like humans, our pets need dental attention too. Brushing their teeth and feeding the recommended food are sometimes not enough to ensure that your pet has healthy teeth and gums. Tartar and plaques constantly accumulate on the surface of the teeth and can cause tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal disease, which is more common on dogs and cats more than 4 years old. Unnoticed, this condition might cause or complicate problems on the heart, kidneys, liver and joints too. Immune system will also be compromised and might lead to some other diseases. It is advisable to have your pet undergo a professional check up at least once a year to ensure healthy gums and teeth.
Dental Prophylaxis and extraction, if necessary, is performed under general anesthesia. Preparation is similar to any surgical procedure. Dental machine with ultrasonic scaler and polisher is used. Teeth and gums are well evaluated and extraction is done depending on the gravity of the problem. Wounds are sutured if necessary. Sometimes, tooth is spared from being extracted with the help of special gels applied on gaps between teeth and gums. Antibiotics, pain medication, mouthwash and gels and special food are recommended after dental prophylaxis and extractions are done to maintain good health on teeth, gums and mouth.


The hospital has boarding facilities to provide clean and comfortable environment for your pets while you are on vacation or spending your holidays. Cages and runs are safe for their stay. Dogs are walked daily on a nearby park. Playing, cuddling and petting are always provided and each guest is always given undivided attention and care.
We require vaccination against major canine and feline diseases especially Rabies and Bordetella bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough). Updated endo-parasite and ecto-parasite control is recommended. Animals are checked by our veterinarians and given immediate treatments if necessary. Boarding animals with regular daily medications are given full attention and made sure that their medications are given on time by our staff.


We believe that personal hygiene is essential to our health and of course to our pet’s health too. Proper and regular grooming does not only refer to washing the dirt off nor removing obvious imperfections in one’s appearance but also, preventing some dermatological problems that might go unnoticed in time. With our experienced groomer and stylist, and with the help of our staff and veterinarians, any dermatological issue seen before and during grooming is reported to their owners at once. The problem is discussed and addressed properly.
Full Service Grooming includes bathing, trimming or shaving hair, ear cleaning and nail trim. Other health related services such as vaccination, parasite control and anal gland check are done at the same time as requested by the owner. We require vaccination against major canine and feline diseases especially Rabies and Bordetella bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough).

House calls

Riverdale Animal Hospital provides some in-home veterinary services for your dogs and cats upon request. In some special cases, transportation services are provided for pets that require medical treatment in the hospital.

Laser Surgery

Surgeries are mostly performed under general anesthesia. Any animal subjected to any surgical procedure might be at risk but the risks of general anesthesia are usually greater than the surgery itself. Pre- anesthetic blood tests are usually required before any surgical procedure is to be performed especially for senior animals (7 years or older). This blood test is recommended to identify any existing medical problem and to ensure that anesthetic risk will be avoided or at least minimized. Preparing the animal for surgery also matters. Withholding food 12 hours prior to surgery will prevent vomiting and inhaling gastric contents during the surgery. Updated vaccinations and check up two weeks before the anticipated date of surgery will also help minimize surgical and anesthetic risks.
Cost, length of surgery and recovery periods depend on the procedure performed, the age of the animals and the anesthesia used. Using laser technology in performing surgeries is highly recommended these days for many advantages.
Why subject your animal to more painful procedure? LASER SURGERY is commonly used since this technology provides countless benefits as compared to the “old” scalpel procedure. The laser emitted by the Laser Machine cuts and seals the nerve endings and blood vessels thus preventing pain and at the same time coagulates blood as it precisely cut the tissues. Bleeding is less or most of the time no bleeding at all. Wound heals faster and infection is minimized since heat emitted by the laser kills the bacteria. Moreover, the procedure is done faster since less bleeding management by ligatures of blood vessels and clamping are not necessary anymore with the use of laser technology.
Post-operative management is still important and well taken cared off since environment and activities of the animal might affect healing of the wound even the procedure is properly done.

Radiology and Ultrasonography

Radiograph is the mage produced by the X-rays or electronic radiations that passes through the patient body or body parts. The picture is assessed and interpreted by veterinarians to diagnose certain diseases, abnormalities, detect foreign bodies and even fractures on bones of your pets. Radiography is an indispensable part of the diagnostic work-up in small animal practice. Progress in bone fracture healing and obstruction in the gastro intestinal system can be assessed by series of radiographs taken. Gastric passage or emptying is monitored using contrast medium. Bladder stones and urinary tract obstructions by radio-opaque materials can also be detected using radiograph. Also, radiographs are used as guide or aid in interpreting images of diagnostic ultrasonography or in conjunction with other diagnostic tools to identify or diagnose the problem.
High-resolution radiographs are taken and developed at RAH which helps in quick diagnosis of certain health problems.
Ultrasonography is an integral part of resources in small animal disease diagnosis. Ultrasound Imaging is a non-invasive technology that can provide details of images of organs, tissues, abnormal growths and even foreign bodies inside the body. Sizes of organs or tissues can be measured, interpreted and assessed using ultrasound. More accurate diagnosis of any disease or abnormalities in your pet is achieved leading to a more precise treatment or management.
A new and sophisticated model of ultrasound machine is available at RAH used as aid to diagnose certain health issues and diseases.

Exotic Medicine

Riverdale Animal Hospital has a compassionate and experienced staff that can handle and take good care of your special pet that either crawls, flies, walk, slithers, swims, hops, clings or molts.
Some of the services that the practice has to offer for your exotic pets are:
Internal Medicine
Radiology and Ultrasonography
Parasite Control and Prevention
Nail, beak, wing and teeth clipping or trimming
Sex Identification
Egg Binding
Nutrition, Housing and Temperature Control Counseling

Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery Service at Riverdale Animal Hospital offers comprehensive surgical care for dogs and cats with orthopedic conditions. Radiographic imaging is done at once to identify and evaluate the problem. If further diagnosis is needed, such as biopsy and ultrasound imaging, clients will be advised for the scheduled procedure. After the surgical procedure is performed, patients are housed in cages or runs and given full attention and care to comfort them. Most of the animals are cage rested but if necessary, and the conditions permit, patients are taken outside for a walk or exercise daily for easy recovery.
Any signs of limping, lameness or immobility should be given immediate attention and be consulted to the veterinarian as soon as possible.


Microchip is an electronic “chip” implanted under the skin of an animal used for identification. The microchip is designed to last the lifetime of your pet and needs no replacement at all. Microchip when scanned will provide a unique alpha numeric code assigned to your pet. Aside from identifying your pet when your pet got lost and picked up by animal control officers, microchipping helped a lot in easier record keeping, pet registration and travel documentation. When traveling, microchipped animals are easily inspected and identified.
The hospital is an authorized microchipping center that uses microchips that can be scanned and read by scanners used by animal control officers, in shelters and inspectors in different ports of other countries.