At Dr. Boyd’s, we provide personalized care for dogs and cats in our fully equipped veterinary hospital. Our exam rooms provide ample spaced for your family, your dogs and cats, and our team to meet together. We want to create an experience that is transparent and in which you are fully involved. Next to the exam rooms is our full service veterinary hospital.
Dr. Walston grew up right down the street in Potomac Maryland. After
highschool he attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he
also completed a Masters in animal science. His thesis focused on genetics
and intracellular iron transport in potential parasites. He then attended
vet school at Virginia Tech, where he found a love for soft tissue surgery
and all things involving radiology. His interests outside of veterinary
medicine include hiking, fishing, golf and running with his hound mix
Charlie.
We have an in-house laboratory, pharmacy, operating room, ultrasound room, thermal imaging, digital x-ray room and dental suite with digital dental x-ray. We use state of the art equipment to provide comprehensive monitoring of vital signs during anesthetic procedures. For many specialty surgical procedures, it is also possible for board-certified surgeons to perform procedures here in our operating room, with the full support and involvement of our veterinarians. For surgery patients, we provide post-operative convalescent care, and this service is available no matter where the surgery was performed.
If you have questions about any of the services offered in our veterinary hospital, please ask to speak to one of our doctors. Appointments are available for scheduled and walk-ins Tuesday – Saturday between 7:00am – 7:00pm. As dog and cat owners ourselves, we recognize that your dogs and cats are members of your family, and we approach every aspect of their care with that in mind. We will openly discuss all of your options, address all of your concerns, and keep you well informed at every step of the way.
At your dog’s or cat’s semi-annual or annual exam, our doctors will examine their teeth, eyes, ears, coat, weight and other parameters. At this time, we can also discuss any health concerns or subtle changes that you have noticed in your pet. This allows us to have a flowing dialogue about your dog’s or cat’s health and any recommended diagnostic tests or therapies.
Dogs and cats should have a comprehensive physical exam at least once a year. For our older patients, we recommend exams every 6 months. These help our doctors to detect problems early, which is vital in helping our patients to live the longest, healthiest, and most comfortable lives. Also, for our geriatric patients, we recommend blood work and blood pressure measurement every 6 months. These provide glimpses into our patients’ internal function, which combined with our physical exam findings, helps us to provide gold standard care for you and your pet.
One Simple Wellness: Ask us about our One Wellness Plan, one package for ALL stages of your Pet’s Life!
In order to have fun, all dogs and cats are required to maintain current vaccinations. However, if your dog or cat is not current on his or her vaccines, we can administer them for you when your pet arrives here at Dr. Boyd’s.
All Pets checking in at Dr. Boyd’s must be free of all intestinal parasites as documented by a “current” fecal examination (within the past 6 months) which includes ova and parasite testing, as well as a Giardia ELISA test, antigen testing for Roundworms, Hookworms and Whipworms; as well as direct microscopic exam for all other GI parasites.
There are many types of internal (or gastrointestinal) parasites; Roundworms, Whipworms, Hookworms, Tapeworms, Coccidia and Giardia. Coccidia and Giardia, along with all of the various worms’ eggs, are extremely small organisms which cannot be seen without laboratory microscopic magnification. Unfortunately, there is not one perfect fecal examination test that can accurately confirm the presence, or absence, of each one of these parasites.
Years ago, the standard fecal examination test was the “fecal floatation.” This fecal floatation test is plagued with frequent false negative results (i.e. many parasites were missed); consequently, this floatation technique was replaced by most veterinarians with the newer “fecal centrifugation” test as their standard testing protocol. Centrifugation is desirable over floatation techniques because it provides for significant concentration of the microscopic eggs and parasites. This concentration makes the eggs and parasites easier to visualize under the microscope. Easier microscopic identification means more accurate diagnosis and less frequent false negative results.
Fecal Centrifugation has one clear shortcoming when it comes to the identification of gastrointestinal parasites…Giardia. It has been shown that Giardia infections are frequently missed utilizing a single fecal centrifugation test (i.e. more false negatives). Giardia is shed intermittently, so even if your pet has Giardia, a fecal centrifugation may not be able to confirm its presence, despite the most keen eye and best laboratory equipment. This is potentially a big problem. Giardia is one of those “Zoonotic” intestinal infections that can be transmitted not only from pet to pet, but also potentially back and forth between humans and their pets (dogs and cats). In order to control this zoonotic disease, we are utilizing a relatively new, more sensitive test called the Giardia ELISA test. This test is an enzyme-linked assay which looks for a specific antigen (or protein) of the Giardia organism. Giardia ELISA testing is very specific and rarely misses a Giardia carrying animal (i.e. rarely a false negative).
If your veterinarian does not routinely run a Giardia ELISA test, please request this testing to be done prior to your pet’s stay with us. However, if it is more convenient for you, we can submit this testing for you once you pet arrives at our facility.
It may be possible that some veterinary practices do not provide, or are opposed to running this Giardia ELISA test. Please know that if that situation ever occurs, you and your pet will not be turned away. Rather, we would confirm the situation with a phone call to your veterinarian, then offer you two options: either perform a single Giardia ELISA test for you as a courtesy at no charge; or, you can elect to have your pet isolated from the remainder of the pets staying at Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort at no additional charge. After that particular stay, in order for your pet to enjoy all that Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort has to offer, a “negative” Fecal Centrifugation test along with a “negative” Giardia ELISA test would be required every 6 months.
I hope this clarifies our position on internal parasite control measures here at Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort. Please direct any questions you may have to one of our doctors on staff, thank you.
We pride ourselves on maintaining a clean, happy and healthy environment for your dog or cat. If we find fleas on your pet while here at Dr. Boyd’s, a dose of “Capstar”, which quickly eliminates all fleas within 20 minutes and continues working for up to 24 hours, will be given immediately.
Dr. Boyd’s Pet Resort provides extended nursing recovery care for pets needing special medical attention. At Dr. Boyd’s Pet Resort, we recognize that compliance with veterinary instructions is a significant factor affecting both the outcome of a specific treatment plan and the healthy recovery of your pet. Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort provides extended nursing recovery care for pets needing special medical attention. At Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort, we recognize that compliance with veterinary instructions is a significant factor affecting both the outcome of a specific treatment plan and the healthy recovery of your pet. Surgeries can go beautifully, but unless post-operative care instructions are carefully followed, even the best treatment plans can fail.
Here are some classic examples in which we feel “Recovery Care” could be the perfect solution for you and your pet:
You will appreciate that your pet’s discharge instructions will be carried out thoroughly in a safe and nurturing environment, without you personally having to do the dirty work. And it’s the dogs and cats who are the biggest winners, receiving round-the-clock attention with plenty of love to lead them towards a speedy recovery
Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort offers a range of dentistry services, including professional teeth cleaning. Your dog or cat’s dental hygiene is vital to their health. The health of your pet’s teeth and can greatly affect their quality of life. We can provide relief from discomfort due to gingivitis, to the smell of your pet’s breath reduce bad breath, and help to give you the best quality of life together.
Professional teeth cleaning procedures at Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort always include scaling of the teeth to remove plaque and tartar accumulation above and below the gum line, followed by a polishing of the teeth to smooth out any surface irregularities.
Dental radiographs, dental “charting”, tooth extractions, restorations, root canals, oral surgeries, advanced periodontal therapies and other various medical management procedures are often discussed and recommended at the time of teeth cleaning and are all available here at Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort. Although these advanced procedures are frequently viewed to be “necessary” by the clinician and can be highly beneficial, they are not part of a “routine” teeth cleaning. Such procedures can easily be discussed in detail, and even scheduled, during a post-cleaning consultation in which the pet owner is you are given an accurate cost estimate for all of the recommended additional services.
As a full service Veterinary Hospital we offer a wide range of surgical procedures. We are committed to providing the gold standard of care for your dog or cat during procedures ranging from mass removals, to spays and neuters, to more advanced soft tissue and orthopedic procedures.
When your pet is having a surgical procedure done at Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort, we monitor major vital parameters to help minimize the risk associated with such procedures. During anesthetic procedures, we monitor heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, pulse oximetry (blood oxygenation), exhaled CO2 and EKG. We also administer intravenous fluids under anesthesia to help maintain blood pressure and the perfusion of vital organs.
Our doctors and staff diligently monitor your dog or cat’s well-being from the minute you check-in. Our doctors will perform a pre-anesthetic exam upon drop off, review all pre-anesthetic bloodwork, customize an anesthetic plan to your dog or cat, and be involved in every step, from anesthetic induction, to monitoring and recovery. We use the latest multi-modal pain management to ensure your dog or cat’s comfort following all surgical procedures.
We realize that while your pet is having a surgical procedure there are a lot of questions and concerns that surround the procedure, so our doctors and staff will discuss all aspects of the procedure beforehand. We also send you home with a care sheet upon discharge to clarify all aspects of your pet’s care and recovery when you get home.
If you prefer to have our professionally trained staff care for your pet following surgical procedures, we have a Recovery Care Boarding option available, which will cover everything from specialized care based on your pet’s surgery and requirements, to administering medications, and updates on your pet’s condition.
Dr. Boyd’s Veterinary Resort offers the latest digital x-ray, dental x-ray, ultrasound and thermal imaging technologies!
