Hospital
Facilities
Compassionate care for every creature, great and small.
Science meets experience
At Alpine Animal Doctors we have an extensive array of diagnostic equipment to aid in accurately defining what ails your pets. As vital as these tools are an accurate diagnosis often owes as much to art as to science.
Careful observation, sensitive hands and a deep knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of multiple species, which comes only with years of hard won experience, are the hallmarks of the skilled veterinary diagnostician.
In almost 20 years as a practicing vet, Dr. Bek has undertaken thousands of successful diagnoses. The skills honed in those years, augmented by our arsenal of high tech diagnostic tools means patients at Alpine Animal Doctors will always receive the most accurate and detailed diagnosis possible.
Endoscopy & arthroscopy tools
These high tech diagnostic tools allow us to use fibre optics and tiny cameras to conduct internal examinations without the need for invasive surgery. The real time images may be viewed through an eye-piece or an enlarged hi-res image shown on a monitor screen.
Endoscopy lets us examine internal organs such as the oesophagus, stomach and upper small intestine to 
provide rapid diagnosis.
Arthroscopes are used in a similar way but primarily for the examination of damage to soft tissue structures and joint cartilage, which are not visible on x-rays. Mostly used in surgical cases, arthroscopy is invaluable in helping diagnose problems such as cruciate ligament damage, elbow dysplasia, shoulder Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) and shoulder instability disorders.
The hospital is equipped with an extensive array of top quality ‘scopes, including rigid and flexible tubes, grasping forceps, snares and biopsy forceps. While endoscopy and arthroscopy provide excellent aids to accurate diagnosis they can also be used to directly treat some problems (see The Surgical Suites) and to take biopsies without having to resort to more risky surgery.
Doppler Ultrasound
At Alpine Animal Doctors we utilise technologically advanced colour doppler ultrasound devices. We also have portable ultrasound available.
Ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive diagnostic tool that uses high-frequency sound waves, not radiation, to get clear pictures of soft tissue that would not show up on radiographs (x-rays).
Images are captured in real-time and show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. We use ultrasound to examine organs such as the heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, spleen, bladder, and gallbladder.
For example, if a male dog presents as having difficulty urinating we can use ultrasound to check for an obstruction in the bladder or urethra. It can also be used to examine suspicious lumps we might find during a manual exam, or to look for damage to internal organs following an accident.
We also use ultrasound to monitor ongoing conditions, such as the progress of liver and kidney disease.
Endoscopy/arthroscopy and ultrasound tools are used in conjunction with the facilities available in our in-house pathology lab, the radiology suite, and the surgical and dentistry suites.
Testing times
At Alpine Animal Doctors we have invested heavily in building our own fully functional pathology lab right here in the hospital, eliminating the need to use external laboratories for all but the most unusual and complex tests and dramatically reducing waiting time for results.
Our sophisticated in-house equipment can handle more than 98 per cent of all the blood, urine and serum tests our patients need, with results available in less than an hour in most cases.
We believe that Alpine Animal Doctors is the only animal hospital in the region with the ability to conduct virtually all our pathology testing in-house.
Immunoassay testing for animals
At the core of our path lab setup is a Siemens Immulite 1000 Immunoassay machine. You can find the same machine installed in major pathology labs (including human path labs) around the world. Our Immulite 1000 gives us the capability to conduct more than 75 different tests including progesterone, digoxin, phenobarbitone
and free T4, vital tests that we carry out every day for our patients.
In addition this sophisticated device allows us to screen for allergies and infectious diseases, measure bone calcium and test for congenital conditions as well as a range of conditions including diabetes and hepatitis.
In almost every case we’ll have the results of these tests back in minutes, with the most complex taking no more than an hour. All of our staff are fully trained in the operation of this complex technology and, with your pet’s samples never leaving our premises, our clients can rest assured that samples will never be degraded and results will be accurate. All results are also digitally stored with your pet’s patient records for future reference.
Haematology testing
Augmenting the Immulite 1000 is our VetScan HM5, a fully-automated 5-part differential cell counter specifically designed for veterinary applications. Using just 50uL of blood it provides us with 22 haematology parameters with cellular histograms for 15 different species in just minutes. We use the VetScan daily, for biochemistry testing, to complete routine annual checkups, make timely diagnoses and devise appropriate treatment plans tailored to individual patients.
Completing the sophisticated technology in our pathology lab are devices to carry out ECGs (electro-cardiograms) for heart function and equipment to extract stem cells.
The view from inside
Broken legs, cracked ribs, dislocated shoulders or hip dysplasia troubles … our pets so often manage to get themselves into situations where they damage bones. When accidents happen, the dedicated Radiology Suite at Alpine Animal Doctors is there to ensure your fur babies get the best possible diagnosis and treatment to return them to full health.
Our Radiology Suite is equipped with sophisticated digital x-ray machines capable of producing ultra sharp views of anything from a single cat’s tooth to a full skeletal view of a medium sized dog. Portable devices allow us to carry out digital x-rays on larger animals during home and farm visits.
Digital x-ray facilities
The hospital’s Radiology Suite is equipped with a high 
end iCR3600 Computed Radiography medical imaging system. The system allows us to obtain precisely targeted images of all parts of an animal’s body. We can x-ray the entire skeletal structure of a medium sized dog, or use specialised dental cassettes to take images of a single tooth in your pet’s mouth. Modern digital x-rays are so good we can also use them for looking at organ and soft tissue damage.
The digital images produced are many, many times sharper than the old, shadowy x-ray film and are viewed on ultra high resolution medical grade computer monitors to see the maximum image detail.
Specialised software allows us to zoom in to precise areas of the image, manipulate and rotate views to better examine specific features, and measure things like the length of a break in a bone.
Our digital x-rays are instantly available for viewing, meaning your pet will be under anaesthesia for a shorter time, reducing risks. With no old fashioned x-ray film or chemicals involved we can quickly take as many different views of your pet as we need to ensure we have sufficient data to make an accurate diagnosis, with no additional cost to you.
In complex cases digital images can quickly be emailed to specialist radiologists for examination and a second opinion. All your pet’s x-rays are digitally stored with their patient records for future reference or to send to another vet should you move out of the area.
Scrubbing up for surgery
We are very proud of our Surgical Suites (operating theatres). The purpose-built surgical facilities at Alpine Animal Doctors are as good as any you will find in any veterinary practice anywhere in Australia, and better than most.
We have invested heavily in the most technologically advanced equipment to ensure that, even during the most arduous and complicated surgery your fur babies will have the best possible chance of a successful outcome and a rapid and full recovery.
Our philosophy is that your pets deserve the same level of facilities people expect when they go into hospital for surgery. A veterinary operating theatre needs to be properly equipped to do the job, and to do it with minimal trauma.
Inside our operating theatres
Every veterinary practice undertakes some surgical procedures. In smaller clinics the surgery will often simply be a room out the back with a table and some anaesthetic equipment and used only for simple procedures. Here at Alpine Animal Doctors we undertake far more surgery than the average vet clinic, often performing complex operations, both soft tissue and orthopaedic and our theatre facilities need to be a big step above average.
The difference in our facilities begins before your pet even reaches the operating theatre. All surgical prep — where the patient will be sedated, clipped and shaved — is isolated from the sterile environment of the theatre for maximum hygiene. All surgical instruments are sterilised before and after use and everything to be used in the procedure, including swabs and sutures, is counted before and after surgery.
The operating theatre itself is a purpose built area designed for maximum efficiency and sterility. Our theatres are completely self-contained, with climate control and HEPA air filters that circulate only the air in the surgery, preventing cross-contamination to or from other areas of the hospital.
Our operating tables are custom-built and adjustable, allowing us to position an animal exactly where the surgeon needs it to be, and at the correct angle to present the relevant portion of the animal’s anatomy. We use only the highest quality medical grade stainless steel surgical tools — saws, chisels and drills etc.
All radiographs can be transmitted to high resolution computer monitors in theatre, allowing the surgeon to refer to any relevant x-rays during surgery.
At the heart of our facilities are the state-of-the-art machines we use to deliver anaesthesia to your pet and to monitor their vital signs during an operation.
The hospital is equipped with Drager Fabius GS machines, identical to anaesthesia equipment used in many public and private hospitals. Our philosophy is ‘safety first’ so we have a number of these machines, across two surgical facilities, for multiple redundancy in case of equipment failure. Each machine has a 6-hour battery backup to ensure they continue working in the event of a power failure. All other electronic equipment in the theatre is also covered by UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), guaranteeing that we can complete an operation should the power go out.
All anaesthetic machines and gas lines are fitted with individual anti-bacterial and viral filters to further minimise the possibility of cross-infection or contamination.
In addition to this crucial anaesthetic equipment our theatres are also equipped with an extensive array of 
machines that allow us to precisely monitor the vital signs of your pet during surgery.
All patients are attached to devices that record heart rate and rhythm, respiration and rhythm, oxygen levels, the amount of anaesthetic in their blood, blood pressure and ECG. We think this additional monitoring is critical to ensure the best outcome for your pet, particularly for senior animals. At least one qualified veterinary nurse is always in attendance to assist during all surgical procedures and to monitor the patient’s vital signs.
We also have our own blood bank at the hospital with small supplies of whole blood for the rare occasions when an animal may require a blood transfusion.
Wherever possible all procedures are carried out via ‘keyhole surgery’, using our endoscopy and arthroscopy facilities.
Veterinary surgery is about more than just neutering and minor operations for things like removing dew claws. Repairing a damaged cruciate ligament, excising a cancerous tumour, pinning a badly broken bone or undertaking gastrointestinal surgery can be very complex. While there will always be risks associated with any surgical procedure, when you choose your vet you want to be confident that they can tackle the hard jobs. At Alpine Animal Doctors we bring Dr. Bek’s years of experience and extensive surgical skills together with our superb hospital facilities to ensure the best possible outcomes for your pets.
Dental surgery for pets
Poor oral health in pets is at epidemic proportions in Australia with just two per cent of pet owners ensuring their pets receive regular preventative dental treatment. The result of this apparent blind spot, in even the most caring and responsible pet parents, is that vet clinics are often seeing animals for oral health treatment only when they’re suffering from severe issues requiring surgical intervention.
That’s one reason why, at Alpine Animal Doctors, we have added a dedicated dental surgery to our hospital facilities, fully equipped to handle even the most difficult and complex dental work. Our dental surgery can cope with everything from a simple clean to major gum surgery.
Inside our pet dentistry facility
Dental health care for animals presents a range of challenges for the veterinary surgeon. Even for a simple procedure like a scale, clean and polish pets won’t sit 
calmly and allow us to fossick around in their mouths. Which means most animal dental care must be carried out under a general anaesthetic.
Another challenge is that inside the mouth of any dog or cat resides a veritable multitude of bacteria, some of it extremely virulent. Even with all the anti-viral and -bacterial filters we deploy in our main operating theatre the risk that oral bacteria from dental treatment could subsequently infect another animal who may be undergoing major surgery is simply too great to contemplate.
Our solution was to add a custom-built dental surgery/theatre isolated from our primary surgical suite and the rest of the hospital to contain the possibility of infection or cross-contamination.
The Dentistry Suite is smaller but contains very similar technology to our main Surgical Suite. It’s equipped with its own dedicated anaesthesia and monitoring equipment, and utilises similar HEPA and bacterial filters. Apart from that, and the specialised dental x-ray equipment we use in the Radiology Suite, our dental tools are very similar to those you see whenever you visit your own dentist — drills, cleaning and extraction tools.
The majority of our dental work is still preventative scaling, cleaning and polishing. That’s the way we like it because it means all of our patients have healthy teeth and gums … and fresh breath.
Unfortunately vets are seeing all too many pets with more serious issues — severe dental plaque, tartar build-up, and gingivitis. When oral health problems reach this stage they require major intervention to prevent damage to the animal’s heart and kidneys. This is when oral health care for your pet can get expensive. It’s little different to your own teeth and gums. Neglect them long enough and, eventually, you’re going to be looking at serious — and costly — remedial work. Or, dentures or implants.
And yet, so many of these problems can be eliminated or at least dramatically reduced by a simple, regular veterinary dental check and an inexpensive tooth clean.
Nursing pets back to health
When your pet has to spend some time as an in-patient at Alpine Animal Doctors they will be looked after in an environment appropriate to their condition. For most that will be the general ‘ward’. For those recovering from major surgery or perhaps a snake bite our intensive care unit will be where they are nursed back to health.
Just like people, pets recover from illness or surgery at different rates and the right environment can help them get better faster. Our recovery facilities are designed to provide optimum after care for all our patients.
Intensive care and recovery wards
The recovery area of a well equipped animal hospital has undergone a sea change from the old idea of a few cages out the back, where seriously ill animals could be located next to a noisy pet recovering from a simple anaesthetic. Progressive veterinary clinics recognise that, just like us, pets need specific after-care plans appropriate to their condition.
At Alpine Animal Doctors we have three dedicated recovery areas. Following routine procedures pets recover very quickly and most of our patients will be in and out of the hospital in a single day. As soon as the anaesthetic wears off they’re up in their cages and demanding to go home. These animals are housed in the general recovery ward, where they’ll be regularly monitored for a few hours before being picked up by their owners.
More seriously ill patients, those needing longer recovery periods or round-the-clock monitoring, go into our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This area is equipped with more sophisticated levels of monitoring equipment which allows us to keep a 24-hour watch on patients and to monitor any IV drips etc.
The ICU is also home to our humidicrib. Most people will be familiar with this technology, used in hospitals for premature babies. Only rarely found in veterinary clinics our humidicrib is used in exactly the same way for pets as it is for babies — providing a warm, sterile and controlled environment where we can supply oxygen, monitor vital signs, deliver fluids and generally monitor a patient’s health during critical periods. Although mostly used for new-born animals our humidicrib also often plays an important role in the treatment of specific conditions in older pets.
In addition to these recovery wards the hospital also has an Isolation Unit where patients known or suspected to be carrying an infectious disease are housed. Although rarely used — and we hope we never have to use it for a notifiable disease — it’s an important part of our facilities.
There are a number of zoonotic and other infectious diseases that can be transmitted to other animals or to humans. The Isolation Unit helps prevent the spread of these diseases to other patients in the hospital and, importantly, into the community. Stringent biosecurity protocols are in place to ensure the integrity of the unit and the safety of Alpine Animal Doctors staff, clients and patients.