Your Full-Service Veterinarian in Reno
What a vet actually does across your pet's whole life — from the first puppy shots to senior care — and how to make the right call when something seems off.
By Klaich Animal Hospital in Reno Team · Updated June 2026
What this guide covers
- The Basics
- Services
- Why Us
- First Visit
- Areas
What does a full-service animal hospital do?
A full-service animal hospital is your pet's primary doctor, dentist, surgeon, and pharmacy in one place — wellness exams and vaccines, dental cleanings, spay and neuter, surgery, diagnostics, and care for the day something goes wrong. Keeping it under one roof means one team knows your pet's history, which matters enormously when minutes count.
The honest truth after 15 years: most of the heartbreaking cases we see were preventable. Not because owners didn't care — they cared deeply — but because the warning signs are quiet, and pets are wired to hide pain. A wellness exam twice a year catches the kidney disease, the dental infection, the lump, while we can still do something about it cheaply and gently.
Preventive care adds years, not just bills
A dog or cat ages roughly five to seven years for every one of ours. A yearly checkup for them is like you seeing a doctor once every half-decade — which is why we recommend twice a year, especially for seniors. A lot changes in a pet year.
Half of pets over age three have dental disease, and it's not just bad breath — the bacteria affect the heart and kidneys. Weight, dental health, and bloodwork trends are the three things we watch most, because catching a shift early is the difference between a diet tweak and a hospital stay.
- Twice-yearly exams for adults, more for seniors and puppies
- Dental disease affects half of pets over three
- Early bloodwork catches kidney and liver issues years sooner
- We track weight and trends, not just today's numbers
When it's an emergency — and when it isn't
Some things can't wait until morning: trouble breathing, a bloated hard belly, repeated vomiting, collapse, suspected poisoning, straining to urinate (especially male cats), or any trauma. If you see these, call us or an emergency hospital now. Trust your gut — you know your animal.
Other things can usually wait a day for a regular appointment: a single bout of vomiting in an otherwise bright pet, mild limping, a small skin bump that isn't changing. When you're unsure, call and describe it. We would always rather take a worried phone call than have you sit at home second-guessing.
- Call now: breathing trouble, bloat, collapse, poisoning
- Male cat straining to urinate is always an emergency
- Mild, single-episode issues can often wait a day
- When in doubt, phone us — describing it is free
Dentistry, surgery, and the scary stuff
Anesthesia is the worry we hear most, usually around dental cleanings. Modern veterinary anesthesia, with pre-op bloodwork and continuous monitoring, is far safer than its reputation — and a proper cleaning requires it, because no awake pet holds still for scaling under the gumline where the real disease lives.
For spay, neuter, and soft-tissue surgery, we use the same monitoring and pain control you'd expect for a person. Pain management isn't optional here. An animal that hurts heals slower, so we send every surgical patient home with a real plan, not just a pat on the head.
- Pre-anesthetic bloodwork and continuous monitoring
- Dental cleaning under anesthesia reaches below the gumline
- Spay/neuter with full surgical pain control
- Every patient goes home with a written recovery plan
Care for every stage and species
Dogs, cats, and small companions — from first shots to senior support, all in a fear-free setting.
Fear-free care your pet won't dread
Years of Care
Looking after the animals of Reno like our own since the start.
Animals Treated
Dogs, cats, and pocket pets — wellness to emergency, all under one roof.
Certified Team
Gentle handling, calm rooms, and treats — so visits stop being something to dread.
Sick Visits
We hold slots daily for the pet who just isn't right today.
Your pet's first visit
Book a Visit
Online or by phone in minutes. Tell us what's going on so we can plan the right amount of time.
Gentle Exam
A calm, fear-free nose-to-tail check — we go at your pet's pace, treats included.
Clear Plan
We explain what we found in plain language, with options and honest costs before anything proceeds.
Follow-Up
Recovery instructions, reminders, and a number to call. We're in this for your pet's whole life.
Your neighborhood animal hospital
Families bring their pets to us from across the city. We're an easy trip from these neighborhoods — carrier, leash, or both.
Outside the area? We'd still love to meet your pet. Plenty of clients make the trip and tell us it's worth it.
Pet care questions, answered
What is the average cost of a wellness exam?
There is no honest single number, because species, vaccine boosters, and whether bloodwork or a senior panel is due all change the invoice. We give an itemized estimate before those extras are added so you can keep the wellness exam itself and decline optional screening. Ask us to separate the exam from labs and vaccines when you book.
What does a full wellness exam include?
A wellness exam is a hands-on check of eyes, ears, teeth, heart, lungs, abdomen, joints, and skin, plus a talk about diet, parasite prevention, and what you have noticed at home. Vaccines, fecal tests, heartworm tests, and bloodwork are recommended when they fit that pet, not as one locked bundle. You can accept the exam and pause on optional diagnostics.
Are wellness exams free with insurance?
Usually not at checkout. Pet insurance and wellness plans differ, and many reimburse you after the visit rather than making the exam free here. Bring your coverage details and we will itemize the invoice so you can submit the exam, bloodwork, or vaccines; declining a test you cannot afford is not treated as a character test.
Will urgent care do a wellness exam?
Urgent care is for the pet who is sick, injured, or not acting like themselves today, not a stand-in for a scheduled wellness visit. If your Reno pet needs vaccines or a routine exam, book a wellness appointment so preventative care is not squeezed into a sick-pet slot. If it cannot wait, call (775) 826-1212 and we will tell you whether to come in for urgent care or hold for a wellness exam.
What is the child vaccination schedule in Nevada?
Klaich Animal Hospital is a veterinary hospital in Reno, so we do not set or give the human childhood vaccination schedule for Nevada. For that timeline, ask your child's pediatrician or your county health department. For pets, we build a vaccine plan around the animal in front of us — core shots, lifestyle risk, and what is already on the record — and we explain each one before it is given.
Is 7 days too late for rabies vaccine after a bite exposure?
Do not wait on a calendar guess from a website. If a person was bitten, call public health or a physician; if a pet was exposed or did the biting, call us the same day with the bite details and any prior rabies certificates. Timing follows public-health rules and that animal's vaccine history, not a one-size seven-day answer.
Is your pet due for a checkup?
Book online in minutes. Same-day sick visits available — we'll confirm within two hours.