FAQs – Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital in Jensen Beach, FL
Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital provides gentle and compassionate veterinary care for dogs, cats, and exotic pets in Jensen Beach and Hutchinson Island, FL, as well as the surrounding communities. This FAQ answers common questions about veterinary services, preventative care, urgent concerns, diagnostics, surgery, dentistry, laser therapy, boarding, grooming, and other pet health needs.
New Clients and General Care
Where is Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital located?
Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital is located at 1553 NE Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen Beach, FL 34957. We serve the pets and families of Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, and the surrounding areas. Our animal hospital offers comprehensive veterinary care, diagnostics, surgery, dentistry, and other pet services.
What are your hours?
Our regular hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
How do I contact Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital?
You can reach our veterinary clinic at (772) 334-2273 or use our Contact Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital page to contact our team. If your pet has an urgent health concern during our regular hours, please call us directly rather than submitting an online appointment request. If something happens after hours, contact a local 24/7 emergency vet.
How do I become a client of Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital?
New clients can contact us at (772) 334-2273 to establish veterinary care for their pets or use our Contact form to reach out. We also suggest completing our new client form before your first visit. We also provide a Spanish new client form for families who prefer to complete their paperwork in Spanish.
What makes Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital different from other veterinary clinics?
Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital has served Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, and surrounding communities since 1984 and is an AAHA-accredited hospital. Our hospital combines more than four decades of veterinary experience with AAHA accreditation, Fear Free certification, exotic-pet care, advanced diagnostics, surgery, dentistry, laser services, house calls, and comprehensive preventative medicine. Our veterinary team includes Dr. Jennifer DiTrapani-Gimbal, Dr. Nathan Gimbal, and Dr. Debbie Buckner, whose professional interests include exotic pets, dermatology, dentistry, nutrition, and geriatric care. Our Fear Free approach focuses on reducing fear, anxiety, and stress during veterinary visits so pets can receive care in a calmer, more comfortable environment.
Emergency and Urgent Care
What signs mean my pet needs veterinary care immediately?
Sudden changes in breathing, consciousness, mobility, or overall condition can indicate that a pet needs urgent veterinary attention. During our regular hours, call our team promptly if you are concerned about your pet rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Signs that warrant prompt veterinary attention can include:
- Difficulty breathing or unusual breathing effort
- Collapse, loss of consciousness, or inability to stand
- Seizures or sudden changes in awareness
- Significant or uncontrolled bleeding
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea accompanied by weakness
- Sudden inability to walk or major changes in mobility
- Serious injury or obvious trauma
- A swollen abdomen
- Repeated unproductive retching
- Known or suspected ingestion of a potentially toxic substance
- Sudden, marked changes in behavior or responsiveness
Exotic pets can show illness differently from dogs and cats, so changes in appetite, activity, posture, or normal behavior can also deserve prompt attention. We understand that deciding whether a pet’s symptoms are urgent can be difficult, and our team can help you determine the safest course of action during regular hours.
What should I do if my pet has a medical emergency after hours?
For a life-threatening emergency outside our regular hours, seek care from an emergency veterinary hospital rather than waiting for our clinic to reopen. Our appointment information directs clients to an emergency veterinary hospital for after-hours emergencies.
Services and Medical Care
What pets do your veterinarians treat, including exotic pets?
We provide veterinary care for dogs, cats, and exotic pets, with our exotic-pet services extending to several types of small mammals and other companion species. Our veterinary team has experience caring for small mammals such as rabbits, Guinea pigs, rats, and ferrets. Because veterinary needs differ substantially between species, we recommend contacting us before scheduling if you have an exotic pet so we can confirm that we can provide the care needed.
What veterinary services and diagnostic care do you offer?
Our Veterinary Services include wellness examinations, dog vaccination and cat vaccination, allergy and dermatology care, nutrition and weight management, behavioral counseling, dentistry, surgery, laser therapy, pain management, critical care, boarding, grooming, house calls, and microchipping. Our diagnostic care includes laboratory testing, digital X-rays, ultrasound, radiology, and cardiology services. We also have dedicated digital imaging equipment, including Midmark dental and IDEXX general radiograph systems, and can transmit images to a radiologist for specialized interpretation when needed.
What types of veterinary surgery do you perform?
Our veterinarians perform general, orthopedic, oral, and ophthalmic surgeries, as well as routine procedures such as spays and neuters. Our surgical patients receive anesthetic monitoring and individualized pain-management plans to support safety and comfort during procedures and recovery.
How can laser therapy help my pet?
Our therapeutic laser provides a non-invasive treatment option that can help reduce pain, improve mobility, and promote healing following injury or surgery. We also offer laser surgery, which can reduce bleeding and tissue trauma during certain procedures and may support a more comfortable recovery.
Does my pet need professional veterinary dental care?
Professional veterinary dentistry helps us identify and treat dental disease through examinations, cleanings, polishing, extractions, and other oral procedures. We can also recommend home dental-care techniques and products to help maintain your pet’s teeth and gums between professional cleanings. Our hospital provides both preventative and advanced pet dentistry services.
Can you help with pet allergies, chronic conditions, and behavior problems?
Our veterinarians diagnose and manage pet allergies, skin and ear disease, chronic pain, and behavioral concerns. Our Allergy & Dermatology services may involve skin scrapings, cultures, biopsies, laboratory testing, or other diagnostic methods to identify the underlying cause of a dermatological problem. We also provide veterinary behavioral counseling for concerns such as anxiety, aggression, house-training problems, and destructive behavior.
Do you offer pet boarding?
Yes, our hospital provides full-service boarding for dogs and cats in separate areas designed to help pets feel comfortable and secure. Our boarding services include spacious living and sleeping areas, bedding, meals, exercise, individual attention, and accommodations for certain special needs such as prescription diets and medications.
Do you offer professional pet grooming?
Yes, we offer professional grooming as part of our broader pet-care services. Grooming can be convenient for families who already rely on our hospital for veterinary care and want to keep their pet’s routine care in one familiar location.
Do you provide veterinary house calls?
Yes, we provide house calls for pets that may benefit from receiving veterinary care in their home environment. House calls can be particularly useful for elderly pets, pets with mobility limitations, or animals that become anxious when traveling to a veterinary clinic. Contact our team at (772) 334-2273 to discuss whether a house call is appropriate for your pet.
Preventative Care and Ongoing Support
How often should my pet have a wellness exam?
Most pets should receive a veterinary wellness exam at least once a year, while some benefit from twice-yearly visits based on age and health. Our Wellness & Vaccinations services include nose-to-tail examinations and discussions about vaccinations, parasite control, nutrition, weight management, behavior, and other preventative needs.
Wellness visits also help our veterinarians become familiar with your pet’s normal health, making subtle changes easier to recognize. We know that every pet is different, so we adjust recommendations as your companion moves through different life stages.
What payment options are available at Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital?
We accept several payment methods and offer payment-plan options for eligible veterinary expenses. Visit our Payment Plans information for details about available options and eligibility. Our new-client form also lists cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and CareCredit among the payment options.
How can I order my pet’s medication online?
You can submit a request through our pet medication request service. We know that keeping up with ongoing medication can be an important part of caring for a pet with a chronic condition. One of our veterinarians will review medication requests and your pet’s medical records before authorizing them, and requests may take up to two business days to review, fill, and prepare for pickup.
Visit Our Jensen Beach Animal Clinic
If you are looking for a veterinarian in Jensen Beach, FL, our Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital team serves Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, and surrounding areas with preventative care, veterinary diagnostics, dentistry, surgery, dermatology, laser therapy, exotic-pet medicine, boarding, grooming, house calls, and other veterinary services. Call (772) 334-2273 or visit our Contact Ocean Breeze Animal Hospital page to reach our team.
