Arthrocentesis in San Leandro, CA | VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Hospital

We have made the difficult decision to permanently close VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists. Emergency services will cease on 3/22, and the hospital will close on 3/31. Patient records are being transferred to VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where they have specialists in internal medicine, medical oncology, surgery, and dentistry. You can continue to call our main line to request your pet’s medical records, as it will be directed to a dedicated voicemail after our closure.

For any emergencies after 3/22, we encourage you to locate the nearest 24/7 hospital to you. Three nearby options are SAGE Veterinary Centers in Dublin, OakVet Animal Specialty Hospital in Oakland or VCA Encina in Walnut Creek.

We deeply appreciate your trust and support over the years our hospital has served this community. It has been a joy and a privilege to care for your pets.

Arthrocentesis

Arthrocentesis is the sampling of joint fluid. This is typically done in dogs and cats with lameness secondary to joint disease. Most causes of joint effusion (excessive fluid in joints) are immune-mediated polyarthritis (IMPA), joint infection, and tick borne diseases. The diagnosis of IMPA is based on the sampling of multiple joints. Findings include inflammation without evidence of bacterial infection on culture. Rarely fungal disease (e.g. blastomycosis) and cancer may be found in the joint. Treatment of septic arthritis (infected joint) is based on chronic aggressive antibiotic therapy. While treatment of IMPA is based on chronic immuneosuppressants to help prevent that body from continuing to attack the joints.