Wellness Care
Wellness Exams
Wellness exams help keep your pet in tiptop shape from head to tail, and detect minor issues before they become serious. We recommend annual checkups for pets up to age 6, with baseline testing and semiannual visits after that.
At this visit, we will record your pet's weight, look at his/her coat to make sure it is shiny and smooth and not dry or coarse, and check his/her skin for signs of dryness, greasiness, or “hot spots" (localized areas of inflammation or infection), and any growths that may be developing. The skin and coat are excellent indicators of overall health.
We will also listen to your pet's heart and lungs, examine muscles and bones, and inspect his/her ears deep in the canal where infections can start before symptoms appear.
The annual exam is also the time to update vaccinations and perform necessary screening/routine testing.
Vaccinations
Just as with humans, regular vaccinations are an especially important part of your pet's health care routine. Vaccines help prepare the body's immune system to fight foreign organisms, protecting against multiple life-threatening diseases and providing your pet the best chance at a long, healthy life.
Puppies and kittens should begin to receive vaccinations beginning at about 6-8 weeks. Our team will work with you to determine your pet’s regular vaccination schedule based on breed, age, current health, and lifestyle.
Parasite Screening and Prevention
Companion animals are likely to become infected with parasites at some point in their lives. If left undetected and untreated, they will affect a pet’s well-being – from simply being irritating to causing a variety of life-threatening conditions. Some parasites can even infect and transmit disease to humans, with children being an especially vulnerable target! Parasites don’t discriminate; both indoor and outdoor pets are at risk.
It’s always better to prevent than to treat parasitic illness. That's why we recommend regular testing for internal parasites as well as heartworm and tick-borne diseases. The presence of one or more of these illnesses can be determined through bloodwork, and we recommend all pets have this test performed on an annual basis so any detected problems can receive immediate intervention.
Microchipping
One out of every three pets will become lost at some point in their lifetime. Make sure yours has the best chance of returning home and consider getting them microchipped. A microchip is about as big as a grain of rice, and it causes no pain or discomfort for your pet. Call us for more information.
