Wellness exams are an essential element of a long, healthy, and happy life for our pet friends. Please don’t wait until your pet is feeling unwell to make an appointment! Schedule appointments at least once or twice a year to help promote optimal health and vitality in your pet before illness arises.
For most pets, a yearly wellness visit to the veterinarian will suffice. For senior pets, a twice yearly schedule better meets their age-related needs. For puppies and kittens, frequent visits every few weeks are necessary to ensure they are receiving their vaccinations and parasite prevention in a time-sensitive manner, and then every few months for the rest of their first year depending on their lifestyle, health, and growth.
During the wellness visit, the veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical examination. This physical assessment will consist of,
This physical examination can provide a veterinarian with a great overall picture of the pet’s health. If your pet has a sudden change in their physique, regular visits will allow a veterinarian to more easily compare their “usual” to any unusual developments.
The wellness visit is also a good chance for us to catch up with you, the caretaker and our client, and discuss your pet’s care. You know your pet better than anyone else, and can give us the best information about essential health “clues” such as their appetite, energy levels, and moods.
If any aspect of your pet’s wellbeing is in question, the veterinarian may recommend running diagnostic tests suited to the situation to get to the bottom of it. This may include a complete blood count, urinalysis, thyroid test, and more.
A fecal exam is also recommended for all pets at least once a year. If you have been fortunate to have a healthy and illness-free year with your pet, then odds are when you come in for your once annual wellness visit, we will ask you to bring a stool sample.
Vaccinations are designed to trigger immune responses and promote the production of disease-fighting agents by the immune system. Vaccinations are the most effective method for preventing serious and contagious diseases from spreading through the pet population.
Both medical and veterinary doctors agree that the popularization of vaccinations have prevented millions of diseases and cases of death worldwide over the past century.
Below is a list summarizing the reasons vaccinating your pet is considered an imperative veterinary protocol:
Our veterinarians have developed a list of core vaccinations that are recommended for all pets under our care.
For dogs, this list includes:
For cats, this list includes:
Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, some additional non-core vaccinations may be recommended. Make sure to tell your veterinarian if your pet travels frequently (and to where), stays at boarding facilities, or spends a lot of time outside. These factors will help the doctor to decide what vaccines are right for your pet’s needs.
Most core vaccinations are received every few years. If you are a new client, please provide us with your pet’s medical records so we can determine what they may be due for, and when they might next need to receive a vaccination.
Parasites are unwanted, disease spreading creatures that steal their food and energy from a host animal to survive. They are uncomfortable, unpleasant, and even dangerous.
Sadly, parasites are one of the most common problems that affect pets. But this does not have to be the case, because they are easily preventable and in most cases, easily treatable.
Some of the most important steps you can take to prevent an infestation of unwanted invaders from taking hold on your pet include the following:
Preventing your pets from parasites is not only important for their health and comfort, but it is also key to protecting you and your family. Some parasites, such as roundworms, are zoonotic and can affect people. Other external parasites such as fleas and ticks can also cause disease and leave itchy or painful bites on humans. Pets are apart of the family, but if parasites are not treated proactively, their presence on your pets can put the rest of the family at risk too.
To protect yourself, children, and other loved ones from parasites, follow the above steps to avoid them, and make sure that your pet’s feces is not near any areas where children might play, and ensure that children wash their hands after playing with the family pets.
The most common parasites we see inflicting our patients include,
Identification tags are a useful tool for finding pets after they have been lost. But unfortunately, an ID tag can easily be removed, fall off, or be lost because the pet recently received a bath or slipped their collar. Microchipping is a more sound option because after implantation, the device will be with your pet forever.
The microchips used for pet identification are as small as a grain of rice and easy to insert at a routine veterinary examination. The procedure is no more painstaking than a routine vaccination, and just as fast.
Typically, the microchip is inserted between the shoulder blades. This area is the perfect spot because it is central to the animal’s torso and animal’s sensitivity in this area is naturally low because of loose skin.
After the microchip has been inserted, it is important to make sure your personal information is associated with the chip by filling out the associated forms and sending them to the correct location to be added to the national database. We can help this process by providing you with the exact and correct forms to use, and even mailing them for you upon request.
If your contact information ever changes, please make sure to update your pet’s microchip registration so that it remains accurate. As long as your pet has a microchip associated with your information, they can be returned to you after any visit to a veterinarian or animal shelter after going missing.
Losing a pet can be a heart-wrenching affair for the whole family. Ensure that a happy reunion will be possible by microchipping your pet.
Located on E Sudbrook Lane between Reisterstown Road and Park Heights Avenue. Directly across the street from The Suburban Club.
Phone: 410-484-4041