Comprehensive Puppy and Kitten Wellness Programs- Most puppies and kittens need to be vaccinated every three weeks until they are about twenty weeks old (or about five months old). While they are nursing, puppies and kittens get their immunity from their mothers. Once they are weaned from their mother's milk we must keep their immune system "awake" with vaccines until they can keep their immune system "awake" by themselves. That generally happens about seventeen to twenty weeks old. We don't stop vaccinating until twenty weeks old just to make sure we do all we can to help their immune system mature.
Many puppies and kittens also have external and internal parasites and need medication to get rid of those pesky bugs. Internal parasites often require oral medication given in multiple doses over an extended period of time to get rid of them. Some of these parasites, if not careful, have the potential to cause problems for people. Sometimes just one or two dewormings isn't enough and, depending on the parasite, may require additional medication. The only way to know if this additional medication is necessary is to analyze a stool sample. When we analyze a stool sample, we are looking for a number of things. Believe it or not, appearance is significant so it is important to be able to give us this information when you bring your pet in. Intestinal parasites shed eggs in the stool and we can tell what kind of parasites by microscopic examination. With a microscopic exam of the stool we can also tell what type of bacteria is present and if there is an excessive amount that we may need to treat. For more information go to http://www.petsandparasites.org/.
We want to help get your new puppy or kitten get off to a healthy start and help you learn how to focus on prevention. We will fit your puppy or kitten's needs to a schedule that fits your puppy or kitten. Your pet is individual and should be treated as such. We have Kitten and Puppy Series that address the needs and concerns of patients fourteen weeks old and younger. For puppies and kittens older than fourteen weeks, a doctor will develop a program specifically for the needs of your pet.
Geriatric Health- Because our pets age faster than we do, their geriatric problems can sneak up on us. Conditions can go unnoticed because dogs, and especially cats, can hide their symptoms until an illness has progressed to an advanced stage. Simple diagnostic tests can identify small problems before you can and will give us the necessary information to catch and treat illnesses before irreversible damage has occurred.
Pets that are in their geriatric years most likely have some degree of dental disease. Since bacteria living in the mouth and under the gum line can be spread through the bloodstream, vital organs that may already be going through geriatric changes could be affected even more unless oral health is maintained. Dental cleaning, with or without antibiotics (depending on severity of dental disease), is necessary in most geriatric patients to improve their overall quality of health. Once the teeth have been professionally cleaned, we can help you learn how to maintain your pets oral health.
Whether your pet needs a dental or not, geriatric testing is necessary to understand what is going on inside your pet that a physical exam alone can not tell us. We have several different programs available to fit the needs of your pet, some that will include a dental cleaning if it is indicated.
Nutritional Counseling- One of the most common questions we hear is "What do I feed my pet". With so many different pet foods on the market today, the confusion is understandable. When you are trying to decide what to feed your pet, many different factors are considered including their activity level, life stage and any medical problems. We have experience dealing with difficult problems such as weight management, joint problems and food allergies. These conditions can be difficult to deal with and simply buying the recommend food isn't enough. We offer you the support needed to make a successful transition to a new diet.
Our doctors make food recommendations based on what your pet needs not because of the brand name associated with the food. Our staff is trained to help you with the feeding schedule based on the doctors recommendations and will answer any questions you may have. Depending on the food recommendation, a program tailored to your pet can be made as a guide for you to take home that would even include treats.
Grooming- Our groomers have over 25 years of combined experience in pet grooming and are committed to help your pet look their very best. Jen and Debbie both have a very gentle hand and a genuine love for what they do. They take pride in their work and it truly shows. You can coordinate your grooming appointments with your pets healthcare needs to save you time. If your pet is being treated by the doctor for skin or ear problems, our groomers will follow the therapeutic protocol prescribed. Appointments are available Monday thru Friday and soon to be available on Saturdays.
All of our bath and grooms include ear cleaning, toe nail trims and we express the anal glands.
If your pet only requires bathing and comes once a month or more, their 8th bath is FREE! As a special gift to our new puppies and kittens, on your first visit you will receive a coupon for a complimentary bath or groom.
Digital Radiology- When your pet has a radiograph taken here it is converted to digital format. Once the images are in digital format we have the ability to correct imperfections in the technique to increase the clarity and detail. Digital format also allows us to email images which speeds up the process when we need to refer your pet to a specialty hospital. If you need a copy of your pets radiographs we can put them on a disk for you. Getting copies of your x-rays used to take several days because we sent them to a radiology center and the radiology center would make the copies around their patient schedule.
Acupuncture- Acupuncture is but one aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which includes, in additional to acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional therapies, exercise and meditation (at least in humans). Acupuncture has been used in humans and in animals for thousands of years. It is used as treatment, or as adjunctive treatment (i.e., additional to usual treatment), in almost every aspect of medicine, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal (kidney), neurologic, digestive, reproductive, dermatologic, musculo-skeletal, allergic, infectious, immunologic, hormonal, and behavioral.
Red Collar Society- The red collar society is a special gathering of clients with senior pets. We want to help you understand the changes your pet is going through and help you celebrate these important years. We will meet quarterly; once per month, on the first thursday from 6-7 pm. Each meeting focuses on a different topic including overall general health, diet and exercise, benefits of acupuncture and massage, personality changes, blindness, deafness, arthritis, incontinence and what to do when it is time to make that difficult decision of euthanasia. RSVP's are required.
