Preventative Care

“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”

Annual or biannual wellness exams are the foundation of preventative care. These exams involve a thorough history including information about a pet’s breed, age, lifestyle, behavior, and diet, followed by a comprehensive physical exam by your veterinarian who will then make recommendations for diet, blood work, vaccinations, diagnostics, or procedures based on their findings and your concerns. Medicine isn’t one-size fits all and we evaluate all pets as individuals.

 
 

Puppy/Kitten Exams

Compassionate Care Veterinary Services Vet Hospital Puppy

There is nothing in the world more exciting than bringing home your future best friend. We recommend that your new family member is seen by their veterinarian within the first week of coming home to ensure that they are healthy, doing well at home and to begin their personalized immunization schedule. Puppies and kittens are the most at risk group for infectious diseases.

Over the course of the puppy and kitten visits, we will discuss diet, spay/neuter, training, behavioral issues, and breed specific concerns.

 

Adult wellness Exams

Compassionate Care Veterinary Services Vet Hospital Dog

The goal of the annual or biannual wellness exams is to monitor your pet’s progress, catch diseases or illnesses early, and to update their immunizations, when appropriate. We start with a discussion of your pet’s previously diagnosed illnesses, current medications, perceived comfort level, and any specific concerns that your might have and then move on to a thorough physical exam. Vaccine and screening recommendations are based on your pet’s  risks and lifestyle. We generally recommend annual screening for infectious diseases such as lyme and heartworm disease, as well as intestinal parasites.

 

Senior and Geriatric Exams

Compassionate Care Veterinary Services Vet Hospital Cat

It is important to remember that for every year that passes, our pets age the equivalent of 5-8 years depending on their species and breed. The term “senior” literally just refers to age (>65yr human equivalent). Senior doesn’t imply that they have age related diseases, but we are more likely to find certain disease in senior pets. As a result, additional screening tests are often recommended in cats and small dogs over the age of 8, and medium/large breed dogs over the age of 6. Depending on your pet’s risk level, we may recommend that your pet receives routine exams every 6 months.

The term “geriatric” implies that an animal has one or more age-related diseases such as weakness, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (dementia), decreased mobility, and age-related weight loss. Geriatric patients are  fragile and more likely to get severely sick due to something that otherwise would not have phased them when they were younger. While benchmarks vary for senior/geriatric, below are some general guidelines:

Cats

  • Senior >8 years old

  • Geriatric >13 years old

Dogs

  • Small Breeds

    • Senior >8 years old

    • Geriatric >11 years old

  • Medium Breeds

    • Senior >7 years old

    • Geriatric >10 years old

  • Large/Giant Breeds

    • Senior >6 years old

    • Geriatric >9 years old