Our wellness protocols are designed to prevent disease and prolong the lives and life quality of your pets. As soon as you welcome a new pet into your home, you should consider preventative care to protect their health. For puppies and kittens, we recommend beginning a vaccination series between six and eight weeks of age. While adequate vaccination is important, the comprehensive physical examinations, intestinal parasite screenings and prophylactic dewormings also given during this series will help ensure your new family member gets started on the right paw for a happy, healthy life.
For a healthy adult pet, we recommend a visit to our clinic
ANNUALLY.
Since pets age at a much quicker rate than humans, these visits will become increasingly important in early detection of any changes in their health.
Many infectious diseases can be prevented by appropriate routine vaccinations. Strategic monthly deworming and fecal exams will control internal parasites and easy to use, once a month topical treatments will control fleas and ticks. The physical examination is a major component of the preventive medicine approach to health care. Physical exams frequently reveal minor problems before they develop into serious illnesses. It is far less costly to you and your pet to prevent diseases than to treat them.
AGE-RELATED WELLNESS PROGRAMS
At Indian Head Animal Hospital, we can keep your pets happy and healthy by utilizing the following:
COMPREHENSIVE PET EXAM
The physical exam is a very important aspect of your pet’s wellness. During this exam, the doctor evaluates the entire pet, which includes:
- An eye exam using an ophthalmoscope
- An ear exam using an otoscope
- A heart exam using a stethoscope
- Other points evaluated include teeth, skin, coat, vital signs, body condition, and joints. Doctors also use their hands to palpate the abdominal contents.
On average, veterinary physical exams discover three additional health concerns than what is known by the pet owner.
Preventative Care
We believe in a preventive medicine approach to health care. Many infectious diseases can be prevented by routine vaccinations. Easy to use, once a month treatments will prevent heartworms, intestinal parasites and fleas and ticks. The physical examination is a major component of the preventive medical approach to health care. Physical exams frequently reveal minor problems before they develop into serious illnesses. It is far less costly to you and your pet to prevent diseases than to treat them.
CLIENT EDUCATION & CONSULTATION
We are strong advocates for client education and client-doctor communication. Intelligent medical decisions can only be made if our clients are well informed of the problem and the medical options available to them.
We have many educational pamphlets concerning most surgical and medical procedures: laser surgery, spay and neuter, hypothyroidism in the dog, hematoma repair, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and many more. Request for information is always welcome.
Screenings
We also offer annual blood screenings for all of our patients. If done routinely, these screenings will help our doctors detect potential diseases before they become a serious issue. If caught early, many common diseases can be managed through dietary modifications. Since pets usually don’t exhibit symptoms of many serious diseases, such as kidney or liver disease, until the disease is in its advanced stages, early detection leads to early treatment and can prolong your pet’s life.