Dog & Cat Wellness Care
Wellness care is the key to the healthy life of your dog and cat.
Our veterinarians recommend an annual wellness exam for your pet. We also recommend bi-annual exams for some pets depending upon your pet’s physical health, age, and medical needs.
During your pet’s wellness exam, we will give your pet a full physical exam. The information we collect during an exam helps us establish a baseline level of your pet’s health and allows us to better treat your pet.
Our annual exam also includes a dental evaluation. Dental care is especially important, especially to our older animals. We examine your pet’s teeth and gums for plaque and tartar, tooth weakness and decay. This screening often prevents mouth pain and infections that can affect your pet’s overall health. Learn more about the dental care offered at Oak Elm Animal Hospital.
We monitor your animal’s weight so we can recommend modifications in diet or exercise if needed. During the annual wellness exam, we may discuss your pet’s nutritional needs and weight management guidelines with you. A healthy body weight is important for your dog or cat to have a long and healthy life.
Our wellness exams for dogs and cats include:
- A complete physical examination and weight assessment
- Heartworm blood test
- Fecal analysis/internal parasite test
- Deworming if needed
- Vaccines as needed
- For cats—Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Blood Test
Fecal Examination/ Deworming: Please bring a fecal sample to check for intestinal parasites to your pet’s wellness exam.
Vaccination: Vaccines are an important part of your pet’s health. We will talk with you regarding your pet’s health and lifestyle to determine the appropriate vaccination protocol for your pet. With any vaccination be observant for signs of an allergic reaction to the vaccines demonstrated by vomiting, facial swelling, hives, or extreme lethargy. If you see any of these signs bring your pet in for evaluation. If our hospital is closed please contact the emergency clinic.
Heartworm Control: Heartworm disease is a 100% preventable condition. We recommend oral heartworm control for all pets. Yearly testing for heartworm is also recommended even with monthly preventative. Please ask if you would like additional information on heartworm disease.
Flea Control: Flea control is important. Aside from creating itchy bites, fleas also can transmit diseases and parasites (tapeworms) to your pet. We will discuss with you the propriate flea control medication for your pet at your pet’s annual wellness exam.
Spaying and Neutering: We recommend spaying and neutering all cats and dogs at around 6 months of age. Spaying before the pet’s first heat almost eliminates the chance that later in life she will develop mammary cancer. Neutering your male pet also eliminates the chance of testicular cancer as well as decreasing the likelihood of prostatic problems.
Hip/Elbow Screening for Larger Breed Dogs: Six months of age is a good time for the larger breed dogs to screen for hip and elbow problems by doing x-rays while they are under anesthesia for their spay/neuter surgery. If you are interested in breeding your pet, we still recommend doing the x-rays around 6 months of age if they are a breed that has a risk of hip or elbow dysplasia.
Microchipping: A microchip can be implanted under the skin over the shoulder blades of both dogs and cats. It acts as a permanent form of identification should your pet get lost or taken. Most veterinarians, pounds and shelters have scanners to be able to read the chips. They would then call the number of the company that makes the chip and find out to whom the pet belongs. A good time to microchip your pet is during spay/neuter surgery, but we can microchip your pet at any time. The veterinarians at Oak Elm Animal Hospital recommend all dogs and cats be microchipped.
