Preventative Services

We offer a full line of services to take care of your pets from their early years to their senior years.

• Wellness Exams
• Vaccines
• Dental Care
• Parasite Prevention
• Microchipping

Wellness Exams help prevent larger health issues

All pets should see their veterinarian at least once per year. We call these exams Preventative and Wellness exams because that is their purpose. This visit allows us to fully examine your pet from head to tail to spot any abnormalities before they become serious problems. Remember, for every year of our human lives, our pets age at least five years, and a lot can happen physically in that time window! Besides the benefits of having your pet examined, the wellness exam is a great time to ask any pet-related questions you have.

healthypetcheckup.org is a great reference to explore if you are looking for more detail on what your vet looks for during a wellness exam or are still not convinced your pets need a yearly check up.

Vaccines to keep your pets healthy

Just like children, puppies and kittens need vaccinations to keep them healthy and to prevent disease. These vaccines are then important to get boostered throughout life to stay healthy. We will discuss with you the importance of each vaccine, and together we can determine which are important for your pet based on their lifestyle.

We are constantly researching the various vaccines available for dogs and cats to determine which are the safest and which do the best job. Having your Veterinarian vaccinate your pet, rather than buying vaccines from the store, has many benefits. Most importantly, you'll know that the vaccine was stored at the right temperature prior to administration, that it was mixed correctly, and that it was given correctly. You'll also get the piece of mind that it was given on the correct schedule so that there is no lapse in protection or incomplete immunity. In the rare event that the vaccine does not prevent the intended disease, there is a much greater chance of having the vaccine company cover the costs of diagnosis and treatment since your veterinarian keeps an in-depth medical record for your pet. Finally, you can trust the safety of the vaccines in knowing that your pet gets the same vaccines as our pets, and we only give our own pets the safest vaccines available.

Dental Care leads to better overall health

Pets need dental care, too! We all (should) brush our teeth twice a day, every day, and still have to go to the dentist every 6 months for cleanings. Not all pets are lucky enough to receive that same treatment. Imagine how your teeth would look if you never brushed them or went to the dentist. Unfortunately, we see severe dental disease in pets daily. The mouth is the portal to the body. An infected mouth is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of overall health. We recommend that you brush your pet's teeth daily, and have us examine their teeth on a regular basis when they are in for a wellness exam.

Parasite Prevention is a key to a healthy pet

Intestinal Parasites:

Many puppies and kittens are either born with parasites or are exposed to them soon after birth. Parasites like hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms are found naturally in our environment. Regular deworming is very important, not only in the first 4 months of life, but also at least yearly in adult pets. Contracting an intestinal parasite is as easy as your pet walking through the grass outside, stepping on feces, and then licking their feet later. And, these intestinal parasites aren't picky who they live in, in fact, we humans can get parasites from our pets without proper hygiene. The CDC recommends yearly deworming for all pets, even indoor animals, as we can track parasites inside on our shoes.

Fleas:

A flea infestation is something no animal or pet owner should ever have to deal with. Not only do fleas cause your pet to scratch and bite themselves raw, but fleas also carry tapeworm eggs, leading to an intestinal tapeworm infestation. Fleas are out whenever the temperature is above 32 degrees, but do live in some homes year-round. Thankfully we can prevent our animals from getting fleas by either applying a topical preventative or giving an oral preventative monthly. The most important months to treat in our area are March to November, but both Dr. Zimmerman and Dr. Drake give their dogs an oral preventative monthly year-round. It is much less costly to prevent an infestation than it is to treat one.

Buying your preventative from your veterinarian has many benefits.

• You can be assured the product is not an ineffective knockoff from another country.
• The products found at big box stores are not nearly as effective, and some are actually unsafe.
• Most importantly, they are backed by manufacturer guarantee (the company making the preventative will pay for a home exterminator if your pet gets fleas while on their product, if purchased from a veterinarian).

Ticks:

Ticks carry many diseases, such as Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia and most namely, Lyme Disease. We live in an area with a very high prevalence of Lyme Disease, not only in people but also in pets. The early symptoms of Lyme Disease include painful joints, not wanting to eat, and lethargy. If your pet has had Lyme Disease long enough, it can lead to kidney failure and death. Ticks, just like fleas, are out when the temperature is above 32 degrees. We recommend using tick prevention year round to best protect your pet. The yearly heartworm test which we recommend and administer, tests for the common tick-carried diseases and often catches these diseases at an early treatable stage.

The same considerations apply between store-bought tick preventatives, and those purchased from the Veterinarian. We put a lot of research into which products are the most effective and which are the safest. The products we offer are the ones we use on our own pets.

Microchipping helps lost pets return home

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to have your pet returned to you if it runs away from home? There is! A microchip is a permanent form of identification, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted under your pet's skin between their shoulder blades. If your pet should run away from home and end up at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter, they can be scanned for a microchip. If your pet is microchipped, a number will show up on the scanner, and your contact information can then be found. This is a very simple safeguard for making sure your pet finds their way home. Due to the large size of the needle, we recommend microchipping your pet while they are under anesthesia (spay/neuter), but they can also be microchipped during a regular office visit if you'd like. You can speak with your doctor about this inexpensive piece of mind for your pet if you have questions.