Helping You Help Your Pet to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier life

Listed below is information on basic preventive care recommended by our practice.

Vaccinations  Several vaccinations are routinely recommended to prevent disease.

• DHPP (Dogs): This vaccine prevents distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parainfluenza and parvovirus.
• Leptospirosis (Dogs): This vaccine helps to prevent the bacteria Leptospirosis which also has the potential to cause disease in people.
• Lyme (Dogs): This area has one of the highest rates of exposure to Lyme in the US. This vaccination helps to prevent the disease.
• Bordatella/Kennel Cough (Dogs and cats): This bacteria is very contagious and can cause upper respiratory disease which can lead to pneumonia. This vaccine is recommended every 6 months.
• Rabies (Dogs and Cats): This vaccination is required by law. Rabies is 100% fatal in all animals and humans.
• FVRCP (Cats): This vaccine protects against herpes virus, calicivirus and parvovirus which can lead to respiratory and GI disease.
• Feline Leukemia (Cats): This vaccine is recommended for all cats that go outdoors and in some multi-cat households.

Heartworm prevention (Cats and Dogs)  Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes. They cause damage to the heart and lungs and are life threatening. We have routinely recommended preventive medication in dogs for many years. In more recent years, it has been shown that cats are affected as well and studies have shown that both indoor and outdoor cats are affected. This disease is more difficult to diagnose and treat in cats and many cats do not show significant symptoms until they have a severe potentially life threatening episode. For these reasons, we now recommend monthly prevention in cats year-round, as we have for dogs for many years.

Intestinal parasites  Intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms cause disease in dogs and cats. These are common parasites of dogs and cats and have the potential to cause significant disease in people. We recommend fecal testing for parasites twice a year. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends regular parasite testing and control in dogs and cats to help prevent disease in people. The monthly medications used for heartworm control also help to prevent these parasites.

• Interceptor: Medication recommended monthly in dogs to help prevent heartworms and intestinal parasites.
• Revolution: Medication recommended monthly in cats to help prevent heartworms, intestinal parasites, fleas and ear mites.
• Frontline: Topical medication recommended monthly in dogs to prevent fleas and ticks.

Wellness Bloodwork  We recommend performing routine screening bloodwork as cats and dogs enter middle age, approximately 5 years of age. This is the time when many disease processes such as kidney and liver disease, Cushings disease, diabetes, hyper and hypothyriodism begin. All of these diseases can be present and causing internal changes without obvious symptoms until the disease is in its advanced stages. Routine screening can help to detect these and other diseases early, when they are easier to treat, which can lead to a better long term prognosis and longer, healthier life.

Thank you for choosing our hospital for your veterinary care! We know you have a choice in your veterinary provider and appreciate the trust you have placed in us to care for your pet.