Annual Exams
Throughout an annual exam, a doctor will check over various health points of your pet such as lymph nodes, eyes, teeth/gums, weight/diet, etc. We also recommend that your pet receive 3 vaccines: Rabies, DA2PP/L4 (Combo vaccine), and Bordetella.
The Rabies vaccine:
- Required by law
- Protects against the rabies virus
- Can be spread to humans
The Combo vaccine (DA2PP/L4):
- Distemper
- Parvovirus (parvo)
- Canine parainfluenza (respiratory virus)
- Canine adenovirus (hepatitis- 2 strains)
- Leptospirosis (4 various strains)
The Bordetella oral vaccine:
- Kennel cough
- Like whooping cough in humans.
Puppy Visits
If you are welcoming a new puppy to the family, congratulations and we are happy to assist you in getting your new family member all set up. The following plan is highly recommended to completely protect your puppy. A puppy’s immune system is not fully developed until 16 weeks of age; therefore, we recommend boosters of the combo vaccine every 3 weeks starting at 8 weeks of age until they are 16 weeks old.
The following schedule is recommended:
- 6 weeks old
- Wellness Exam
- Parvovirus Vaccine
- Fecal & Deworming
- 8-9 weeks old
- Wellness Exam
- Combo (DA2PP/L4) Vaccine
- Begin Heartworm Prevention
- Puppy Kit
- First dose of heartworm and flea prevention is free
- Continue Heartworm prevention every 30 days
- Puppy Kit
- Bordetella Vaccine
- 11-12 weeks old
- Wellness Exam
- Combo (DA2PP/L4) Vaccine Booster
- Rabies (*If 12 weeks old)
- 15-16 weeks old
- Wellness Exam
- Rabies, if not previously done
- Combo (DA2PP/L4) Vaccine Booster
- Fecal
- Please bring a sample, less than 12 hours old, if possible
- 6 months old
- Spay/neuter
- Microchip, if not already done
- Annual Visit:
- Rabies Booster
- Combo (DA2PP/L4) Vaccine
- Bordetella Vaccine
- Fecal
- Please bring a sample, less than 12 hours old, if possible
- Heartworm Test
What if I adopted an older pet and do not know vaccine history?
We can start the vaccination series at any age if you welcome an older pet and do not know the vaccine history! Call us and feel free to ask questions or schedule an appointment and we will guide you in the right direction to ensure your fur-baby of any age is fully covered and cared for!
Surgery
Spay/Neuter
Spaying or neutering your pet improves their overall health by reducing or eliminating the risk of various diseases and cancers. Pets who are spayed/neutered tend to wander less, reducing their chances at being hit by a car or becoming lost. Pets that are not spayed or neutered can be more animal-aggressive causing fight-related injuries and/or diseases spread through bite wounds
Dental
Another service offered are canine dentals. A dental cleaning removes not only the visible plaque and tartar on the surfaces of your pet’s teeth but also the bacteria under the gums. This eliminates potential sources of infection to the mouth and other organs and protects your pet from pain and tooth loss. By removing plaque and tartar, you can freshen the breath of your pets as well.
Other surgeries:
- Wound repair
- Foreign object removals
- Amputations
- Hernia repair
- And more!
OFA Hips and Elbows and PennHIP
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) has a scoring system to indicate the health of your pet’s hips and/or elbows. This system rates a dog’s hip/elbow joint on a seven-point scoring system and can be performed starting at 2 years of age. Dogs aged 1-2 years can have a preliminary assessment for informational use, but results do not go on their permanent record. This test is used assess the current radiographic condition of these joints and provides some idea of their risk for developing later degenerative joint disease by grading conformation. This is especially helpful to know when the pet will be used in a breeding program. The test relies on interpretation of a radiograph of the dog’s hips/elbows, which are then assigned a score by three independent radiologists: Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild, Moderate and Severe. OFA’s are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
In 1993, University of Pennsylvania developed a test referred to as PennHIP and it measures the hip joint laxity. It is currently our best method of predicting the future risk of a dog for developing degenerative joint disease later in life. It also provides a numerical value that can be compared to other dogs in the same breed. Unlike an OFA test, it requires anesthesia and for the veterinarian performing the test to be certified. A PennHIP can be performed as early as 16 weeks old but is not recognized by the AKC.
We do have a PennHIP certified veterinarian on staff who can perform both OFA’s and PennHIPs. The following chart shows the difference between the two tests, and it should be noted you can elect to have both tests performed on your pet.
Both tests generally require sedation for the most accurate results.
Comparison
PennHIP | OFA | |
---|---|---|
Veterinarian certification required? | YES | NO |
Earliest age of evaluation (for certified results) | 16 weeks | 2 years |
Scoring System | Calculated Distraction Index 0-1 (0 is the best) evaluated by trained veterinarian | 7-point system from excellent to severe, based on evaluation of three independent radiologists |
Recognized by AKC | YES | YES |
Year founded | 1993 | 1966 |