SERVICES
Wellness exams are very important in caring for our four-legged friends, particularly those that are geriatric. Early diagnosis of any major illness is of benefit to the health of the animal involved.
Annual Wellness Exams
As part of your pet's annual vaccination program, we will give your pet a thorough physical exam. This procedure allows us to determine the overall physical health of your pet. It also allows us to examine your pet closely for problems that may be considered breed specific. This simply means that certain breeds of dogs and cats are pre-disposed to certain problems. For example, if you own a cocker spaniel, you have no doubt at some time dealt with an ear problem. Our physical examination will help alert you to potential problems which may occur.
The physical exam, however, does not allow us to determine the overall health of the internal organs. Only a blood screen will do that. This short procedure will detect any liver and kidney problems as well as check for anemia, diabetes, and infections. We recommend this screening for all pets two to seven years of age. If your pet is seven years or older, ask about our senior care program. As in all health evaluations, early detection is the key as it allows for more and better treatment options. If you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Juvenile Pet Exams
We offer basic kitten and puppy exams, as well as exams for other juvenile species including skunks, ferrets and rabbits. Generally speaking, we like to examine a juvenile animal one time per month until approximately six months of age for vaccinations and/or de-worming. We typically recommend that your pet be spayed or neutered around six months of age or shortly thereafter.
Lifestyle Vaccinations
Vaccines are products designed to trigger protective immune responses in pets and prepare them to fight future infections from disease-causing agents. Vaccines can lessen the severity of future diseases and certain vaccines can prevent infection altogether. The vaccine protocols used at Loving Touch are based on American Animal Hospital Association guidelines, adjusted to the needs of the individual patient. To further mediate the risk of vaccine-related reactions in our patients, Loving Touch routinely administers one of two homeopathics orally, immediately following vaccination.
As an alternative to our vaccination protocols, laboratory titer testing can be used to determine disease immunity in Loving Touch patients. With positive titer results, upcoming vaccinations (except for Rabies) may be able to be postponed even beyond the recommended three year intervals.