Services - Adult/Senior Wellness
 
 
 
 


What are wellness exams?
All healthy adult dogs and cats should receive a wellness exam at least once per year for early disease detection or prevention. Because pets age seven times faster than people, significant health changes can occur in a short amount of time. The risks of cancer, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, heart disease, metabolic problems and other serious conditions all increase with age. Every year we detect many disease processes in seemingly healthy adult pets during wellness exams.  With early intervention, many of these diseases can be reversed or the progression controlled.

What should the exam include?


  • Health History, we ask questions about your dog’s daily routine, wellness care status and any physical changes.
  • Wellness Care Recommendations, on vaccination, parasite prevention, wellness testing, dental cleanings and home care, diet, weight management and behavior problems.
  • Physical Examination, in which our veterinarian examines ALL body systems.
  • Vaccinations, to protect your dog or cat from the infectious diseases  in our area.
  • FELV / FIV Test, to check for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus if not vaccinated against these diseases. All newly acquired cats should be tested.
  • Fecal Examination, to detect for the presence of any intestinal parasites.
  • Heartworm / Lyme / Ehrlichia Test for dogs, to check for heartworms and the tick borne diseases Lyme and Ehrlichia.
  • Additional Diagnostic Testing, such as blood work, urinalysis, or radiographs, as indicated by the physical exam findings. Ask us about our Senior Wellness Package to save on this testing for dogs 6 years of age and older.

What vaccinations are needed for dogs?



DHPP / DAP

Protects against distemper, hepatitis (liver disease), parainfluenza (respiratory disease) and parvo (deadly GI disease). Must booster DHPP 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given annually up to age 2, then DAP given every 3rd year. Considered a core vaccination.


Leptosporosis

protects against 4 forms of this sometimes deadly disease that affects the liver and kidneys. It can be transmitted to humans. Our area is high risk for this disease. Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every year.


Lyme

Protects against this tick borne disease that affects the joints, kidneys, nervous system and heart. Causes severe pain and lameness. Our area is high risk (heavy tick population). Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every year.


Bordetella / Parainfluenza

Protects against several forms of respiratory infection (kennel cough). Needed for puppies that are boarded, groomed or encounter other dogs. Therefore, most dogs need it. Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every 6 months to a year.


Rabies

Protects against this deadly viral disease that attacks the nervous system. Can be transmitted to humans. Must booster 1 year after initial vaccine. Then given every 3rd year. Required by state law. A core vaccine.

What vaccinations are needed for cats?



FVRCP

Protects against the highly contagious respiratory diseases rhinotracheitis and calici virus and panleukopenia (distemper).  ).  Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given annually up to age 2, then every 3rd year, unless the cat goes outside, sits on porches or in open windows or encounters other cats. Then must continue to give every year. Considered a core vaccine.


Feline Leukemia (FELV)

This deadly virus suppresses your cat’s immune system leading to fatal infections or cancer. Needed for cats that go outside, sit on porches or in open windows, have owners exposed to other cats (carry virus home) and in multi-cat households. Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every year. Most cats should receive it.


FIV

Protects against feline immunodeficiency virus which is similar to human AIDS. Transmitted through bite wounds. Needed for kittens that go outside, especially fighters, and in already positive FIV households. Must booster twice 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every year.


FIP

Protects against deadly feline infectious peritonitis that damages multiple organ systems. Needed for cats in multi-cat households. Must booster 3-4 weeks after first time received, then given every year. Corona virus testing is recommended before vaccination.


Rabies

Protects against this deadly viral disease that attacks the nervous system. Can be transmitted to humans. Must booster 1 year after initial vaccination, then given every 3rd year. Required by state law. Considered a core vaccination.

What is parasite protection?


Intestinal Parasites

Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms (dogs only), tapeworms, giardia and coccidia are intestinal parasites that are extremely common in our environment. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and weight loss. Roundworms, hookworms, giardia and tapeworms can be transmitted to humans. The best protection is an annual fecal examination of your dog or cat’s stool and regular deworming.

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is a serious problem in Southern MD. The parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes and inhabits the heart and lungs of infected dogs and cats. Chronic coughing and breathing difficulty occur. If left untreated, the disease leads to heart failure and death. The only protection is to give your dog or cat prevention medication year round and annual heartworm testing for dogs. For dogs, whenever a heartworm test is purchased, buy a year’s supply of prevention and save 20%. For cats, 20% off a year’s supply of heartworm prevention.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks are widespread in our area. They make pets miserable and also can transmit disease. Ticks can transmit Lyme and Ehrlichia disease to you, your family, your dog and possibly your cat. All 4 types of ticks are present in Southern MD. Preventive medication is the only protection against them and should be given year round. We recommend the monthly topical products Frontline Plus, Advantix (for dogs only) and Advantage. Frontline Plus and Advantix protect against both fleas and ticks. Advantage protects against fleas. Purchase a year’s supply and save 20%!



Why is dental care important? Without proper dental care, your dog or cat will eventually develop periodontal disease. It causes bad breath, inflamed and bleeding gums and if left unchecked, serious pain, infection and tooth loss. It can also lead to systemic health problems that affect the heart, liver and kidneys.

Periodontal disease: Periodontal disease is started by the bacteria found in dental plaque. Without regular dental cleanings, the plaque turns into tartar.

The tartar digs into the gums, where bacteria become trapped and cause infections. While the damage caused by the disease may be irreversible, it can be halted with antibiotics and regular cleanings. The best solution is to stop the disease BEFORE it starts.

Annual cleanings: Generally at age 1, your dog or cat should have an annual dental exam and cleaning performed by our veterinarian. A professional cleaning removes plaque and tartar above and below the gum line to prevent the development of periodontal disease.

Home dental care: A good home care program tremendously extends the positive effects of the professional cleaning. We offer a number of home care products: Hills Teeth diet, C.E.T. Chews, C.E.T. Oral Rinse, C.E.T. Toothpaste, Oxyfresh Oral Hygiene Solution, and Oravet Barrier Sealant. All these products help to reduce plaque and tartar formation on the teeth.

Senior Wellness Package



Senior Testing: Take your senior pet’s protection to the next level: Due to better owner and veterinary care, America’s pets are living longer than ever. But, because of this, they are increasingly suffering from many of the same chronic diseases that affect us: cancer, diabetes, kidney, liver, thyroid and heart disorders, arthritis, dental disease, vision problems, and senility.

If our pets could talk, caring for them would be a lot easier and treating them a lot more exact. But, since they can’t talk and tell us about their health, thorough examination along with laboratory testing on a regular schedule is the next best thing.

Laboratory testing allows us to explore your pet’s health in depth and uncover problems or illnesses a physical exam alone would not reveal. This is the next level of care and the gold standard in pet protection.

Senior Wellness Package: Key to early illness and problem detection: We offer senior wellness exams and laboratory testing in our Senior Wellness Package. It provides our veterinarians with diagnostic tools to more accurately asses the true health of your pet. While this is important for pets at any age, senior pets need even more care and protection. Remember, pets age much more rapidly than humans and their illnesses progress more rapidly as well. Regular examination and laboratory testing allows for early detection and treatment intervention of medical problems in seemingly healthy pets BEFORE they become more serious.

What does the Senior Wellness Package include?


Our Senior Wellness Package is a single unit service that includes the following:

Physical exam

External examination of all body systems

Complete blood count

Identifies infections, anemia, certain cancers, problems with bleeding and the immune system

Vetscreen test

Identifies diseases of the liver, kidney and endocrine system (diabetes and Cushings)

Urine analysis

Tests for kidney disease, diabetes, urinary tract infections and bladder stones

T4 test

Tests thyroid function. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are common in senior pets

This package provides the needed protection for your senior pet and also a savings to you. Purchasing these services individually is a cost of $ 252.64. Purchasing them in the package is a cost of $ 172.35, resulting in a savings of $ 80.29. 

What’s the difference? Longer, happier, healthier years for your pet. Peace of mind for you: Early detection and intervention of the common problems seen in senior pets allows you to keep your best friend around as long as possible. With regular exams and wellness testing you can make certain that as they age they remain as healthy as possible.   Every year we detect many disease processes in seemingly healthy senior pets that we would not have without the testing in the Senior Wellness Package. Fortunately, most of these diseases are easily treated and managed when detected early.

 
 
22261 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD  20653
301-862-2441

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