Wellness Care
Preventative care is your pet’s first line of defense. Annual exams help prevent, diagnose and treat disease in its early stages, often before any noticeable symptoms begin. The earlier treatment starts, the more effective it is, keeping your pet from unnecessary pain and suffering. Our nose-to-tail exams give us a good picture of your pet’s overall health and alert us to any changes that might have occurred since you pet’s last visit.
At Claremont Veterinary Hospital, we recommend a physical exam at least once a year for adult pets. If you’ve recently adopted or purchased a pet, we encourage you to book an appointment for a first examination as soon as possible. Young animals are vulnerable to illness, and an exam will allow us to make sure they have the vaccinations they need, reassure you of their health, and give us a starting point for their medical records.
Just like you, we want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible—which is why we offer comprehensive veterinary care from your pet’s earliest days until it’s time to say goodbye.
Puppies & Kittens: It’s important for new puppies and kittens to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible after adoption for many reasons. Most importantly, young animals don’t have full immunity from disease, so they need to have a series of vaccinations given at specific intervals to make sure they are safe from diseases that can be life-threatening for them at such a young age. Puppies and kittens should also have parasite screening and worming. This first exam is also a good time for us to answer your questions about nutrition, behavior and other aspects of caring for your new pet.
Vaccinations: Keeping your canine or feline up to date on immunizations and booster shots is a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like distemper and rabies. Beyond those core vaccines, your pet’s age, lifestyle and likely exposure to certain diseases will be evaluated before we recommend additional inoculations.
Spay/neuter: Spaying or neutering your pet can prevent some health problems, such as uterine infections, prostatitis, and some cancers, in addition to helping with pet overpopulation. It can also help prevent behaviors such as spraying and marking. We are committed to serving our community by spaying and neutering as many pets as possible to help reduce the number of unwanted animals being admitted to shelters every day.
Parasite Prevention: Fleas, ticks, worms – preventing them in the first place is much easier and ultimately less expensive than getting rid of them after they’ve infested your pet. We recommend monitoring your pet and having them screened for internal parasites regularly, and we offer a variety of alternatives for flea, tick and heartworm prevention.
Microchipping: We encourage all pet owners to microchip their animal companions. The sad fact is that only 17% of dogs and 2% of cats make it back to their owners when they become lost. Microchipping greatly increases the chances that your pet will be returned to you—it’s also affordable and relatively painless.
Cold Laser Therapy: Cold laser therapy is used to treat acute and chronic injuries and has successfully accelerated the healing process after surgery. Cold laser therapy also improves hip dysplasia, post-surgical incisions, arthritis and degenerative joint diseaseandmusculoskeletal injuries, among others.
Senior Care: We love elder pets! We also know that preventative care is even more significant for them. Pets age much more rapidly than humans, so diseases and illness progress faster as well. We recommend twice-yearly exams and screenings for seniors to help prolong and improve the quality of their lives.
Ready to make an appointment for your pet’s wellness exam? Give us a call todayat (510) 652-5835. You can also request an appointment online.
