Wellness & Preventive Care

Wellness & Preventative Veterinary Care in Arlington

Wellness Exams to Keep Your Pet Healthy & Happy

We know that keeping your pets healthy is a top priority to you. Since our pets cannot speak to us, we may often be unaware of their medical problems. By bringing them in for regular examinations, you are ensuring that your pets are checked for any potential illnesses and diseases. Oftentimes, our doctors are able to spot abnormalities and issues that would otherwise go undetected and become harder to treat later on. We recommend that you bring in your pets at least once a year to make sure that they are healthy and current on their vaccinations and preventative medications.

Overview

We follow your pet through the many phases of their lives. From specialized and preventative care during their younger years to regular wellness checks as they age, we seek to prevent and detect problems before they arise. We know your pet is important to you, that's why we work hard to ensure they are given only the best in care through all the years of their lives.

The American Animal Hospital Association recommends that your pet have a wellness exam at least once every year. As your pet ages, they recommend having even more. We believe strongly in preventive care and have developed wellness protocols for every stage of the life of your pet. Depending on your pet’s life stage, vaccines may be administered, as well as disease screenings.

Medical Care for Senior Pets in Arlington, Texas

For older pets, we advise a full physical exam at least every 6 months to ensure early detection and treatment of any problems which may arise. Remember that pets are extremely adept at concealing signs of illness or injury. We frequently find serious disease in pets which have shown little or no outward symptom of any problem. Early detection is frequently crucial to the effective treatment or management of medical problems, especially in senior pets.

Why are wellness exams important?

Wellness exams give us a chance to evaluate the overall health of your pet while also giving us a baseline for their own unique bodies and tendencies. They also allow us to detect potential problems before they become serious, and even make your pet more familiar with our veterinary hospital, making future visits easier on them and you.

When should my pet visit the vet?

We believe in preventative medicine as the best approach to keeping our patients healthy. This includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations on a one- or three-year basis, external and internal parasite prevention, and dietary management. Our doctors will help determine what vaccinations are appropriate according to you and your pet’s needs. We will discuss in detail what your options are to help you make the best possible health decisions for your pet.

How do wellness exams work?

During a wellness exam, our veterinary team will start out by taking your pet's vital signs. Our veterinarian will perform a comprehensive examination of your pet from nose to tail and may also perform diagnostic tests such as blood work, urinalysis, or intestinal parasite tests. Depending on your pet’s life stage, vaccines may be administered, as well as disease screenings for heartworm, kidney, liver, blood disorders, and more.

Wellness examinations do not necessarily mean that your pet is going to be subjected to complicated or costly medical tests and treatments. This allows us to prevent major health issues from developing undetected and gives us the opportunity to analyze and record baseline values such as temperature, body condition, and lab work. We measure these when your pet is healthy in order to provide better care in the event of illness or emergency. A dental health exam and a weight check are always important parts of a wellness exam, and may indicate problems that can progress rapidly and have significant impact on your pet's overall health.

Early detection and correction of medical problems will help to ensure that your pet will live a long, healthy, and active life.

Vaccines & Preventative Medication

Having your pets vaccinated will keep them safe from various contagious pathogens in the environment. We are cognizant of recommended vaccine protocols and conservatively vaccinate your pets after our doctors assess your pets’ exposure to the environment and other risk factors.

Preventative medications help keep your pets safe from:

• Heartworms

• Intestinal worms

• Fleas

• Ticks

Heartworm disease can be fatal and is caused by heartworms that live in the heart and lungs of both dogs and cats. This parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes, and therefore, all pets, indoor and out, are potentially exposed. Intestinal worms thrive in your pets’ intestinal tract, and certain species of these worms can infect people and cause serious diseases. Fleas and ticks can transmit diseases while also causing you and your pets a considerable amount of distress from their constant biting.

Diagnostic Testing in Arlington

Sometimes your pets can become ill, and it may be difficult to understand why. Fortunately, we have various diagnostic tests we can perform to offer our Arlington veterinarians the information needed to help diagnose and treat your sick pets. Our in-house laboratory can perform a variety of blood tests.

For example, we can test your pets for heartworms from just a few drops of blood. Our x-ray and ultrasound machines can provide our doctors' clues as to the health of your pet’s bones and internal organs. We are capable of performing a variety of other diagnostic tests as well, so rest assured that we are well-equipped to find out the cause of your pets’ illness.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at (817) 587-8874 or contact us online.