Total Canine and Feline Wellness doesn't stop with a wag of the tail or a purr. Our pets don't always know how to tell us something isn't feeling right. The best way we can stave off health issues for our pets is not to wait until your pet is feeling down and out, but at a screening physical. During a wellness exam we will always review your patient’s record to ensure their wellness plan is in order. This will always include a nose to tail checkup but may also include treatments and diagnostics like screening tests and vaccinations.
Individualized Care for Your Unique Pets
Every pet is different and every home is unique. We customize each wellness plan to meet our patient’s exact needs, for a comprehensive, personal approach to pet care. Factors to consider in the wellness plan include:
- Pet type, species, or breed
- Age and life stage
- Weight and size
- Skin and coat needs
- Nutrition and dietary issues
- Dental concerns
- Activity level
- Socialization and bonding
- Training needs
- Lifestyle influences
- Household environment
- Overall health and condition
The type of your pet, how old, and its life stage are primary in developing a plan for the next year. In a senior pet of any type, for example, we may explore age-related issues and possible modifications to the home. Modifications may include a softer sleeping area, a heated pad, or a ramp to make climbing easier.
Physical needs such as weight concerns, skin and coat care, or dental issues are essential factors for ongoing wellness. These are often combined with aspects of nutrition, diet overall health and condition. Obviously, chronic disease or pain in a pet will negatively impact happiness and well-being in both humans and their animal companions.
Socialization, bonding, and training concerns impact the happiness of both pet and human. A positive human-animal relationship demonstrates a willingness to meet the needs of one other. This rewarding give and take can be greatly influenced by training techniques and socialization. As with humans, unhappiness in your pet results in stress-related problems, distressing for both parties.
Household factors that impact the well-being of a pet include location, type of home, opportunities for activity, level of human interaction, cage or bed environment, existence of dangerous or toxic substances, caregiver capability, and even issues such as temperature and humidity. Your home is their home and, at each wellness visit, we examine and discuss household issues concerning the well-being of your pet family members.
Wellness Visits
At the initial wellness visit, we review these factors to create a plan that addresses the health and happiness of you and your pets. During every wellness visit after that, we review any issues that have changed or new concerns that have developed since the last visit. Diagnostic testing, thorough exams, and in-depth discussion will all guide us in amending the plan to keep your pets healthy until the next visit.
This progressive approach to wellness care is beneficial, effective, and compassionate. Our veterinary team supports you and your pet by consistently reviewing the wellness plan for indicators of positive change, steady vigor, and the need for active treatment. In this way, we support health, well-being, and longevity for the life of your pets.
We are happy to offer comprehensive preventative care protocols which will allow us to ensure our pets live longer, healthier lives. We can often combine fecal screening, urine testing, blood testing, and heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia/anaplasma testing all in one panel. If these tests are run at the same time during a well visit, the savings is significant. Ask us about these panels that we provide at your next wellness visit. Schedule a wellness check.
Some of the common vaccinations and their explanations are below.
Canine Core Vaccines
Rabies vaccine
The rabies vaccine protects your pet from one of the most dangerous, highly contagious, and fatal diseases. It can transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Once infected, the disease affects the central nervous system, causing the disease to spread in the brain and end up with death. Symptoms start off with lethargy, fever, and vomiting leads to change in behavior and temperament, aggression, difficult swallowing, and drooling.
Distemper vaccine
Canine distemper is a contagious viral disease. It is spread through the air and through contact with infected bodily fluids. Dogs between 4 months and 4 years of age tend to be more susceptible to this disease. A surviving dog with this disease will live with neurological problems for the rest of their life. Early symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, mild eye inflammation, and nasal discharge.
Canine Non Core Vaccines
Lyme vaccine
Lyme disease is one of the most common tick transmitted diseases in the world. It is caused by a spirochete (bacteria) species of the Borrelia burgdorferi group. Once tick bites the dog and is infected, the disease can cause problems like recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. Other symptoms include decrease appetite and depression. In severe cases, the infected dogs can experience kidney problems, heart or nervous system disease.
Leptospirosis vaccine
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can contaminate your dog through the urine of an infected animal such as raccoons, skunks, opossums, and rats. It can also be passed through water, food, and soil that is contaminated with urine. Dogs that visit rural/woody areas are more prone to contracting this disease. Symptoms for leptospirosis are fever, vomiting, lethargy, severe muscle and abdominal pain. It can also include eye and nasal discharge, excessive drinking and urination, and intestinal problems.
Bordetella vaccine
Kennel cough is an extremely contagious airborne infection of the upper respiratory tract, caused by the bacteria bordetella bronchiseptica. It can spread rapidly among susceptible animals where they are surrounded by other dogs such as boarding centers, or doggy day care. In most cases the disease is generally mild, but in some cases it can be serious and even fatal. Puppies can suffer from chronic bronchitis. Symptoms include frequent dry coughing and gagging, loss of appetite, and fever.
Influenza vaccine
Canine Influenza or "Dog Flu" is highly contagious type A influenza virus that dogs do not have natural protection against. The two identified forms H3N8 and H3N2 can be protected against by vaccination. Outbreaks of the virus have occurred occasionally in our region and when they do the flu spreads quickly amongst the dog population. Canine flu effects individual dogs differently, and the outcome of the illness can range from mild to fatal. We carry the bivalent vaccine (H3N2 and H3N8) at our Hospital.
Feline Core Vaccines
FVRCP vaccine
The FVRCP vaccination protects your cat against three contagious diseases. FVR is for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis. This is a severe upper respiratory infection caused by a feline herpes virus. C is for Calicivirus, an upper respiratory-tract infection that can make your cat very ill and can lead to a life-threatening pneumonia. And P is for Panleukopenia (feline distemper) a highly contagious disease that can affect a cat’s digestive system, bone marrow, and lymph tissue. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, ulcers and blisters in mouth, loss of appetite, discharge from eyes and nose, depression, and diarrhea.
Rabies vaccine
The rabies vaccine protects your pet from one of the most dangerous, highly contagious, and fatal diseases. It can transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Once infected, the disease affects the central nervous system, causing the disease to spread in the brain and end up with death. Symptoms start off with lethargy, fever, and vomiting leads to change in behavior and temperament, aggression, difficult swallowing, and drooling.
Feline Non Core Vaccine
Leukemia vaccine
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a virus that causes cancer of the white blood cells and lymph system. It is spread through direct contact with other infected felines. A blood test can be done to confirm this disease. Weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, labored breathing and anemia are common symptoms for this disease.
All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn is proud to be enrolled in the Preventive Care Challenge with our reference laboratory. This means we are able to run specific screening panels for wellness checks for a discounted rate.
Visit our neighborhood clinic to obtain a comprehensive wellness plan for your pet.