Wellness Care
For every life stage
Caring Hands Animal Hospital places high value on preventative care and wellness visits for ALL pets. From the puppy and kitten stages, throughout adult life, and into the senior years, preventative care can help your pet live a longer, healthier life by preventing diseases and catching illness in its early stages.
Preventive care is tailored specifically to each pet, with recommendations made relative to your pet’s age, location, and lifestyle.
The doctors of Caring Hands Animal Hospital are likely to recommend many of the following items as part of the lifetime care plan for your pet:
Puppies & Kittens should be seen at approximate ages 8, 12, and 16 weeks for a comprehensive physical exam with the veterinarian, fecal testing & parasite deworming, vaccinations, and to start flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
Spaying or neutering dogs and cats is recommended around 6 months of age to prevent pregnancy, avoid overpopulation, and eliminate the risk of uterine and testicular cancer.
Adult pets between the ages of 1 to 6 years should be seen for wellness visits at least once annually for a comprehensive physical exam with the veterinarian, fecal testing, vaccine boosters, and ongoing flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives.
Dental care will be discussed during each physical exam, and a dental cleaning may be recommended when tartar and/or gingivitis are noted.
Senior pets age 7 and over should be seen twice yearly for physical exam, fecal testing, vaccine boosters, ongoing flea/tick/heartworm prevention, and lab work (blood and urine testing) to monitor health and check for common age-related illnesses. To learn more about Senior Care and our Pets Aging With Style (PAWS) program, please click here.
Adult pets between the ages of 1 to 6 years should be seen for wellness visits at least once annually for a comprehensive physical exam with the veterinarian, fecal testing, vaccine boosters, and ongoing flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives.
Dental care will be discussed during each physical exam, and a dental cleaning may be recommended when tartar and/or gingivitis are noted.
Vaccinations
Your veterinarian will be the best resource to determine the appropriate course of vaccinations for your pet’s lifestyle. Outlined below is a list of vaccinations available through Caring Hands Animal Hospitals. Please click on each one to find out more in depth information.
Preventatives
The doctors and staff at Caring Hands Animal Hospital recommend year-round protection against fleas, ticks, and heartworms for all pets, indoor and outdoor. For more information on parasites, please visit the Companion Animal Parasite Councilwebsite. Fleas and ticks exist year-round in our climate, and may even be carried inside unknowingly on your shoes and clothing. Once monthly topical application of Frontline Plus, Parastar, Vectra, or other veterinarian approved medication can be enough to keep fleas and ticks off of your pet and avoid the diseases associated with these parasites. Heartworms, carried by mosquitos, infect dogs and cats and cause asthma-like symptoms and can often be fatal. Heartworm preventative is as simple as a monthly treatment of a liquid topical or flavored chewy treat.
Depending on your pet’s specific needs, Caring Hands may recommend Interceptor, Heartgard, Revolution, or other preventative, for lifelong heartworm preventative. For more information on heartworms, we recommend the American Heartworm Society. All preventatives mentioned may be purchased through our price-competitive online pharmacy.
Microchipping
A microchip is no bigger than a grain of rice and is a life-saving device that can bring your pet home safely.
We provide the 15-digit microchip and all of the registration information at the appointment.
Nailtrims
Long nails get snagged on clothing, furniture, curtains, you name it. The last thing we want is to see your kiddo with a painful broken nail.
The first puppy and kitten nail trim is free.
Intensive Care
Care that allows you to focus on your pets recovery
Occasionally, a pet may become ill and require intensive care. Critical cases may require hospitalization.
At Caring Hands, we can provide the care necessary to get your pet feeling well again. Some examples of illnesses that may require hospitalization include:
- GI upset
- Foreign body
- Illness diagnosis
- Urethral obstruction
During their hospital stay, your pet may be on IV fluids and may receive various medications throughout the day. We can also accommodate patients that may require oxygen therapy or need to be isolated due to infections or a suppressed immune system.
We can do many diagnostics right here in-house including:
- Laboratory blood chemistry
- X-rays
- Ultrasound
If necessary, we work closely with local emergency and critical care specialists and can facilitate transfer to a 24 hour facility to ensure your pet receives the best treatment possible.
Our team strives to keep you well-informed with regular updates on your pet’s progress throughout their hospital stay. We want your pet to feel as comfortable as possible while they are here, and we are happy to use food or blankets from home if requested.
Digital Imaging
Caring Hands Animal Hospital has both radiology and ultrasound as diagnostic tools to aid us in providing care for your pet.
An ultrasound, or sonogram, uses sound waves from a probe that are converted into an image. These images are displayed on the monitor, giving the veterinarian a 2-dimensional “picture” of your pet’s organs.
Digital X-rays show the size, shape and position of the organs and the ultrasound allows your veterinarian to see the internal structure of the organs.
Many times both digital radiographs (X-rays) and ultrasound of your pet are recommended for best evaluation of your pet’s problem.
Dental Cleaning
Pet dental health is important
Pet dental health is just as important as it is in humans. Dental disease can lead to damage to your pet’s kidneys, heart, and liver. Have you found that your pet is experiencing any of the following?
- Bad breath
- Decreased appetite
- Drooling
- Teeth that “chatter” (especially in cats)
- Swelling below the eye (especially in dogs)
- Appearance of plaque and tartar
- Discolored teeth
- Lethargy or reduced activity
Your pet may need a teeth cleaning. It is recommended to have yearly dental cleanings for a healthy pet.
At Caring Hands Animal Hospital, we offer state of the art equipment to take care of your pet’s dental needs. We offer prophylactic (preventive) dental cleanings, which include full mouth charting, identifying periodontal disease through measuring the pocketing of the gums, ultrasonic scaling and polishing of the teeth, and applying a fluoride treatment/plaque retardant to the teeth.
We also use digital x-ray technology to identify periodontal disease underneath the gum line, as well as to help determine which teeth need to be extracted. Similarly to humans, there can be disease hidden where we cannot see with the naked eye, that will become evident with x-rays.
Our surgical services include tooth extractions, biopsies of oral masses, and resecting excessive gingival tissue.
In-house Laboratory
There are times when lab results need to be known in minutes. Our hospitals are equipped with state of the art laboratory equipment that can provide quick and accurate results when needed.
On-call Doctor
Not all questions come up during business hours. In response to this need, we have a doctor reachable by phone when the hospitals are closed.
Surgery
We provide a comfortable space for you and your pet
Each Caring Hands Animal Hospital has a surgical suite for routine and critical procedures which can be scheduled Monday through Friday with your preferred doctor. Our surgical suite offers a client viewing area allowing you to accompany your pet throughout their hospital stay.
A Licensed Veterinary Technician monitors vital signs on all surgical patients, and monitoring equipment is used to measure heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen levels, CO2 levels, blood pressure, and temperature. Pain medication is given before and after all surgical procedures because keeping your pet comfortable is our top priority. Should you ever require a specialized service that is unavailable at our hospital, we are happy to assist with referrals to an appropriate specialist.
Leading up to your pet’s surgery, you will be informed of the following protocols for your pet’s safety:
- No food after 8:00pm the night before surgery. Limited amounts of water are OK.
- Admit your pet between 7:30-8:00am, review and sign Consent Form and Treatment Plan. Please allot yourself enough time to go over these forms and ask any questions you may have. The doctor or technician will update you after surgery and confirm a discharge appointment time.
- Routine surgeries are discharged the day of the procedure.
- Discharge appointments will be scheduled to review post-operative care and review all medications to take home.
Whatever your pet’s surgical needs are, the staff at Caring Hands Animal Hospital treats you and your pet with compassion and respect.
Courtesy Recheck After Surgery
You may be nervous about bringing your pet home after surgery. The majority of patients recover without any problems at all. However, we still like to see them back to make sure that everything is healing as it should be.
Recheck appointments are the perfect time to go over any non-urgent questions that may come up while your is pet recovering at home.
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