Wellness and Vaccination Programs

The first few months of your puppy’s life are a critical period in their development, and we will give you the care and support necessary to help them grow into a well-mannered, healthy dog.

By scheduling your first vet visit relatively soon after you bring them home, we are able to establish a positive relationship, creating the entire vet clinic visit as a happy place to be for your pet.

During their first visit we will:

• conduct a gentle exam to ensure they’re healthy and to identify any concerns
• administer their first vaccines to help them establish their own immunity, now that they’re no longer protected by their mothers’ antibodies
• administer deworming medication to eliminate intestinal worms that most puppies carry

Lastly, during your initial visit the vet will take time to talk with you about your puppy, answer your questions, and offer you information and advice on:

• the importance of positive encounters and socialization to their behaviour and mental wellness
• growth and development expectations, nutrition, and appropriate exercise and activity
• dental development and the importance of professional care
• planning for spaying/neutering
• at-home care – skin, coat, ear and dental home-care, grooming and nail trimming
• the availability of pet insurance programs that can take the uncertainty out of veterinary care expenses.

The first few months of your kittens’ life are a critical period in their development, and we will give you the help and support necessary to help him or her grow into a well-mannered, healthy cat.

By scheduling your first vet visit relatively soon after you bring them home, we are able to establish a positive relationship, creating the entire vet clinic visit as a happy place to be for your kitten.

During their first visit we will:

• conduct a gentle exam to ensure they’re healthy and to identify any concerns
• administer their first vaccines to help them establish their own immunity, now that they’re no longer protected by their mothers’ antibodies
• administer deworming medication to eliminate intestinal worms that most kittens carry

Finally, we’ll take time to talk with you about your kitten and answer your questions, and offer you information and advice on:

• the importance of positive encounters and socialization to their behaviour and mental wellness
• growth and development expectations, nutrition, and appropriate exercise and activity
• dental development and the importance of professional care
• planning for spaying/neutering
• at-home care for their skin, coat, ears and teeth
• the availability of pet insurance programs that can take the uncertainty out of veterinary care expenses

The adult life stage is typically the prime of your pet’s life, when you can expect them to be strong, healthy and happy.

Even if you have no specific health concerns with you cat or dog, it’s important to plan for a regular annual exam. The benefits of annual wellness exams for your pet include:

• being on the lookout for development of diseases or conditions
• to provide preventative care including dental care, vaccines and parasite control
• and to provide body condition advice

This can help reassure you that they are healthy or help us detect hidden diseases or conditions early.

Early detection can improve the prognosis of many diseases, keep medical costs down, and help your pet live longer. Many dogs and cats are good at hiding signs that something is wrong, so subtle changes in their health might be easy to overlook.

As they progress through their adult years the risks of common illnesses tend to increase, for example:

• arthritis
• cancer
• diabetes
• heart disease
• hormone disorders
• kidney and liver problems

Here is what you can expect from a typical annual wellness exam:

• a physical assessment, checking your dog or cat from nose to tail
• a diagnostic workup, which can include blood, fecal, and urine tests to check for parasites and underlying diseases
• a discussion with you about any physical or behavioural changes you may have noticed in your pet, or any other concerns you might have
• an oral exam, to provide recommendations on dental care, which may involve another visit for comprehensive dental treatment

Dogs and cats age more quickly than humans – an annual visit for them is like you waiting six or seven years between visits with your doctor.

As dogs and cats reach their senior years, their health and well-being tend to require more attention and some special care. We recommend that healthy senior dogs and cats visit the veterinarian every six months.

The age when your pet is considered a senior will vary depending on their breed, lifestyle and individual traits. Generally, smaller breeds of dogs live longer than larger breeds, and cats live longer than dogs. Beyond that, timing of life stages and lifespan will vary with each individual.

As a rough rule of thumb, some small dog breeds may be not be considered senior until 9-11 years, while giant breeds may be classified as seniors at ages as young as five. Cats typically become senior by 10-12 years of age.

Regular senior wellness visits will help your pet remain as fit and healthy as possible through its senior life stage. During a senior wellness visit your veterinarian will do a physical exam of your pet, including the following:

• checking the condition of their body, skin and coat
• looking at their eyes, ears and teeth
• and listening to their heart and breathing

The most common questions the vet will have for you at each visit include:

• how your pet is doing
• if you’ve noticed changes in their activity or behaviour, their appetite and thirst
• if they are showing any signs of pain, anxiety, sensory loss or confusion

Best practices at these visits include doing some diagnostic work, especially where there are known chronic conditions that are being monitored or treated. These actions will provide the best chance to catch and delay the onset or progression of diseases and detect problems such as organ failure and osteoarthritis when they’re easier to treat or manage.

We believe that your pet deserves the best care possible to help them age gracefully and enjoy their senior years. Remember – age itself is not a disease, it is another life stage that brings with it the need for some adjustments and accommodation but that also brings its own joy as you continue to share companionship and loyalty when they need it most.

If a chronic condition or disease is identified, your vet will develop a treatment plan and inform you of next steps to keep your pet happy and well.  Chronic conditions we commonly treat in senior pets include:

• osteoarthritis
• kidney, heart, and liver disease
• tumors and cancers
• periodontal disease
• and hormone disorders, such as diabetes and thyroid imbalance

We can also help with other wellness considerations related to aging that are more generalized but no less important, such as weight and mobility changes, chronic pain, dulling and loss of senses, anxiety, and generally declining health.