Routine health care is important to the physical well-being of your pet.  In general, preventive medicine is substantially less expensive than treating a problem once it has occurred.  We can help you plan the best health care for your pet, including recommended vaccination schedules, internal and external parasite control, heartworm prevention, spaying or neutering, dental care and nutrition.

Your New Pet

Puppies and kittens should make their first visit to the veterinarian as soon as possible to make sure they are healthy and free of intestinal parasites. They should receive their first vaccinations between 6 and 8 weeks of age and then boosters monthly completing their initial immunizations between 3 and 4 months of age. Puppies and kittens should be vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks of age. In southwestern PA, it is very important to make sure your dog or cat is on heartworm preventative from at least March through November! Since heartworms are carried by mosquitos, we do not have a year round threat in our area. However, as the preventative medications also prevent against several of the more common types of intestinal parasites, many people are opting for year round treatment. This also serves to keep us in the habit of giving the medication. Puppies and kittens may start on the medication at the time of initial examination.

Your Geriatric Pet

At the other end of the spectrum is the geriatric pet. Unfortunately, we face losing our pets as they don't have the life expectancy that we do. However, great strides have been made in prolonging and/or improving the quality of their lives. We now have the capability to detect many sub-clinical conditions before they are symptomatic. We suggest that all pets greater than six years of age receive annual blood chemistry evaluations. Although many geriatric conditions are not curable, they can be controlled through medications and or dietary supplementations or modification. Many older animals also have moderate to severe dental disease. This causes them unecessary pain and discomfort. Additionally, it leads to other more serious conditions such as heart, kidney and liver disease. Ask us about how dental prophylaxis can make your pet healthier and happier and prolong it's life.

When The End is Near

When the quality of your pet's life is no longer sustainable, we will try to assist you in making the important decisions regarding humane euthanasia and the disposition of their remains.

Feel free to call and talk to us about any questions you may have at 412-243-2401.