Pet Wellness

Your pet’s health is always our number one priority, which is why for most pets we recommend annual wellness exams to ensure that your animal companion remains in good health. If your pet is a senior–over seven for dogs, over nine for cats–we strongly suggest twice-yearly exams and blood screenings. That’s because pets age more rapidly than humans, meaning disease and illness develop faster as well.

Allenstown Animal Hospital’s veterinarian-performed physical exams comprehensively assess every aspect of your pet’s health. Wellness exams typically include:

• Ear exam
• Eye exam
• Rectal exam
• Dental exam
• Skeletal exam
• Reproductive system exam
• Internal health evaluation
• Neurological evaluation
• Cardiovascular evaluation
• Nutrition consultation
• Behavior counseling

Young animals are like kids–it’s a never-ending job to keep them safe and happy. Vaccinating your pet is a relatively inexpensive but very important way to protect his or her health. In addition to preventing many life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations can prevent diseases prevalent in wildlife and those that can be passed to humans. It’s important to administer vaccinations when pets are puppies and kittens because their young immune systems are still developing and need protection to stay healthy.

While any medical treatment involves some degree of risk, in the case of vaccinations, the benefits far outweigh any potential side effects. Adverse reactions are rare and usually mild and short-term when they do occur.

Which vaccines should your pet have? “Core” vaccines are those recommended—and possibly mandated by law—for most pets. Core vaccines include:

• Rabies (dogs and cats)
• DA2PPV – Distemper, Hepatitis,
• Adenovirus 2, Parvo and Parainfluenza (dogs)
• FVRCP – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (cats)

Other non-core, but highly suggested vaccinations for cats include FIV for feline immunodeficiency virus and FeLV to protect against feline leukemia. For dogs, bordetella and canine influenza shots are recommended if they frequent dog parks, boarding kennels, or any place where they’re socializing with other canines.

It’s also important to note that even pets who live primarily indoors should be vaccinated, as they can still be exposed to a disease. Your Allenstown Animal Hospital veterinarian can advise you which vaccinations are required or recommended for your pet based on age, health, and lifestyle.

One of the worst feelings to experience as a pet owner is the realization that your pet has gone missing. Only 17% of dogs and 2% of cats make it back to their owners—which can make it feel like you’ll never see your pet again if they get lost.

Allenstown Animal Hospital wants to encourage you to consider microchipping your pet, even if they live entirely indoors–because even indoor pets can escape and become lost. Unlike collars and tags, microchips can’t fall off and they serve as permanent identification for a pet’s entire life. Microchips are also rated for 25 years, meaning they never need to be removed or recharged during your pet’s lifetime.

Microchipping a pet is simple, relatively painless and very affordable. Once implanted, authorities only need to scan the chip to locate your information. But remember: a microchip is only useful if your contact information is updated.

Allenstown Animal Hospital believes microchipping is the safest, most effective method of pet recovery available, helping reunite more than 15,000 lost pets to their owners every month.

It can be hard to admit when we see the signs of old age in our animal companions, but the fact is that most dogs are considered seniors when they hit seven, cats around nine. Pets age much more rapidly than humans, which means diseases and illnesses progress quicker as well.

To ensure that your pet has the longest, healthiest, most comfortable life possible, Allenstown Animal Hospital encourages you to bring your senior pet for exams and blood tests twice each year. This way, we can track how your pet is aging, and we’ll be more likely to catch any developing diseases before they’re big problems.

Blood tests are one of the most important parts of a senior exam. These blood screenings—often referred to as a “senior panel”— monitor red and white blood cell counts and reveal how well the kidney, liver, pancreas, and thyroid are functioning. Your vet may recommend a chest x-ray to ensure that the heart is a normal size and that there are no masses in the lungs.

Periodontal disease is always a threat to our pets’ health and comfort, and it’s particularly tough on older pets. That’s why a dental exam is always part of any senior pet screening as well.

Finally, make sure to let your vet know about any behavior changes in your pet. Once dogs and cats get to the geriatric stage, monitoring for signs of cognitive dysfunction—such as losing housebreaking, getting lost or wandering aimlessly—is very important.