Preventative Pet Health Care

Dickinson Animal Hospital & Pet Wellness Center cares about the complete wellness of your pet. Pet health care, in some ways, mirrors human health care; in others, however, it is vastly different. We work with you to understand these differences and the importance of a broad approach to preventive care. Our goal is to maximize your pet’s comfort and quality of life, which in turn enhances the bond you hold with your pet.

Preventive Health Exams

Twice yearly Preventive Health Exams are the cornerstone of excellent pet preventive healthcare. The key to maximizing your pet’s health is early detection of changes. Our Preventive Health Exams are like no other: first, we perform a detailed system-by-system physical exam; but we don’t stop there. Patient history evaluation, body condition scoring, dental health grade, nutritional evaluation, parasite control plan, and a follow-up schedule are all part of your pet’s visit.

Diagnostic Health Screens

The second key is excellent preventative health care in routine diagnostic/laboratory testing. Many health problems in pets take months or years to develop obvious outward signs, yet create a progressive drain on your pet’s overall health. We have designed several customized Health Screens that help us evaluate your pet’s internal health as efficiently as our Preventive Health Exams evaluate your pet’s outward health. This gives us the best opportunity to detect deviations from optimal health at the earliest stages, when they are most easily corrected or managed.

Immunizations

We use the highest quality vaccines available, only immunize against diseases that are prevalent in our area, and make sure your pet’s level of protection remains adequate through appropriate booster intervals.
Although very safe and effective vaccines are available, the delivery of these vaccines continues to be poor, whether through administration of unnecessary vaccinations for an individual, improper storage or administration of vaccines, ineffective vaccine intervals, or simply lack of vaccination at all.

Because we know how important it is to keep your pet immunized, we offer complimentary vaccines with our Health Screen packages.

Parasite Control

Twice annual intestinal parasite exams and annual heartworm testing form the backbone of a safe, effective parasite control program tailored to your pet’s needs. There are only a very few products available that give adequate protection against the spectrum of parasites that we commonly see in our practice; we will prescribe the best comprehensive program for your pet. Parasites aren’t just a nuisance-they pose a serious threat to your pet’s health, and in some cases, to yours.

Dental Care

Most people don’t realize that their pets should not have bad breath. But bad breath is just the tip of the iceberg: dental disease is the most common cause of chronic illness and chronic pain (which is almost NEVER evident to the owner) in pets. 50% of dogs and 80% of cats over age 2 have dental disease that requires professional attention. We use an Oral ATP format, which involves 12 detailed steps to assess your pet’s needs with attention to addressing issues of infection and comfort, not just cosmetics. Full mouth digital x-rays are an integral component of every procedure; without xrays, about half of the more major concerns of oral health are missed. Left untreated, dental disease will always progressively worsen, often leading to major problems requiring extensive work to correct. Refer to the section on Anesthesia / Surgery for additional information.

Nutritional Counseling

Pet nutrition is unique in many ways- unlike in people, we can, as pet owners, have a huge impact on the health of our pets by controlling what they eat. We will help you select a diet that is appropriate for your pet’s unique needs- in many cases; very specialized diets have been developed to minimize the need for medications in patient care. Nutritional excesses or deficiencies can take months to years to develop, but also can take a long time to correct. We have certified Hill's Nutritional Advocates on staff to get your pet started in the right direction and answer any questions you may have.

Spay / Neuter

We understand there are medical and behavioral concerns to be weighed when making a decision to spay or neuter. We will discuss the pros and cons of spay / neuter with you, and make sure that you are comfortable with your decision. All anesthetic and surgical procedures carry risk, and you need to know and understand exactly what to expect when you make these decisions for your pet’s health. Please refer to the Anesthesia / Surgery section for additional information.