South Gessner Pet Clinic
Pet Wellness Service
Pet Wellness Service
Wellness Exam
At South Gessner Pet Clinic we believe that prevention is the key to a healthy, happy life. We strongly recommend routine wellness exams, vaccinations, deworming and fecal checks, as well as medications to prevent heartworm, fleas and ticks to keep your pet in optimum health.
During the wellness exam, the doctors will:
- Examine pet's teeth, throat and oral cavity
- Check your pet's vision and examine the eyes
- Examine ears for infections, ear mites, allergic reaction and other related health issues
- Examine the respiratory system
- Assess your pet's heart
- Test your pet's reflex
- Palpate lymph nodes and abdomen
- Inspect the skin
- Palpate joints and muscles for arthritis and their orthopedic conditions.p
Vaccinations
Dog and cat vaccinations are an essential step towards a healthy immune system for your pet. Vaccines help prevent the spread of deadly and highly contagious diseases like rabies, distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis. The doctors at South Gessner will create a vaccine plan that best fits you and your pet's needs.
Deworming & Fecal
Dangerous parasites are always present in the environment. If brought into your home, these parasites can be passed from your pet to you and your family. Regular fecal checks and deworming are the best way to prevent roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and other parasitic diseases. It also prevents the shedding of parasite eggs, which can contaminate laws or any place a pet defecates.
Heartworm
A heartworm is a parasitic worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected animal. The worms travel through the bloodstream—harming arteries and vital organs as they go—ultimately completing their journey to the vessels of the lung and the heart chamber about six months after the initial infection. Several hundred worms can live in one dog for five to seven years. Heartworm disease is serious, and can be fatal.
Symptoms of heartworm infestation can include labored breathing, coughing, vomiting, weight loss and listlessness, and fatigue after only moderate exercise. However, some dogs exhibit no symptoms at all until late stages of infection.
Heartworm disease is diagnosed by examination, radiographs or ultrasound, and a veterinarian-administered blood test. All dogs should be routinely screened with a blood test for heartworm either annually in spring, at the start of mosquito season, or before being placed on a new prescription for a heartworm preventive.
Flea and Ticks
Fleas and ticks can cause a host of problems for your dog, from flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) to Lyme disease. In large enough numbers, both ticks and fleas can cause dangerous amounts of blood loss, especially in young animals. An effective flea and tick prevention program is essential to your dog's health. At South Gessner pet clinic we offer a large viarity of preventatives that can be purchased from our online pharmacy or in store.
Puppy Care
Your puppy's first visit will include:
- Diet discussion
- Houstraining discussion
- Behavior discussion
- Spaying and neutering advice
- Formulation of a minimal, individualized vaccine protocol
- Discussion on pet health insurance.
- Fecal exam and Giardia test
- Complete physical exam which includes detection of potential congenital problems and anything else you may want to discuss.
For more information on proper puppy care, please refer to the following brochures.
Kitten Care
Your kitten's first visit will include:
- Diet discussion
- Litter and litter box discussion
- Behavior discussion
- Spaying and neutering discussion
- Declawing
- Vaccine protocol
- Discussion of pet health insurance
- Fecal exam and Giardia test
- Testing for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV0 and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)\
- Complete physical exam which includes detection of potential congenital problems.
For more information on proper kitten care, please refer to the following brochures.
If the information you were looking for is not available here, do not hesitate to give us a call. This is your new pet and we're happy to answer all your questions.
Surgical Services
All the staff at South Gessner Pet Clinic understands that the decision to allow your beloved companion to undergo surgery is never an easy one. We strive to ensure your pet's procedure is as comfortable and stress free as possible.
Perhaps the most important pre-surgical step we take is to discuss with you why we believe a particular procedure is necessary and what it entails. We also provide information on prope pre and postoperative care and answer any questions you may have so that you can feel comfortable knowing you are making the right choice for your pet.
Other Services
Microchipping
Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice, that use radio frequency waves to transmit information about your pet. They're implanted just under the skin, usually right between the shoulder blades. Each microchip contains a registration number and the phone number of the registry for the particular brand of chip. A handheld scanner reads the radio frequency of the chip and displays this information. The animal shelter or vet cinic that finds your pet can contact the registry to get your name and phone number. Providing your cat or dog with a microchip can help ensure a happy reunion if the unthinkable happens and your companion gets lost.