Island Veterinary Care

Pets need regular examinations, vaccines, and diagnostics such as blood tests, urine tests, x-rays and ultrasound depending on their life stage and varying clinical signs. Pets age much faster than humans. A typical dog calendar year is equivalent to about 7 human years. Therefore, we recommend semi-annual visits to ensure your pet remains healthy and have as many quality years with you as possible. For other disease processes, more frequent visits and testing may be necessary.

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Puppies & Kittens need three sets of core vaccines (DHPP, bordetella) 3-4 weeks apart starting around 8 weeks of age.  Additional vaccines such as letospirosis and influenza may be recommended  based on the pets' environment, risk factors and exposure. Two to three sets of intestinal parasite dewormings are needed 3-4 weeks apart.  Monthly flea, tick and heartworm prevention should be given lifelong. These early examinations help us identify issues that need to be addressed (retained deciduous/baby teeth, hernias, heart murmurs, orthopedic issues) and give us the opportunity to discuss with you questions or concerns you might have regarding raising a new pet. 

 

Pets' feces should be tested semi-annually for intestinal parasites. Regular heartworm testing is also recommended every 6 months.  

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Oral Health

Does your dog or cat's breath stink? Are your pet's gums red? Do you try to brush but the tartar doesn't come off? Did you know that periodontal disease is the most common disease in dog and cats? By 3 years of age, most pets already show signs of periodontal disease. We can help! We start with a oral (mouth) examination, then under general anesthesia we perform full mouth x-rays to see what's going on under the gumline. There can be abnormal tooth roots or abscesses (infection) that you can't see from the surface.  We then clean the teeth with an ultrasonic cleaner, perform any extractions of teeth and finish with a polish. 

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Senior Pets

Depending on the age, breed and clinical signs your pet is experiencing, senior blood and urine tests, x-rays and ultrasound screening may be recommended to proactively evaluate internal organ function such as the kidneys, liver, thyroid and more. Ultrasound and xrays help us identify abnormalities such as kidney, gallblader or urinary bladder stones and cancers that we can remove.  Senior screening tests typically starts around 8 years of age, sooner for giant breed dogs. 

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