Basic Wellness Care

Did you know that your cat or dog ages faster than you do? That’s right! In fact, by the time some dogs are 7 or 8 years old, they are considered geriatric!

What does this mean as a pet owner? Well, it means that the annual physical you have with your physician isn’t sufficient for your four-legged friend. Dr. Bradley Bays advocates bringing your pet in for a routine check-up once every six months to ensure that there have been no changes in their medical condition.

During a routine wellness visit, one of our veterinarians will perform a comprehensive physical examination to better understand your dog or cat’s general health. Additionally, depending on his/her medical history, your pet may receive important vaccinations, or undergo simple bloodwork and intestinal parasite tests. To recap, you should expect your veterinarian to talk about the following important preventative care options:

• Comprehensive Physical Exam
• Annual Vaccinations (e.g. Rabies, Distemper, etc.). Our vaccine protocols follow AAHA’s widely-accepted recommendations.
• Intestinal Parasite Exam. Our protocols follow recommendations provided by CAPC and CDCP.
• Heartworm Test
• CBC – Blood Lab Screen
• Flea/Tick/Heartworm Preventative Medications
• Ultrasound-guided Urinalysis

Some owners wonder why such vaccinations and labwork is important. The simple answer is that since your pet is unable to communicate when something is wrong, test results are the next best way to ascertain their condition. If a questionable trend is identified in the bloodwork results, or if parasites are present in their system, a quick response with the appropriate treatment can save your pet from painful, debiliating and expensive illnesses.

If you have any questions at all about Belton Animal Clinic & Exotic Care Center’s general wellness protocols, please do not hesitate to give us a call (816-331-3120). We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!