Keeping Your Pet Healthy With Regular Wellness Exams

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the old saying goes. At Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic, the medical staff recommends annual or biannual wellness examinations for the same reason that your physician recommends them—if a health issue can be detected in its early stages, there is a greater likelihood that it can be resolved and treated with less expense and greater success.

That is why the staff at Medford Animal Hospital takes pride in providing you and your pet with an individualized health-care program. Whether it's comprehensive dental care, nutrition evaluations or providing information on pet insurance, you can be sure your pet will have many healthy years ahead.

Preventive Medicine is the Best Medicine

During your pet's wellness examination, your veterinarian performs a complete physical to assess your pet's overall health, and provides you with an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

The hospital's commitment to you and your pet's health begins with an annual examination, which includes:

• Examining your pet's teeth, throat and oral cavity
• Checking your pet's vision and eyes
• Examining ears for infection, ear mites, allergic reaction and other related health issues
• Assessing your pet's heart and cardiac function
• Examining the skin
• Palpating lymph nodes and abdomen
• Examining the respiratory system
• Evaluating internal organ function and other systems
• Monitoring your pet's blood count and serum chemistry
• Performing laboratory tests to determine the presence of specific diseases
• Assessing changes in your pet's health since the last wellness visit
• Fecal check for the presence of intestinal parasites

Medford Pet Vaccinations

During the first few months of life, a series of vaccinations for your puppy or kitten are necessary. Vaccination every three to four weeks is considered the safest way to ensure protection for your young pet.

Vaccinations are also important for keeping adult pets healthy and free from disease. However, not every pet requires the same series or frequency of vaccines. At Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic, the medical team will determine a veterinary vaccination protocol based on your pet's lifestyle, susceptibility to disease and geographic location. The goal is to maintain optimal health and protection while not over-vaccinating your pet.

The veterinarians at Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic administer the following vaccinations:

• Core puppy: DHLPP, Rabies
• Non-core puppies: Leptospirosis, Bordatella, Canine flu, Lyme disease
• Core adult dog: DHLPP, Rabies
• Non-core adult dog: Bordetella, Canine flu, Leptospirosis, Lyme disease


• Core kitten: FVRCP, Rabies, FELV (recommended)
• Core adult cat: FVRCP, Purevax Rabies
• Non-core adult cat: Feline Leukemia

Bringing your pet to Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic for regular wellness visits and vaccinations is an important part of your pet's overall health care program. To better ensure the long-term health of your pet, the staff wants to provide your companion with the maximum protection vaccines can provide.

If you would like to schedule an appointment to have your pet vaccinated, please give us a call at (609) 654-6855.

Parasite Prevention and Control

Parasites can be real pests. Both external (fleas, ticks) and internal (heartworm, hookworm and roundworm) parasites can cause problems for both your pet and your family. Prevention is the best approach to eliminating these pests. Please ask a staff member at Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic for the best way to prevent parasite problems in your pet.

Heartworm Disease

Spread by mosquitoes, heartworm disease has a serious impact on your pet's health. Fortunately, preventive medications exist to prevent heartworm disease in your beloved companion. Dr. McCann and the American Heartworm Society recommend administering preventive medication once-a-month, all year long.

When Should I Test My Dog for Heartworm?

Symptoms of heartworm are not always immediately apparent. Therefore, it can be difficult to detect symptoms in your pet. Some dogs may not show signs of the disease while others may exhibit clinical signs, such as a mild, persistent cough, reluctance to move or exercise (lethargy), fatigue after only moderate exercise, reduced appetite and/or weight loss.

Cats may exhibit clinical signs that are non-specific, such as vomiting, gagging, difficulty or rapid breathing, lethargy and weight loss. If your pet is experiencing these symptoms, please call Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic at (609) 654-6855 to schedule an appointment.

The timing and frequency of heartworm tests depend on several factors:

• The pet's age when heartworm prevention was started
• If preventive heartworm medication was ever forgotten
• If the pet was switched from one type of heartworm prevention to another
• If the pet was not on preventive medication and traveled to an endemic area
• The length of the heartworm season in the region where the pet lives.

Flea and Tick Prevention in the Medford Area

Fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance—they pose a serious health risk to you and your pet because of the dangerous diseases they may carry.

Prevalent tick-borne diseases in Medford and the surrounding areas include Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis, and they are a significant threat, especially during the warmer months of the year. Ticks live in the grass and weeds that your dog may run through during regular daily activities. Check and brush your dog after being outside, especially in grassy or brushy areas. If a tick is attached to your dog's skin, remove it carefully with tweezers and wash the affected bite area and your hands afterward.

Fleas are most abundant during the warm weather, but, if left untreated, they can be a problem year-round. In fact, flea infestation is one of the most common medical problems veterinarians see. Your pet can be allergic to fleas, and even just one bite can result in a severely painful skin infection. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases such as bartonellosis (the bacteria that causes "cat scratch disease" in people) and parasites like tapeworms.

The best course of action to protect both your pet and yourself from fleas, ticks and the potential of tick-borne disease is prevention. There are many safe and effective flea and tick control products available at Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic, and the veterinary team will help you choose the correct preventive regimen based on your pet's risk factors and health status.

Your Puppy or Kitten's First Wellness Exam

Bringing home your new kitten or puppy is a time to celebrate, snuggle and play. They also require special attention in order for them to grow and develop into healthy cats and dogs. That is why Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic recommends scheduling a comprehensive physical examination by a veterinarian soon after you welcome your pet into your home. The initial visit provides an opportunity for you, your pet and one of the hospital's doctors to meet and get acquainted. This is a special time for you and your pet, and we want your memories to be cherished and worry-free.

Care For Your Senior Pet

Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever. Your senior pet has medical needs that are very different from puppies and kittens, though. The veterinarians and medical team at Medford Animal Hospital and Wellness Clinic work with you to develop a health care plan that ensures your pet is safe and happy throughout his or her "golden years."

Pets age faster than people and are considered to be "seniors" around age 7. Prevention is the key to keeping older pets healthy. Symptoms of disease or a chronic condition may not be readily apparent. In some cases, conditions that may appear to be the usual signs of "old age" could actually be signs of a more serious problem, such as arthritis, periodontal disease, kidney failure or cancer. We recommend all senior pets undergo at least one physical examination each year, though more frequent examinations are encouraged. During an examination, we also perform a number of tests that can detect the signs of heart disease, infection, diabetes and other health problems.

You are an important ally in keeping your senior pet healthy. If your pet is experiencing any changes in behavior, we urge you to bring him or her in for a check-up. Together, we can ensure you and your faithful companion enjoy many more years together.