Healthy and Happy: Why Pet Wellness is the Key to Good Health
Words like wellness, holistic, and prevention are all the buzz these days as we approach health and modern medicine in a more integrated way. No longer do we just treat the disease, but we also aspire to identify and curtail risks that could lead to disease.
Thankfully, this trend has extended itself to the veterinary world, too. Pet wellness encompasses a wide range of services and at-home care that encourage complete health for our furry friends. The team at Kings Trail Animal Hospital would like to provide an overview of our approach to pet wellness in hopes that it helps you to give your pet the best life possible.
What is Pet Wellness?
Pet wellness covers all elements of physical, behavioral, and emotional health with an emphasis on prevention. At Kings Trail, we include the following services as part of your pet’s annual/bi-annual wellness visit:
- Complete nose-to-tail examination
- Inspection of eyes, ears, and teeth
- Palpating and listening to organs, such as the heart, lungs, and abdominal cavity
- Look for any bumps, rashes, or other skin disorders
- Check your pet’s weight and diet
- Examine your pet’s mobility, looking for joint or muscular issues
- Discuss your pet’s lifestyle and behaviors
- Vaccinations and lab work as needed
Each examination is personalized to meet the needs of your pet’s specific age, breed, and current health status.
Identifying Your Pet’s Baseline for Health
An important component of pet wellness is determining a baseline of health, which is your pet’s normal health status at the onset of meeting them. This way, we can quickly pinpoint any changes moving forward. This also helps in early diagnosis and produces a better outcome when treating the problem.
Core Vaccinations and Parasite Control
Vaccinations are integral to your pet’s health and to the health of other animals and people. While rabies is required by law, each of our pet patients receives a recommendation for the proper vaccines and parasite prevention based on their risk and other factors. Core vaccines, such as distemper and parvovirus, are highly recommended for all pets.
Advanced Diagnostics
Diagnostics can include X-rays, ultrasound, and lab testing that helps us determine your pet’s health. These diagnostics can provide us with information that we can’t glean from a simple physical examination and are critical in diagnosing illnesses and conditions.
Behavioral Wellbeing
Last but not least is behavioral or emotional wellness. Our pets also experience boredom, anxiety, fear, and many other issues related to separation anxiety, phobias, and even depression. Positive obedience training and socialization go a long way in curbing future behavioral issues, but there are many reasons a pet may behave differently; this is something we want to identify during your visit with us.
Better At-Home Care For Your Pets
Our approach to wellness also includes empowering pet owners to provide great daily care to their pets. From recommendations about nutrition and weight management to suggestions for exercise and obedience training, we’re always here to answer your questions.
For more information about pet wellness care or to schedule an appointment, please call us!