Routine wellness examinations are pivotal to a long, healthy life in your pet. At Three Trails Animal Hospital, our doctors highly recommend that you schedule a wellness examination for your pet once or twice a year, depending on his or her age and health status.
Our goal is to maintain or improve your pet’s health. Scheduling routine check-ups will allow your veterinarian to address potential health concerns, such as pain or disease at their earliest stages. An annual wellness exam is also an opportunity to discuss your pet’s behavior, diet, and much more. Your veterinarian is your best resource as a pet owner, so we encourage you to ask any questions you may have. We are always here to help.
At each annual wellness exam, a veterinarian will conduct a full physical exam to conclude the health status of your pet. Each examination will include a comprehensive list of checkpoints to ensure your pet’s health is in good standing. Our examinations will include:
If any areas of concern are identified, your veterinarian may recommend additional diagnostic testing.
If you believe your pet is due for a wellness exam, please call our office at (816) 608-6775 to set up an appointment at your earliest convenience.
Up-to-date vaccinations are a vital part of your pet’s long term preventative health plan. Just like humans, fatal and contagious diseases in pets can be prevented by vaccination. It is highly important to prepare your pet’s immune system with vaccinations that can prevent and fight disease.
At Three Trails Animal Hospital, we carefully research and choose the most effective vaccines for our patients. We recommend core vaccinations for all pets, whereas non-core vaccinations are recommended based on your pet’s age, species, breed, and lifestyle. To meet your pet’s unique needs, a vaccine schedule will be created so that your pet will always be protected and never over-vaccinated.
Core Vaccinations include:
*Rabies vaccination is regulated by state law.
Non-core vaccinations include:
Parasites like fleas, ticks, and worms are some of the biggest threats and common problems that pets may suffer from. Parasites are a serious issue and exist within almost every environment; causing sickness, pain and even death in some cases. Taking year round preventative steps to ensure parasites do not inflict on your pet’s health or your home is a necessity.
More details on common parasites, treatment and prevention can be found below:
These pesky insects inhabit the skin and coat of both dogs and cats. Fleas are most pervasive in the summer and fall, although they are known to be present year round. They can cause itchy, irritating bites, allergies, Bartonella, tapeworms and more. In severe cases, fleas can lead to anemia and even death to the affected animal. Controlling a flea infestation as soon as possible is extremely important since a female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. The best way to prevent a flea infestation is with continuous, year-round preventative medication and regular grooming.
Ticks can be found in grassy or wooded areas, and are known to cause serious disease with a painful bite, including Lyme disease, tick paralysis, ehrlichiosis, and more. It is important to inspect your pet thoroughly after spending time outside and to keep up with continuous, year-round preventative medication.
Heartworms are an internal parasite. With just one mosquito bite, heartworm larvae can be introduced to your pet’s body; and without proper prevention the larvae will invade the heart, lungs, and blood vessels and grow into adult, foot-long heartworms. Over time, heartworms cause serious and irreversible organ damage that is fatal. Keep in mind, pets show little signs of infection until disease progression is severe. Prevention is critical as treating heartworms is time-consuming, difficult, and expensive. Year-round prevention is the best medicine!
Other internal parasites that are common in pets include roundworm, whipworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Although it’s possible for pets to be infected with these internal parasites at any point in their life, puppies and kittens are most susceptible because their immune systems are not fully developed. If your pet tests positive for intestinal parasites, they will be placed on deworming medication. Year-round preventative medication is the only surefire way to prevent intestinal parasites in your pet, no matter their age.
One in three pets in their lifetime will become lost. Sadly, the lost pets who are brought to animal shelters, animal hospitals, and police departments are oftentimes never reunited with their original families. No matter how careful you are, accidents can happen. Give your pet the best chance of finding you if they are ever lost by getting them microchipped.
Microchipped pets stand higher chances of being reunited with their families. When done by a skilled technician, the implantation of a microchip is a simple, quick, and relatively pain-free procedure, and is compared to a routine vaccination in terms of discomfort. The procedure takes mere seconds as a grain-of-rice sized chip is implanted between your pet’s shoulder blades.
The microchip will stay with your pet for life. Be sure to register your pet’s microchip in the national pet-finding database, HomeAgain, so that animal care professionals know where to find you. If you ever move or change phone numbers, it is vital you update your pet’s microchip information.
In the event of separating from your pet, all methods of identification are beneficial. For this reason, we highly recommend using collars and ID tags in addition to microchip identification.
Pet owners have total control over their pet’s diet, which can make a big difference in their dog or cat’s overall health, quality of life, and longevity. Proper nutrition and regular exercise are key factors in keeping your pet thriving.
Feeding your pet a nutritionally-dense diet or prescription food, in proper portions, can target both individual dietary requirements and health concerns. Several health conditions that may need a specific diet include obesity, allergies, thyroid conditions, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer.
At Three Trails Animal Hospital, our nutrition services include:
Pet obesity is a growing concern; so much so that about 35% of all pets are considered to have a weight problem. The solution is proper diet and exercise.
Several health issues that result from a pet being overweight or obese include arthritis, joint pain, diabetes, heart disease, mobility issues, skin issues, and high blood pressure.
A long life expectancy and great quality of life is something you undoubtedly want for your furry friend. If you are a pet owner faced with these issues, Three Trails Animal Hospital is here to help get your pet back on a healthy path.
A few tips for getting your pet fit:
Located on West 23rd St S between S Crysler Ave and S McCoy St. Just .4 miles from Crysler Stadium.
Phone: 816-252-5105
