Preventative Care

Wellness Care

Regular wellness examinations are the foundation of preventative care, and are essential to the long term health and happiness of your pet. Along with regular exams, complete wellness care includes nutrition, vaccinations as needed, fecal parasite checks, blood panels, and regular weigh-ins. During your pet's wellness exam, we will assess eyes, ears, oral health, skin and coat health, heart and lungs, and often joints and muscle strength. We will assess any lumps or masses, and can do rapid in house cytology (examination of the cells within a mass) if needed.

Bi-annual wellness blood panels are recommended for all senior pets.

Dental Care

Periodontal disease is the MOST COMMONLY diagnosed condition in both dogs and cats. By 4 years of age, over 80% of dogs have periodontal disease! Just as with people, routine care, genetics, and tooth placement, all play an important part in your pet's dental health. Regular professional cleaning is important to maintaining your pet's overall health.

Our highly trained technicians use modern and safe ultrasound to clean each tooth thoroughly above and below the gum line. All teeth are then polished to create a smooth, lustrous tooth surface more resistant to plaque buildup. We use the most advanced equipment available, to ensure the cleaning process does not cause damage to the teeth.

Digital dental X-rays are used to diagnose problem areas below the gum line. Once our doctors interpret the X-rays and identify the problem, we can treat it promptly.

Occasionally we are asked if we perform anesthesia-free dental cleanings. We do not perform or recommend these procedures. The American College of Veterinary Dentistry strongly recommends against anesthesia-free cleanings - more information can be found on their website at http://avdc.org/AFD/.

Immunizations

We believe vaccine protocols should be tailored to each pet's unique lifestyle, and not be a one size fits all approach.

Dogs:

DAP (Distemper or Parvo vaccine) is recommended once every 3 years after booster vaccines have been given. This protects against three highly contagious and potentially fatal viruses: distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus.
Leptospirosis (Lepto) is recommended yearly to dogs in our area. Lepto is a bacteria that lives in stagnant water in areas that have farm animals and wildlife. It is contagious to humans.
Kennel Cough (Bordetella) is a vaccine, similar to a human flu vaccine, given to dogs that have contact with other dogs. Bordetella vaccination is recommended annually for at risk dogs. We use only the oral vaccine, which is the most effective.
Rabies vaccination is recommended every 3 years once booster vaccines have been completed. Reminder: rabies vaccines are required by law in Washington State.
Canine Influenza (Flu) is a virus that has been found in certain high population areas in the U.S., and in dogs from overseas. This vaccination is recommend for pets that travel, live in high exposure areas, or if it is required by the groomer or boarding facility.

Cats:

FVRCP (Distemper or Upper Respiratory vaccine) is recommended once every 3 years after booster vaccines have been given. This protects against three highly contagious and potentially fatal viruses: feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia.
Leukemia is recommended yearly to cats that have exposure to other cats: indoor/outdoor, are boarded, or have other cats in the house that go outside.
Rabies vaccination is recommended yearly to all cats. We use only a cat specific, adjuvant-free rabies vaccine which is safer for our feline friends. Reminder: rabies vaccines are required by law in Washington State.