Puppy and Kitten Exams
The veterinarians and staff at Hudson Animal Hospital are here to help you start your relationship with your newest family member on the right track. The most important gifts that we can give you are the knowledge that will make you better able to care for your pet and the assurance that we will be there to support you when you need help. The initial exams are comprehensive and should be scheduled every few weeks. We will evaluate your pet from head-to-tail, looking for problems they were born with and issues that come up as they grow. You can expect us to examine skin, teeth, eyes, bones and muscles, heart and lungs, abdominal organs, and genitalia. As part of our supportive service, we will discuss behavior, nutrition, parasite control, vaccinations, the best age to spay or neuter, what common diseases to look for, and what to do when they are sick. We recommend AAHA’s standard protocol for vaccination of puppies and kittens. We offer the universally recommended “core” vaccines (such as Rabies and Distemper) and also “non-core” vaccines (such as Leptospirosis, Lyme, and Bordetella) depending upon your pet’s environment and lifestyle. We offer prevention, detection, and treatment of external and internal parasites.
Adult Dog and Cat Wellness Exams
We recommend annual exams for dogs aged 1 to 7 years and for cats aged 1 to 10 years. Preventive care not only improves the quality of your pet’s life, it will add years to it. Complete physical examinations by a veterinarian including heartworm testing and fecal examination are an important part of disease prevention and early disease detection. Because animals can’t tell us how they feel, we must rely on a thorough physical examination and direct observation to determine if your pet is truly healthy. Vaccinations are less frequent as compared to our juvenile patients but are still extremely important in providing continued immunity against the more common but preventable diseases in our area.
Senior Dog and Cat Wellness Exams
For dogs over 7 years of age and cats over 10, we recommend semi-annual comprehensive physical examinations with blood work, urinalysis, and fecal examination. Our older patients are more predisposed to diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, cancer, and arthritis all of which are better treated or even cured, with early intervention.