Irondequoit Wellness and Preventative Care

During your annual examination, our veterinarians will perform a complete head-to-tail examination to assess and monitor your pet’s overall health. The veterinarian will discuss any changes in your pet’s condition since their last visit, which may indicate emerging health issues. Some things you may want to address are weight changes and behavior problems that have emerged. These could indicate a health problem before physical symptoms emerge.

We will perform basic tests for heartworm disease, and if there is a medical issue, detailed diagnostics. All testing and procedures will be tailored specially for your pet’s unique needs.

Nutrition is vital to the wellness of your pet, as are vaccinations and parasite prevention. Your Irondequoit veterinarian will discuss any necessary updates to your pet’s course of nutrition and vaccinations with you during your annual visit.

With the recent advances in vaccinations to protect your pet against diseases like rabies, feline leukemia, Lyme disease, FIV and many other health issues, vaccination is an important part of your pet’s regular healthcare.

Your pet will require a personalized and individual course of vaccinations. Our veterinarians can provide all the vaccinations your pet may need and will create a plan that is tailored to your pet.

Each year, millions of pets go missing. Many never find their way home again. One of the best ways to avoid this happening to you is to have your pet microchipped.

A microchip installed at our clinic can help ensure that your pet will be found more quickly should he or she go missing. At Irondequoit we use the ResQ microchip system to ensure that if your pet is ever lost, he or she can be returned home safe and sound.

A microchip is a tiny device about the size and shape of a grain of rice, implanted beneath the pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. This chip remains there for the pet’s entire life; the procedure is as easy and painless as a vaccination.

Every microchip has a unique number. This number is added to a national pet registry, along with information about the pet and pet parent. Most veterinarians and animal shelters have devices for detecting and reading these implanted microchips. If a lost pet is found with a microchip, the registry is called and the pet parent is contacted.

There are a number of great resources online to educate you about pet health and wellness. For example:

• AVMA TV is an excellent resource with a library of videos regarding pet healthcare, all from American Veterinary Medical Association experts.
• The WebMD Pet Health Center has a broad range of videos, presentations and information about pet health and wellness, including a cat care guide and a dog care guide.

We are pleased to welcome you to the Irondequoit family. If you have any questions about your pet’s health and wellness, please give us a call.