Wellness Exams & Preventative Healthcare

At GAH, we feel strongly that preventing problems is far superior to just treating them.
Since pets age much faster than humans, the yearly examination is very important in
keeping your pet healthy. During your pet’s exam, all systems are looked over for signs
of dysfunction. The mouth is examined to assess the condition of the teeth and gums;
the abdomen is palpated for changes in organ size or the presence of abdominal tumors;
the heart and lungs are ausculted to pick up murmurs, abnormal rhythms, or changes in
breath sounds; the skin and ears are examined to look for parasites, infection, or signs
of allergies; the musculo-skeletal system is evaluated for pain, stiffness or neurologic
changes.

We realize that each pet is an individual, so the vaccines recommendations for your pet
are based on the pet’s specific needs and lifestyle. We currently use an FDA approved
three-year distemper-parvo vaccine for dogs, and a three-year respiratory vaccine for
cats. As per local law, we use a one year or three year rabies vaccine on dogs and cats.
Optional vaccines include bordetella (kennel cough), and Lyme for dogs, and feline
leukemia for cats, depending on your pet’s exposure. In cases where we feel vaccines
are not in the pet’s best interest, or when an owner prefers to not vaccinate the pet, we
offer vaccine titers. This is a blood sample that is sent to the lab to measure the pet’s
antibodies to a specific pathogen to determine if vaccines are necessary.

Bloodwork is an important tool in helping us assess your pet’s organ function. Often,
blood tests can identify problems with your pet’s health long before the pet starts to feel
ill. By catching disease early, we can start treatment before the pet’s condition worsens.
Bloodwork is recommended yearly to make sure your pet is as healthy on the inside as it
is on the outside!

For more information:
Wellness Exams
Vaccines for your Dog
Vaccines for your Cat
Blood Tests for your pet - types of tests
Blood Tests for your pet - why they are important