Preventative Care for Your Pet in High Point, NC | Total Care Veterinary Hospital

Examinations

Humans go to the doctor for annual physical examinations so we can be sure any troublesome medical conditions are caught before they become serious. Just like humans, your pets need annual or bi-annual (if they are seniors) wellness examinations too. When you bring your pet for a wellness check, it gives us the opportunity to catch any medical conditions before they result in serious complications. Sometimes we are even able to treat a disease or illness in advance of your pet starting to show any symptoms. Think of a wellness examination as a preventative measure for the total health of your furry friend.

What Happens During a Wellness Examination?

When one of our veterinarians assess your pet during a wellness examination, we will:

Check your pet’s body weight and temperature
Look at your pet’s eyes, ears, and nose
Check your pet’s lymph nodes
Look at your pet’s mouth to assess the health of his or her teeth or gums
Evaluate your pet’s heart and lungs
Feel your pet’s abdomen to check the internal organs including the kidneys and liver
Evaluate your pet’s muscles, spine, and joints
Check your pet’s skin and coat

Throughout the examination, the veterinarian will carefully document his or her findings and give you recommendations based on any discovered health problems or concerns.

Often, we will do routine blood, urine, and fecal analysis to screen for any health conditions, such as parasites, worms, diabetes, endocrine system issues, urinary crystals, and more. If your pet is due for any vaccinations, we will administer them at this time.

If your pet is over or underweight, we might suggest a special nutrition plan and prescription food to help your pet return to an ideal weight.

At Total Care Veterinary Hospital, we want to ensure that your pet is in good health for many years to come. We prioritize the health of your pet's wellness and look forward to working with you for years to come.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are a critical part of preventative care for your pet. Vaccines protect our pets from many diseases including rabies, distemper, and Lyme disease. Each dog and cat is different, so our veterinarians develop custom vaccination plans for every pet. Our veterinarians will determine which vaccinations your pet needs and how often they will be administered.

Recommended Vaccinations for Dogs in High Point

All dogs must be vaccinated for rabies as required by North Carolina state law. We also vaccinate all dogs in our practice for distemper and parvo. Depending on your dog's lifestyle and risk of exposure, we may also recommend vaccines for Lyme Disease and Leptosporosis. Finally, if your pet goes to the groomer, kennel, or obedience classes, we may recommend the kennel cough and canine flu vaccines for your dog.

Core Vaccinations for Cats

All cats must also be vaccinated for rabies as required by North Carolina state law. All cats in our practice are also vaccinated for distemper and upper respiratory disease viruses. Finally, cats who go outdoors are vaccinated against feline leukemia.

Parasite Control

Protect your pet and family from flea and tick infestations, dermatitis secondary to allergies, and serious, sometimes fatal, infectious diseases that can be transmitted by them. Fleas and ticks are easy to prevent, and we can help. Each of our products are medically approved, safe, and guaranteed to help protect your family.

Dogs and cats can get fleas and ticks in a variety of places – whether they go outside or not. Other animals (or even humans) can bring fleas and ticks into your home. And anytime your pet is outside, they are at risk. Wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits and raccoons all carry fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks can live outside year-round but the worst months are spring and fall.

Microchipping

Microchipping is a great way to help ensure that your pet can be safely returned to you in the event that they are lost or run away. If your pet is lost, a microchip embedded painlessly beneath their skin can be used to instantly and easily identify them as yours and be used to contact you.

The procedure for embedding this chip is short, straightforward, and relatively painless – think of it as a routine vaccination in terms of its impact on your pet. After a few seconds, you can rest assured that any animal shelter that picks up your pet will be able to scan the chip and return them safely to your home.

Nutrition & Weight Management

Feeding your pet a nutritious diet is essential for your pet to lead a happy, healthy, and long life. With so many options on the shelves today, choosing the right food for your pet can be overwhelming. When trying to make this decision it is important to visit your veterinarian so they can complete a nutritional assessment. Your vet will be able to determine the appropriate food you should be buying.

Because nutrition is so important, we have hand-selected just a few brands to be sold in our hospital. If you’re looking for a specialized diet, call us and ask if we carry it. If we don’t, we can order it for you. We also carry certain prescription diets for those pets with even more stringent dietary restrictions.