Wellness Services
Comprehensive Physical Examinations
Early detection of health problems can allow for prompt treatment. At least once, and perhaps twice per year, your pet should have a complete physical examination. Remember, an animal's lifespan is shorter than ours and their health can change significantly over a 12-month period.
We are committed to providing pets and pet owners with the finest veterinary care possible in our area. We are recognized as a welcoming, skilled and progressive partner in the care of your beloved companions.
The staff at Animal & Bird Hospital of Del Mar strives to remain on the cutting edge of veterinary and client care. Our animal hospital features state-of-the-art surgical suites, updated treatment areas, an in-house laboratory and much more.
We have programs for your new puppy or kitten, and senior wellness packages as well. We provide wellness care, internal medicine and surgery to pets at every stage of life. Our hospital offers genetic testing for bird sexing purposes.
We remain committed to promoting client education and responsible pet ownership. Our medical staff works with you to understand your pet's healthcare needs and develop a preventive care plan that best meets those unique needs.
When your pet receives regular wellness exams, vaccinations, proper dental care, and screening for common diseases, he / she will have a much better chance of living a long and happy life.
Despite our very best efforts, a beloved pet may still develop an illness or be injured. Our internal medicine and surgical expertise, as well as advanced diagnostics, ensure your pet receives a quick and accurate diagnosis. We explain the diagnosis to you and recommend various treatment options.
Please take a look at the services we offer and learn why we believe they are important to the care and wellbeing of your pet.
Then give us a call to set up an appointment today!
Wellness Care
Prevention is the key to your pet's long term health. This approach also minimizes the lifetime cost of care. We recommend routine wellness exams, vaccinations, regular lab work, deworming and fecal checks, as well as medications to prevent heartworm, fleas and ticks. If laboratory tests are indicated for your pet, they can be done during your dog or cat's regular examination. This is our chance to get to know your pet, to assess your pet's overall health, discuss any changes we see, educate and update you on advancements in veterinary care, and for you to discuss any concerns or questions you may have.
The yearly wellness care we recommend includes:
- Examine your pet's teeth, throat, and oral cavity
- Check your pet's vision and examine the eyes
- Examine the ears for infection, ear mites, allergic reaction and other related health issues
- Examine the respiratory system
- Assess your pet's heart
- Palpate lymph nodes and abdomen
- Inspect the skin
- Palpate joints and muscles for arthritis and other orthopedic conditions
- Test to evaluate the function of internal organs, blood, and other systems
Puppy and Kitten Examinations and Vaccinations
We have special puppy and kitten packages. These are discounted, all-inclusive packages that include:
- Three exams
- An entire series of all core vaccines
- Parasite checks
- Deworming treatments
- Flea and heartworm preventive
- Nutritional and behavior counseling
- Microchip placement
Young puppies and kittens should receive their physical examination and first set of vaccinations at six to nine weeks of age. Additional exams and vaccinations are given every two to four weeks until they are sixteen weeks old. Thereafter regular booster vaccinations should be administered. During your pet's initial examinations you will also receive a behavioral consultation, nutritional counseling, and recommendations on disease prevention. This advice can go a long way towards preventing problems in your pet's adult life.
There is nothing more exciting than bringing a new puppy or kitten into your home. They add energy and fun and are a source of unceasing affection as they bond with you and your family.
However, they also require a little extra attention to ensure they get a good, healthy start at life. This means that comprehensive physical exams at key developmental stages are important as well as time- and veterinarian-tested advice on housebreaking and training.
Your very first visit with your new puppy or kitten is perhaps the most important. These initial visits are where client, doctor and animal first meet and begin to form the relationship that will last for the life of your pet. Therefore, we like to give your puppy or kitten a thorough exam, talk with you about concerns you may have, offer health care and training advice and to discuss questions you may have regarding:
- Diets, including types of food to feed
- Housetraining
- Spaying and neutering—Is this best for my dog? What are the consequences of spaying/neutering too early and what should I expect if I don't want to spay or neuter my dog? If I decide to spay/neuter, when is the best time to have this done?
- Formulation of individualized vaccine protocol.
- Pet health insurance. Should I get pet health insurance? What should I look for in a company?
- Microchipping. Should I get this done? When is the best time to do this?
Complete physical exam which includes detection of potential congenital problems and anything else you want to discuss. This is your new pet and we know you have many questions.
Vaccinations and
Preventive Medicine
Due to the many recent discoveries and innovations in veterinary medicine, your pet can be protected against most major infectious diseases. Today many immunizations and preventative treatments are available that did not exist a decade ago. Our staff can assist you in deciding which preventive measures are necessary for your pet. We can also do a simple blood test to determine whether vaccines are even necessary.
We strongly recommend that your pet is up to date on his or her vaccines.
Vaccinations are not only safe and effective, they are an important and fundamental aspect of your pet's preventative healthcare plan. There are vaccines—such as for rabies and other zoonotic diseases—that help protect your family from very dangerous and difficult to treat illnesses. Additionally, with each passing year, veterinary science is improving on existent vaccines as well as increasing our ability to prevent an even wider array of contagious diseases.
We tailor our vaccination protocol to the lifestyle of your pet, as well as the diseases your pet is most likely to be exposed to. We do this in order to provide the best protection from disease as well as to reduce the possibility of your pet have an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
We also have a rattlesnake vaccine, to protect dogs who are in at-risk regions for a rattlesnake bite.
Senior Pet Care and Geriatric Pet Evaluations
In recent years, great strides have been made in recognizing the special needs and requirements of our "senior citizen" dogs and cats. Our veterinarians are equipped with the knowledge and diagnostic tools to identify age related problems and formulate realistic strategies to help our pets to live longer and healthier lives. If your dog is seven to nine years of age or older (depending on breed) or your cat is ten years of age or older, it is now in its geriatric years. We will be happy to discuss with you our recommendations for geriatric testing and geriatric diets.
By taking the time to learn more about the special needs of your senior-aged pet, you've taken the first step toward providing the best care for your friend in its golden years. At the Animal and Bird Hospital of Del Mar, we're proud of the special interest we take in geriatric medicine and care of chronic disease.
Pets in their senior years—those of about six years of age and older—begin to go through a gradual reduction of their physical capabilities. However, this process can be slowed and managed through proper veterinary care thereby offering your beloved pet an extended period of vitality and good health. Additionally, preventative care tailored to your pet's age, lifestyle, risk factors and other elements can help prevent common diseases or detect them at early and easily treatable stages.
There is also an important role for you to play as your pet's primary caregiver. While you cannot control age related decline, you can influence your pet's activity level, living conditions, access to quality senior veterinary care, and daily nutrition. With your veterinarian's help, you can manage these factors in order to prolong your pet's good health, vitality, and increase his or her wellbeing, even as your pet's pace slows a bit.
The best time to begin your pet's senior care program and recognize the need for a little extra TLC is well before age related conditions begin to set in. We at Animal & Bird Hospital of Del Mar recommend regular senior wellness exams, which should include a specialized lab work to detect the early signs of disease processes. Dental care at this point in life becomes even more important as well. We recommend routine dental exams and cleanings for all pets, but especially those in their senior years. Diet and weight gain are also important issues to keep an eye on. When you bring your pet in for a senior wellness visit your veterinarian will evaluate his or her weight and offer recommendations based on what we see.