Comprehensive Pet Wellness Care for Folsom Pets
We know your pet’s health is your top priority. As a vested partner in this endeavor, Blue Ravine Animal Hospital wants to do everything we can to make this as easy as possible. We provide comprehensive pet wellness care for dogs, cats, and small pocket pets. Pet wellness exams, vaccinations, parasite control, and proper pet nutrition play a significant role in pet health care.
Pet Wellness Examinations and Preventive Pet Care
Animals are very good at hiding their illnesses. At your visit, your veterinarian will conduct a thorough, nose-to-tail physical examination of your pet. We recommend annual visits for our patients so we can monitor their current conditions, and keep you informed of any changes or concerns.
Annual pet health exams also allow us to establish a normal pattern for each pet’s weight, temperature, and body condition. This also helps assist in detecting hidden problems that may otherwise go unnoticed. Early diagnosis of disease can sometimes mean the difference between successful and unsuccessful treatment. Preventive medicine, such as dental prophylaxis, weight management, dietary consultations, and arthritis prevention, may lengthen and improve your pet’s quality of life.
Pet Vaccinations
Vaccinating your dog or cat has long been considered one of the easiest ways to help them live a long, healthy life. Which vaccines are recommended to an individual pet depends on many factors, such as:
- Age
- Medical history
- Environment
- Travel habits
- Lifestyle
We will provide for you an immunization schedule, which is specifically tailored to the needs and risks of your individual pet and household.
Parasite Control
There are many different parasites that can plague your pet. Common parasites in both dogs and cats include:
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Heartworms
- Gastrointestinal worms.
Some of these parasites can also be contagious to humans. We are happy to review with you the best ways to control parasites in your home, in your yard, and on your pet.
Pet Microchipping
Microchips have helped reunite thousands of pets with their families. Pet microchipping is fast, safe, and easy. A microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, is injected beneath the surface of your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to a routine shot, takes only a few seconds, and does not require any anesthesia.
Should your pet become lost, animal control officers, shelters, or veterinarians can use a special scanner to identify the code, contact the database where you registered, and ultimately reunite you with your pet. We offer the most widely-used microchip products to increase the chances of a safe recovery.
Pet Nutrition Consultation
Appropriate nutrition plays an important role in a long, healthy life for your dog or cat. We can provide guidance regarding your pet’s nutritional needs for each life stage, including dietary requirements for growth, weight, maintenance, performance, and medical needs.
Pet Medications: Fully-Stocked Veterinary Pharmacy
We maintain a complete inventory of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, shampoos, and heartworm, flea, and tick preventives to meet the needs of your pet. We purchase our products directly from reputable manufacturers and their representatives to provide your pets with the most reliable products available. We request that you provide us with 24 hours phone-ahead notice for prescription refills.
Pet Care Through All Stages of Life
Your pet’s wellness and preventive care needs change throughout their life. We look forward to partnering with you on your pet’s health care from puppy and kittenhood through their golden senior years.
Puppy & Kitten Care
Start your puppy or kitten off on the right paw with a strong foundation of early wellness and preventive care. We offer wellness care packages for both puppies and kittens that include a full range of essential services such as physical exams, core vaccinations, deworming, and parasite control.
Senior Pet Care
In general, when your pet turns 7 years of age, he or she is considered a senior pet. Due to advanced age, we recommend geriatric pets receive wellness examinations performed at least twice yearly. Pets with underlying medical conditions may need to be evaluated more frequently.
Senior Pet Wellness Checks
During the wellness visit, your veterinarian will be specifically addressing any changes that may be suggestive of discomfort or an underlying medical condition. Changes in any of the following require further investigation:
- Behavior (such as pacing at night)
- Comfort and energy level
- Elimination habits
- Hearing
- Vision
- Water consumption
- Appetite
Detecting and Treating Medical Conditions
Medical conditions at this age are primarily related to an aging body. These include conditions such as:
- Kidney disease
- Dental disease
- Heart disease
- Arthritis
- Dementia
- Cancer
Home Care for Continued Health
Continue your home preventive medicine program outlined by your veterinarian, including:
- Daily tooth brushing
- Regular exercise
- Preventive medications for heartworm, fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites.
Please keep an open discussion between your family and our veterinary team regarding concerns you may have about how your aging pet is progressing through this life stage. Your veterinary team wants to help guide you through making the best choices for your furry family member.
Please contact us to schedule your pet’s wellness exam or to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding your pet’s health care.