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Veterinarians frequently only see pets for puppy or kitten exams and legally mandated immunizations. What many pet owners fail to realize is that modern veterinary science has provided tools that enable veterinarians to diagnose and treat a whole range of conditions that were previously considered to be simply declining health due to old age, with euthanasia being the only humane solution.

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It's very important that you write down any and all questions that you have to bring to your first appointment

Video Transcript:

Hi, I'm Dr. Francis at Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital. Today, we're going to go over what to expect with your first visit with your new puppy or kitten. It's very important that you schedule an appointment as soon after you adopt or purchase your new pet. We want to make sure that they're healthy. We're going to do a full physical examination. Certainly we're going to be very aware to look out for any birth defects such as cleft palates, hernias or heart murmurs. And we'll look at their eyes and ears, make sure that their feet look good, that their teeth are coming in correctly, and that they overall just look good. We are going to discuss vaccinations. We typically give vaccines at eight weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks. And it will depend to some extent on the lifestyle of your pet. If your cat is going to be inside only, if your dog will be going to a groomer or a dog park or a boarding facility, those sorts of things.

It's very important that you write down any and all questions that you have to bring to your first appointment. We want to make sure that nothing is forgotten and we address all of your concerns. We'll also discuss deworming for intestinal parasites, and getting started on heartworm preventative for dogs. We'll also discuss nutrition. We want to make sure that when you leave, you know exactly what to feed, how much, and how often. There are also a lot of behavioral issues that we want to discuss. House training for cats, litter pan use, those sorts of things as well. And we can also touch on when we should spay and neuter your pet, and what that procedure involves. And it's also important to consider microchipping, and also whether or not a pet insurance policy might be a good idea. Definitely want to get that going before we identify any issues. Call today to schedule your appointment with us. We look forward to taking care of your new family pet.

With regular veterinary checkups and early treatment, yesterday’s old age and end of life for a pet is now the new pet middle age, with more years of good health and activity ahead for the pet to spend together with his or her owner.

Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital encourages pet owners who are looking forward to years of healthy and active companionship with their dog or cat to give serious consideration to twice a year veterinary pet wellness checks for their pet.

The first visit each year is a health check exam and discussion of any changes in the pet’s behavior or daily routines. The second visit, occurring six months later, consists of a health check and reviews of the pet’s nutrition needs.

If your pet is due for any vaccinations, they will be administered during these twice-yearly examinations. At Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital, we follow a three-year vaccination protocol, as we do not believe in overvaccination. We ask you to complete the disease risk assessment form prior to administering any vaccinations to ensure that we are creating a specific vaccination plan customized to the needs of your pet and your lifestyle.

Our wellness plans also include a variety of early detection diagnostics, including blood work to identify metabolic problems before your pet is showing clinical signs, allowing us to take early action; fecal exams to identify internal parasites that could also potentially spread to people; and heartworm testing.

We are certain that you will find twice-yearly veterinary wellness exams for your pet to be a good investment in terms of money saved over the long run and, more importantly, in the longer and healthier life your pet can enjoy with you.