Capeway Veterinary Hospital understands that pet owners want their pets to live longer and healthier lives and the best way to accomplish this is through preventive medicine.
Our veterinarians recommend a multimodal approach to preventive pet health care including physical exams, vaccinations, regular blood work, and parasite prevention measures.
Pet Physical Exams
When your pet visits Capeway Veterinary Hospital, he or she will be given a thorough physical examination from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail.
Our veterinarians check all body systems including:
- Nose
- Eyes
- Teeth and mouth
- Ears
- Mental awareness
- Nerve function
- Lymph nodes
- Bones and joints
- Heart
- Lungs
- Abdomen
- Rectal and perirectal area
- External genitalia
- Coat and skin
- Body weight
- Temperature
Through wellness exams, we frequently detect issues that, if they had gone untreated, could lead to expensive, painful, and potentially fatal situations. Detecting subtle changes in health allows us to catch problems early and greatly increases the rate of recovery when treatment is needed.
High-Quality Pet Vaccines
Veterinary medicine has advanced over the years to provide vaccinations for some of the most dangerous and deadly pet diseases. Our veterinarians will work with you to determine the correct vaccinations for your pet based on his or her species, breed, and risk factors.
While all dogs and cats need vaccinations, not all need the same vaccinations and overvaccinating is not the best choice for your pet.
It is also important to make sure the vaccinations being given to your pet are of the highest quality. Older vaccination technology in pets can cause cancerous tumors, especially in cats. For this reason, Capeway Veterinary Hospital only uses the most advanced and high-quality pet vaccinations (link to high quality vaccinations page) available.
Annual Pet Blood Work
Since pets cannot tell us when they are feeling ill and some pets hide their illnesses very well, blood samples can give our veterinarians a clear picture of a pet’s overall health.
Repeating blood tests on at least an annual basis allows our doctors to compare body functions over time. Body function is different from one pet to the next, so knowing what is normal in an individual and tracking it over time can alert us to subtle changes that can be dealt with early to avoid major problems later in the pet’s life.
Our in-house veterinary laboratory provides our doctors with diagnostic results within minutes for most tests.
Parasite Prevention
- Heartworm—As its name implies, the heartworm lodges in the heart of the dog and, if left untreated, causes permanent damage to the heart and lungs. Treatment options are very hard on the pet, but thankfully, heartworm can be effectively prevented. Capeway Veterinary Hospital recommends annual heartworm screening and year-round preventive medication for all dogs.
- Intestinal parasites—Our veterinarians recommend yearly fecal screening for intestinal parasites. Worms that live in a pet’s intestines deplete nutrients and cause weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, and damage to internal organs. Some worms can also be transmitted to humans, so detection and proper treatment is an important part of maintaining excellent pet health.
- Flea and tick prevention—Fleas and ticks not only cause a source of irritation to your pet, they also can spread worms and carry diseases. The veterinarians of Capeway Veterinary Hospital will help you choose the best preventive products with the lowest toxicity for your pet.
Capeway Veterinary Hospital will partner with you to provide the best preventative care options for your pet. Our veterinarians will gladly consult with you by phone should you have any questions.