Wellness Care

Wellness Exams

Prevention is the key to keeping your pet healthy. We recommend all pets undergo an annual wellness exam, though more frequent exams are encouraged. Pets age much more quickly than humans and your pet's health status can change in a few short months. Examinations establish an overall picture of your pet's health and can often help detect health problems and conditions in your pet before they become more difficult and more expensive to treat.

During a check-up, we perform a complete physical examination of your pet. We may also perform blood tests to detect parasites such as heartworms or chronic conditions such as diabetes. Wellness exams help us establish a baseline level of health for your pet, aiding in future diagnoses and treatment.

Your participation is important in your pet's health care and we encourage you to ask questions. Wellness exams provide an excellent opportunity to discuss your pet's health and is a good time to mention any changes you have noticed in his / her behavior or personality. We want to work closely with you to create a comprehensive wellness plan so that your pet experiences a long, happy and healthy life.

Vaccinations

Regular vaccinations are an integral part of your pet's preventive health care plan. Because all pets are different, your pet's vaccination protocol is unique. We vaccinate all pets based on their individual needs, lifestyle and risk factors, though we do adhere to the following general vaccination guidelines:

Puppies: Your puppy's vaccine schedule begins at 6 weeks, with boosters every 3 weeks until 18 weeks of age. Distemper and parvovirus vaccines are administered first. Rabies vaccine is due after 12 weeks of age. We start your puppy on heartworm preventative and flea control at 6 weeks of age. All puppies need to have a fecal test to rule out intestinal worms. If your puppy is to be groomed on regular basis, Bordetella vaccine is strongly recommended.

Kittens: Your kitten's vaccine program begins at 6 weeks of age with boosters every 3 weeks until 3 boosters are given. Distemper complex vaccine is given first and Rabies vaccine is administered after 12 weeks of age. We start your kitten on heartworm preventative and flea control at 6 weeks of age. All kittens should have a fecal test to rule out intestinal worms. Kittens should be tested for feline leukemia and feline AIDS. All outdoor kittens should be vaccinated for feline leukemia and Feline AIDS.

Adult Dogs: For adult dogs, we recommend annual vaccination against distemper and parvovirus. In this part of Texas, Rabies vaccine is required annually. A fecal test to rule out intestinal worms should be performed. An annual heartworm test is strongly recommended.

Adult Cats: We recommend annual vaccination against distemper for adult cats. In this part of Texas, Rabies vaccine is required annually. A fecal test to rule out intestinal worms should be performed. Even if your cat only occasionally goes outside, annual booster vaccinations for feline leukemia and feline AIDS are recommended.

Parasite Prevention

Parasites can be a pain for your pet and your family. External parasites such as fleas and ticks and internal parasites like heartworms, hookworms and roundworms, can cause far-reaching health problems for your pet. Some parasites, such as hookworms and roundworms, can be transmitted to humans. Young children are particularly at risk for infection. Proper parasite prevention for your pet is extremely important!

Hill Country Animal Hospital recommends your pet undergo annual testing for parasites. This involves fecal exams (which can detect intestinal parasites) and routine blood tests. Early detection of these parasites results in faster treatment and less discomfort for your pet.

Heartworm prevention is particularly important. Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening disease that affects both dogs and cats. Left untreated, heartworms can damage your pet's heart and lungs and, in some cases, cause death. The symptoms of heartworm infection appear slowly and may not be readily apparent. For dogs, symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing and lethargy. Cats may experience convulsions, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, coughing, fainting and lethargy. If your pet is showing any of these signs, please bring him or her in for an examination immediately.

We offer our clients a variety of heartworm preventive medication and work with you to determine the one that is best for your pet.

Pet Identification

Pet identification is a must, but sometimes, a sturdy collar and ID tag aren't enough to ensure your pet returns home safely if he or she is lost. Microchipping your pet is a simple procedure that permanently identifies your pet. A microchip is about the size and shape of a grain of rice. It is implanted underneath your pet's skin, usually between the shoulder blades, in a process similar to a vaccination. The microchip is encoded with unique information about your pet; this information corresponds to a national pet database. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across the country are equipped with special scanners capable of detecting and reading microchips. If your pet is lost, his or her microchip is scanned and the information it contains is used to reunite you and your best friend. We use the Home Again Microchip System.

Tattoo identification is also an extremely useful form of permanent pet identification. Please ask Dr. Kruse or a member of our staff about which form of identification is right for your pet.

Medical Records

Hill Country Animal Hospital maintains computerized medical records using the ALIS-VET program. This program was created by a veterinarian specially for the veterinary industry. This medical record-driven program helps us reduce mistakes and facilitates a quick retrieval of patient records for evaluations and follow-ups. Computerized records result in faster, more accurate treatment for your pet and reduces waste.