According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 70% of adult cats and 80% of adult dogs show symptoms of oral disease. Your pet’s oral health is tied to their overall health, and dental infections can spread through the bloodstream to affect major organs such as your pet’s liver, kidneys, and heart. During each visit, we’ll be sure to assess your pet’s overall health, including an instruction of at-home dental care.

If symptoms like bad breath, brownish plaque at the base of the teeth, excessive drooling, sore or bleeding gums when eating or chewing, and decreased appetite are present, those can all be signs that a pet’s teeth require attention. We’re able to perform dental cleanings and extractions if necessary.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, please call us immediately. If this is during business hours, we’ll be here to provide urgent care for your pet. Emergencies are often, but not limited to:

• Ingestion of a toxic or poisonous substance, from human foods such as xylitol, chocolate or garlic to household cleaning agents or automotive fluids
• Hot-weather fainting, seizures and other signs of heat stroke
• Fractures, lameness, severe lacerations and other signs of serious trauma
• Bleeding from the orifices
• Choking, gagging and other respiratory crises
• Eye injury
• Inability or refusal to drink water or eat food
• Lengthy periods between delivery of puppies or kittens in a litter (difficult labor)
• Unexplained disorientation, dizziness or loss of consciousness

According to PetFinder, over 10 million pets go missing every year, and one in three pets will go missing at some point in their life.

A microchip is a tiny device which contains unique identifying information about a pet. It is approximately the size of a grain of rice, and it contains a 15-digit number which is registered on a national database. This number corresponds with the contact information of the pet’s owner, so that missing pets can be returned to their rightful home as quickly as possible.

Diseases like heartworm, Lyme disease, and ringworm can cause serious damage to your pet’s health, even death. Fortunately, proper vaccination and preventative medication will make sure that they’re protected. It’s important to start your pet on a proper vaccination schedule early in life. It’s also important to remember that cats and dogs have different vaccination needs, so be sure to consult with our team before administering any medicine.

Staying on a regular vaccination schedule can prolong your pet’s life by avoiding dangerous diseases.

At seven years old, dogs and cats are considered seniors. As our pets age, their needs change, and we’ll be there every step of the way. With an increased chance of health issues, we recommend that senior pets come see us twice a year for an examination and regularly scheduled dental cleanings. And yes, vaccinations and parasite prevention is still an important part of their life as they age. Protecting your senior pet from diseases is just as important as protecting puppies and kittens.

We’ll also want to focus on your pet’s lifestyle as they age. Diet, exercise, and pain management are a focus of senior pet care, and we’ll work with you to make sure they’re quality of life stays high as they age.

Ultrasonography is a diagnostic imaging technique similar to digital x-rays and is usually used in conjunction with other diagnostic measures. It allows visualization of the deep structures of the body.

Ultrasound can be used for a variety of purposes including examination of the animal’s heart, kidneys, liver, gallbladder, bladder, etc. It can also be used to determine pregnancy and to monitor an ongoing pregnancy. Ultrasound can detect fluid, cysts, tumors or abscesses.

It’s important for your pet to have annual wellness exams before their senior years to ensure that they are on, and will continue to be, on a healthy track. Even if your pet appears to be feeling well, it’s important for them to have annual exams to make sure they have no hidden issues that may be going undetected.

Heritage Animal Hospital offers comprehensive wellness exams that allow us to build a bond with your pet so that we can be there when they need us most. It’s important to not wait to bring them in until they’re sick, but to make sure they are staying on a healthy path.

Our wellness services include complete “nose to tail” physical exams, through which we create a complete health profile for your pet and establish a benchmark upon which to measure his or her ongoing health over time.