Wellness Care and Education
Physical Exams
We strive to promote healthy pets through highly educated owners.
Yearly "nose to tail" wellness examinations are an essential component of your pet’s healthcare. Regular examinations give us a chance to evaluate your pet’s overall health and detect health issues before they become problematic and difficult to treat. We believe in conducting a complete, thorough, and accurate physical exam before we begin treatment. Extensive physical examinations and diagnostic testing are performed before determining any course of treatment for your pet. Since age is a complicating factor, we recommend semi-annual examinations for older pets (7 years of age and over).
During an examination, we evaluate the following areas on your pet:
- Temperature, respiration rate, pulse, and body weight.
- The ears are examined for yeast, bacteria, parasites, or foreign objects.
- The eyes are checked for any abnormalities, injuries, or ulcers. The eyes are the window into the body and help us identify internal problems. While examining the face, we check your pet's nose and nasal passages.
- The gums, teeth, tongue, and palate are checked. We look for dental abnormalities, fractures, loose teeth, tarter build up, tumors, infections and even anemia (decrease in red blood cells).
- A stethoscope is used to listen to your pet’s heart and lungs. Early signs of heart disease can be recognized this way.
- The reproductive system is examined closely for swellings, discharges, and breast lumps.
- The skin is the body’s largest organ and a good indicator of nutritional health. We check for skin abnormalities. We can detect allergic skin conditions, infections, warts, cysts and tumors. We also check for fleas and ticks and other external parasites.
- The abdomen is palpated to detect irregularities such as enlarged organs, masses or areas that are painful.
- The legs and feet of your pet are manipulated and checked for abnormalities.
- In addition, we check and palpate the external lymph nodes.
Your pet’s health can change rapidly. During an exam, we ask you questions about your pet’s health. Please inform us about any unusual behavior or potential problems your pet is experiencing, including:
- Excessive drinking and/or urination
- Excessive panting or coughing
- Changes in eating patterns
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss or weight gain
During the exam, we may also recommend baseline screenings of blood, urine and feces to further assess your pet’s overall health. The old saying is true - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular physical exams are the cornerstone of your pet’s preventive health care plan.
Vaccinations
We use the Continuum DAP, the first and only canine vaccine approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for three year duration-of-immunity (DOI) against DAP (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus). We also offer bordetella, rabies, and leptospirosis. For cats we offer FVRCP, FeLV and rabies vaccinations.
According to the latest scientific research pertaining to vaccines, we now have proof that the duration of immunity for viral vaccines is close to 100% protection for 3 years. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to vaccinate for all diseases every year.
Click here for our vaccine protocol for puppies.
Click here for our vaccine protocol for kittens.
International Health Certificates
If you are traveling to another country with your pet, you need an international health certificate. Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital is authorized to issue international health certificates. Click here for an overview of regulations regarding international travel with your pet. If you need an international health certificate, don't delay! Please call us immediately so that we can begin the process.
Heartworm and Parasite Prevention
Prevention is the key to keeping your pet safe from heartworm disease!
Heartworm is a serious, life-threatening disease that affects both dogs and cats. If left untreated, heartworms can damage the heart and lungs and, in some cases, result in death. Heartworms are transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Clinical symptoms of heartworm infection are slow to appear. In dogs, the symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, and lack of energy. Cats may exhibit convulsions, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, fainting, rapid heart rate, lethargy, coughing as well as non-specific symptoms. Advanced cases of heartworm infection can lead to heart failure and death.
Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital recommends both cats and dogs be given preventive heartworm medication. Prevention for cats is particularly important, as there are many common myths and misunderstandings about heartworm disease in cats. To learn more about heartworm disease in cats, visit the following websites:
- KnowHeartworms.org
- KittyTest.com - Information about heartworm, FIV and FeLV.
In order to prescribe and dispense medication, the state of Texas requires a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, in which we have seen your pet within one year. All dogs must have had a current heartworm test during the past year. As long as these requirements are met, you may simply stop by the office for a refill of heartworm preventive medication.
We recommend the following heartworm prevention products to our clients. Please click on a link to learn more about each product:
Sentinel, Interceptor, Iverhart Max and Heartgard are available at Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital. We offer competitive pricing and all products are guaranteed by their respective manufacturers. If your pet is on heartworm prevention and manages to contract the disease, as long as you have purchased the product from a licensed veterinarian and have administered the medication as directed, the company helps reimburse you for the required treatment. Click here for heartworm products pricing information. We often have manufacturers' coupons for heartworm prevention products that can be used at time of purchase. Please call Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital for more information.
Parasites and Zoonosis
Fleas, ticks, roundworms, hookworms and other parasites don't just pose a health risk to your pet—they can affect your family as well. Some animal diseases and parasites are zoonotic—this means they can be transmitted from animals to humans. Often, zoonotic parasites can be transmitted through regular contact—eating without washing hands and walking barefoot outside. Young children are particularly at risk since they taste everything. Click here to learn more about zoonosis.
Parasite Prevention
A very high percentage of puppies and kittens are born with or acquire intestinal parasites from their environment. Therefore, in accordance with the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control, we administer deworming medication to puppies and kittens at least two times at two week intervals once they arrive at their new home. We perform a fecal flotation test during the puppy or kitten's first visit. We also perform a prophylactic deworming, in order to treat an unapparent infection and to purge immature parasites that may not be seen. The fecal flotation tests for eggs of adult intestinal parasites.
Due to the risk of zoonosis, it is extremely important to use a broad-spectrum heartworm and parasite prevention product for your pet. These products protect not only your pet, but your family as well.