Pet Preventive Care & Vaccines
BOOK APPOINTMENTPet Preventive Care & Vaccination in Elon, NC
At Elon Oaks Veterinary Hospital, we are dedicated to maintaining your pets’ health through comprehensive preventive care. Our team offers personalized care plans, routine check-ups, and timely vaccinations to detect and address potential health issues early. Trust us to provide expert and compassionate care, ensuring a long, healthy, and happy life for your furry friends.
Pet Regular Checkups
How Often Should a Pet Have Regular Checkups?
Puppies and kittens need checkups every 3-4 weeks until they are 18-20 weeks old. We recommend that adult pets have annual visits, while senior pets benefit from bi-annual checkups (twice per year). These visits help us monitor health and catch issues early, enabling your pet to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Importance of Regular Checkups for a Pet’s Health
Regular checkups are crucial for early detection and prevention of health issues. They allow veterinarians to track health, provide vaccinations, and offer advice on diet and lifestyle, ensuring your pet lives a long, healthy, and happy life.
How to Prepare for a Checkup
Bring your pet’s medical history, a list of medications, and notes on any changes in behavior. Ensure your pet is calm and comfortable; a favorite toy or blanket can help. Fasting your pet may be necessary if blood work is planned.
Physical Exams: Checks eyes, ears, mouth, skin, coat, heart, and lungs to identify infections, dental problems, or abnormalities.
Fecal Exams: Detects parasites like worms through stool sample analysis, ensuring early treatment.
Parasite Prevention: Includes treatments for fleas, ticks, and heartworms to avoid infestations and related diseases.
Blood Work: Tests kidney and liver function, blood cell counts, and immune system health, allowing early detection and treatment of underlying issues.
Each checkup component is vital for maintaining your pet’s health and well-being.
Pet Vaccinations
Vaccinations are essential for preventing serious diseases in pets. They are typically divided into core vaccines and lifestyle (non-core) vaccines.
Core and Lifestyle Vaccines
Core Vaccines for Dogs:
- Rabies: Protects against the rabies virus, which is fatal and can spread to humans. Required by law in many areas.
- Distemper: Protects against a virus that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems.
- Parvovirus: Protects against a highly contagious virus causing severe gastrointestinal illness.
- Adenovirus (Canine Hepatitis): Protects against infectious canine hepatitis, affecting the liver.
- Bordetella (Kennel Cough): Recommended for all dogs who come in contact with other dogs or who visit locations where other dogs visit.
- Leptospirosis: Protects against a severe infectious disease that can cause kidney failure. Recommended for all dogs in North Carolina, as it is endemic in our area and can be spread to humans.
Lifestyle Vaccines for Dogs:
- Lyme Disease: Recommended for dogs who come into frequent contact with ticks.
- Canine Influenza: Protects against canine flu, recommended for dogs that frequent boarding kennels, dog parks, or grooming facilities.
Core Vaccines for Cats:
- Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia (FVRCP): A combination vaccine protecting against three common and severe feline diseases.
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV): Recommended for all kittens and at-risk adult cats.
- Rabies: Protects against the rabies virus, which is fatal and can spread to humans. Required by law in many areas.
Lifestyle Vaccines for Cats:
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV): Protects against feline leukemia, which is a contagious feline cancer. This is a core vaccination for kittens, but once a cat is an adult it is recommended for adult cats who come into contact with other outdoor cats.
