Pet Wellness Care
Ensure your pet’s health with wellness exams and vaccinations at Highland’s Pet Medical Clinic. Prevent issues before they start.
Pet Wellness Care in Austin, TX
At Highland’s Pet Medical Clinic, we take a wellness approach to your pet’s health, and that starts with regular preventive-care exams. We suggest a wellness exam every six months. Remember, six months to a dog or cat amounts to 2 – 4 years of human aging. A lot can happen in that time, and issues left untreated can cause additional damage with more complex treatments and greater expense — not to mention additional suffering on the part of your pet.
Pet Wellness Exams
These comprehensive check-ups allow us to monitor your pet’s overall condition, detect early signs of illness, and address any changes in behavior, appetite, or activity levels. During each wellness exam, we perform a full physical evaluation, assess weight and body condition, check eyes, ears, skin, and teeth, and listen to your pet’s heart and lungs. We also discuss parasite prevention, vaccination schedules, nutrition, and any lifestyle or age-related concerns.
By staying proactive with regular exams, we can work together to prevent health problems before they become serious and keep your pet feeling their best throughout every stage of life.
During our semi-annual exams, we frequently find:
- Infected Ears – This can lead to a hematoma, then ruptured eardrum, then middle-ear infection, and deafness.
- Dental Infection – Can lead to pet pain, the need to extract some teeth, and ultimately systemic infection of the heart and kidneys.
- Flea Infestation – This usually leads to continual scratching and the development of hot spots. Eggs and larvae can spread all over the home and lead to the need for home extermination procedures.
We’re happy to schedule your pet’s wellness exam around other items on its health maintenance schedule, such as annual vaccinations or semi-annual pickup of the flea and heartworm prevention medications you administer at home.
Pet Vaccination
Vaccinations play an essential role in helping your pet live a long, healthy life. They stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that help defend against disease.
Each pet’s vaccination needs are different. Before our pet clinic gives any vaccinations, we do a thorough exam to be sure the patient’s immune system is not already compromised. If you’ve noticed any abnormal behavior in your pet, this exam is the best time to bring that to our attention. Our exam, along with a review of age, genetic predispositions, and other environmental factors, will help us determine the best vaccination schedule for your pet.
