Routine preventive care helps keep your pet in peak condition. From the youngest kitten or puppy to the oldest cat or dog, pets need routine veterinary checkups to ensure they’re healthy or detect a problem early enough that the condition is easy to resolve. 

Our team members at MountainView Veterinary Hospital, with locations in Denville and Denville, New Jersey, are enthusiastic believers in the power of prevention. Learn about the services we provide to help promote your pet’s health. 

Pet wellness services

Common veterinary procedures can extend your pet’s life and make every year a happy one. Preventive veterinary care services include spaying and neutering, vaccinations, dental care, and nutrition and weight management.

Wellness care for puppies and kittens starts when they are 6 to 8 weeks old and continues every three to four weeks until they are 16 to 20 weeks old. Once your pet has completed their initial vaccination series, our team will recommend the ideal time your pet should be spayed or neutered. Once your pet has recovered from this procedure, an annual wellness visit is enough for most healthy pets until they reach their senior years, when we recommend two visits per year.

What to expect during a pet wellness checkup

Our MountainView Veterinary Hospital team performs your pet’s head-to-tail exam during their routine wellness checkup. Your pet’s preventive care exam includes:

  • Weight and vital sign readings — These health factors allow our veterinarian to determine levels that are normal for your cat or dog. 
  • Time for your questions — You’ll have a chance to ask questions and bring up concerns about your pet’s diet, lifestyle, behavior, and health.
  • Physical exam — During your pet’s physical exam, we listen to their heart and lungs, examine their eyes and ears, feel their lymph nodes and abdominal organs, perform a rectal exam, check their reflexes, and much more.
  • Diagnostic tests — Your pet should receive certain diagnostic tests on a routine basis. Our team recommends the following:
    • Complete blood cell count and a blood chemistry panel 
    • Urinalysis
    • Fecal parasite exam 
    • Heartworm test
    • Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and thyroid tests for cats.
  • Preventive care — During your pet’s routine visit, we administer vaccinations and boosters and recommend a parasite prevention plan that’s right for your pet.

Spaying or neutering benefits for pets

Since cats and certain small dogs reach sexual maturity as early as 4 months of age, early spaying or neutering is the best way to help them avoid some serious health issues. By having your pet spayed or neutered, you avoid contributing to the pet population that burdens animal shelters. 

Based on your pet’s age, breed, health, weight, and other considerations, our veterinarian can recommend the best age at which your pet should be spayed or neutered. Studies show that in addition to preventing unintentional pregnancies, spaying and neutering can help your dog or cat live longer. These procedures can also eliminate behaviors related to sex hormones, such as female pets’ heat cycles and male pets’ tendency to roam and spray urine to mark their territory.

Vaccination and parasite preventives benefit pets

Routine vaccination and parasite preventives can help your pet avoid many diseases that often affect them. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated for rabies. During their routine wellness exams, all pets should be checked for heartworm disease and other parasitic diseases. In addition, our team recommends the most effective parasite preventive for your pet. 

Some diseases are feline-specific. Preventable diseases in cats include: 

  • Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper)
  • Feline herpesvirus infection
  • Feline calicivirus, which can cause upper respiratory infections and oral disease
  • Feline leukemia (FeLV)
  • Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection

Some diseases are canine-specific. Preventable diseases in dogs include: 

  • Distemper
  • Adenovirus
  • Parvovirus
  • Parainfluenza
  • Leptospira 
  • Lyme disease
  • Bordetella 
  • Canine influenza
  • Infections caused by rattlesnake poisoning

Dental care for pets

Your pet’s dental health care enhances their overall well-being, increases their lifespan, and eliminates painful issues. Our team provides comprehensive dental procedures ranging from routine professional dental cleanings and checkups to oral surgery. During your pet’s professional dental cleaning, we take dental X-rays to diagnose disease issues brewing beneath the gumline. 

Nutrition and weight management for pets

Obesity is a problem for U.S. pets, and during your pet’s wellness visit, our veterinarian evaluates your dog’s or cat’s weight, body fat, and muscle tone using a body condition scoring system. Like other health conditions, obesity is much easier to prevent than to treat. If your pet is already heavy enough to experience health risks, we recommend a weight-loss diet. Nutrition plans are also available for pets with arthritis, and heart, kidney, and liver diseases. The goal is to give pets the precise nutrition they need for optimal health and enjoyment of life. 

To maintain your pet’s health, ensure they receive routine preventive care. Contact our MountainView Veterinary Hospital team to schedule your pet’s wellness checkup.