Pet Services

Examination

“Regular examinations are vital to good health.”

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Most pets cannot tell us when they need to go to the veterinarian. Often, they conceal an illness or pain, making regular examinations vital to good health. Unless you know what to look for, the symptoms of an illness can be difficult to detect. Since your pet ages six to ten years for every year you age, a pet that goes without annual dental care, blood analysis or examinations is similar to a sixty-year-old person going without medical care for as many as ten years.

Town & Country Veterinarians and Pet Resort realizes your desire to provide the best care possible for your pet. Quality pet healthcare offered through our wellness care can add years of vitality and extend your pet’s life. We customize wellness care to include the most critical individualized healthcare to help your pet live a long, happy and healthy life. Many diseases that pets are susceptible to are either 100% preventable with the proper intervention or are easily managed when detected early.

At Town & Country Veterinarians, we recommend that your pet receive a comprehensive physical exam every six to twelve months so that your veterinarian has the opportunity to help prevent, identify and treat any potential concerns in the early stages.

Your cat brings great joy to your life and you want to provide them with the best possible care. To help you, we have compiled health and wellness advice and tips from feline veterinarians. Click here for more information.

For additional information visit www.healthypet.com

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin

Vaccinations

“Vaccinations work to improve and extend your pet’s quality of life.”

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Your pet’s doctor will advise the safest possible vaccination schedule and ongoing booster routine for each stage of your pet’s life.

Whether your pet lives indoors or outdoors, regular vaccinations will work to improve and extend their quality of life. Your pet’s vaccination schedule will vary based on age, individual risk of contracting certain diseases and type of vaccine.

In general, once immunity is established in your puppy or kitten, adult pets will receive vaccine boosters once every one to three years.

Parasite Control

“Preventing parasites is part of maintaining a healthy life for you and your pet.”

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Parasites come in many varieties. Some cause painful diarrhea, stunt growth and anemia, and others, as in the case of heartworms, can be fatal. Many parasites can also be contagious (zoonotic) to you and your family.

Common roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, Giardia and Cryptosporidium are transmittable to humans and can cause dermatitis, gastrointestinal problems or organ damage. Fleas can carry an organism called Bartonella henselae, which is one of the causes of cat-scratch fever in humans. Ticks can transmit serious diseases including Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to both you and your pet. Children, because of their play habits and affinity for pets, are particularly at risk for infection, making parasite prevention all the more crucial.

Regular tests for heartworm and other intestinal parasites, as well as controlling external parasites such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites, are all part of maintaining a healthy life for you and your pet. Town & Country Veterinarians use proven practices to test for and rid your pets of worms, as well as other harmful parasites, for life. Giving your pet Heart-worm and Flea Prevention year-round is the best way to reduce the risks of parasites, as it prevents fleas, heart-worms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms.

For additional information visit capcvet.org

Dentistry

“Dental disease is the number one illness found in both dogs and cats.”

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Maintaining your pet’s dental health is essential to their overall health and longevity. Pets do not often get cavities, but they do frequently suffer from other types of dental disease. Dental disease can cause serious problems for your pet ranging from gum inflammation and infection to tooth loss and even organ damage. As many as 80% of dogs and 70% of cats that do not receive proper dental care will develop signs of dental disease by three years of age. Town & Country Vets recommends a yearly dental examination and prophylaxis (professional cleaning).

Town & Country Veterinarians offers professional dental cleanings, including any necessary extractions, and digital dental radiography while taking all necessary precautions for a safe anesthetic procedure. In addition, our experienced team can provide recommendations for good home dental care. While dental cleanings may seem to be an added expense, they are a very cost-effective investment in your pet’s health. Caught early, dental problems are easy to treat. Neglected, they can turn into serious, costly and painful problems.

For additional information please click on the following links.
 Dental care guidelines for dogs and cats
The Benefits of Professional Dental Cleanings

Laboratory

“Regular blood tests are essential for identifying illnesses.”

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Even pets that seem happy, playful and healthy can have hidden medical problems. Left undetected, these problems can grow into serious and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Regular blood tests are essential for identifying diseases at the earliest stage possible when intervention is most successful. Regular blood tests also help your veterinarian detect health issues before they become more serious, which saves you time and money.

Sick or elderly animals often have more than one disease affecting them at one time. In turn, this often complicates diagnosis and treatment. However, laboratory tests can help diagnose specific problems and put your pet back on the right track to a speedy recovery. In addition, some medications can be more harmful than beneficial if your pet has certain underlying problems such as kidney or liver disease; blood tests make sure your pet is healthy enough to take prescribed medications. Finally, even in young and healthy pets, laboratory testing helps your veterinarian establish a baseline picture of what represents good health for your individual pet.

For additional information please click on the following link. Reading the blood chemistry panel: An art and science

Spaying & Neutering

“Spay (ovariohysterectomy) and neuter (castration) surgeries are performed regularly at Town & Country Veterinarians.”

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Pets that are spayed or neutered no longer have the desire or ability to reproduce and benefit from reduced hormone levels, which when higher, increase disease potential and drive behaviors such as fighting, roaming and breeding.

Making common surgical procedures such as spaying or neutering as safe and as comfortable as possible for your pet is a standard at our hospital. To ensure the best possible outcome for each patient, we require safety measures including pre-surgical blood work, specialized instruments to monitor anesthetized patients’ heart-rate, breathing and blood pressure, IV fluids, pain control medications and the safest gas anesthesia.

Microchip ID

“One in three pets go missing during its lifetime.”

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Sadly, without proper identification, ninety percent of lost pets never return home. Having a microchip is the best ID a pet can have. An identifying integrated circuit in a silicone microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is placed under your pet’s skin at the back of the neck to ensure a quick return of a lost pet. Microchip identification is an increasing standard in the pet community, and dogs, cats, and most exotic pets are candidates for it.

For additonal information please visit www.petlink.net

Behavioral Consulting

“Pets that fit well into a family’s life are happier and well-adjusted.”

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The professionals at Town & Country Veterinarians are a great source of information about general pet behavior, training tips and resources for preventing or correcting unwanted pet behaviors. Since some undesirable behaviors can be directly linked to an illness, any change in a pet’s behavior should be brought to the immediate attention of your veterinarian.

Our team has the experience to assist you in uncovering any underlying illness and getting your pet the help they need to recover and get back to being the great family companion you love. If necessary, we can recommend a behavioral specialist to assist you with your pet’s specific training needs.

Nutrition

“Proper nutrition is a huge factor in disease prevention and overall wellbeing for your pet.”

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While all pets are different, there are some general rules and nutritional guidelines to follow for optimum health. For example, healthy puppy and kitten nutrition requires higher calories and protein, while older dogs and cats need fewer calories and more fiber.

Our veterinarians start with an assessment of your pet’s health and stage of life. We combine this with your pet’s individual needs, such as allergy and health considerations, to build a diet plan that is rich in the nutrients to keep your dog or cat healthy.

We recommend Hill’s® Science Diet and Prescription Diet, developed by 150 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and PhD nutritionists who analyze the product ingredient profile for 50 nutrients in order to meet all of your pets’ nutritional needs. To learn more about these products visit www.hillspet.com

Pet Services | Town & Country Veterinarians | Gainesville, FL
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