Pet Wellness IN PORT HADLOCK, WA

Preventative care is integral to your pet’s continued good health and longevity. Routine wellness exams serve as a foundation for evaluating your companion’s health and medical history, checking for possible signs of disease with lab screenings, and administering vaccines and parasite prevention to protect against illness and infections.

Pet wellness exams are akin to annual physicals for humans. They give our team the opportunity to check in with you and your pet and make sure they’re staying happy and healthy. It is also during this time that we encourage you to ask questions and bring up any concerns you have about your pet. The sooner we can address a potential problem, the sooner we can treat it and prevent the development of a more serious condition.

During your pet’s wellness exam, we:

• Check the teeth, gums, oral cavity, and throat
• Assess your pet’s eyes and vision
• Check the ears for signs of infection like inflammation, odor, and buildup in the outer and middle ear
• Evaluate your pet’s heart rate, respiration/lungs, body temperature, and body weight
• Palpate the abdomen and lymph nodes
• Check the skin for scabs, bumps, lesions, hotspots, and other issues
• Check your pet’s joints for pain, stiffness, and inflammation
• Perform lab testing to screen your pet for parasites and various diseases
• Administer vaccinations if needed to maintain your pet’s immunity

Adult pets should see the veterinarian at least once a year so we can check in with them and maintain their health with comprehensive lab testing, boosters (as needed), nutritional recommendations, and parasite prevention. It is also important to remember that animals are skilled at concealing illness and discomfort, and it isn’t always easy for pet owners to see when there’s a problem. Your veterinarian can uncover any issues taking place during the wellness visit and help you resolve them before they can get worse.

Wellness visits for adult dogs and cats usually include blood work, vaccinations, parasite prevention, nutritional and behavioral guidance, and medical intervention if needed.

Our hospital uses on-site and external laboratory testing to screen your pet for disease, check baseline blood and organ values, and check for heartworm disease and intestinal parasites. The goal is to catch any signs of disease or infection as early as possible so they can be treated right away. We also use the results from your pet’s tests to establish a health baseline and more easily catch early warning signs of illness.

Some of our testing includes complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry panel, fecal testing, heartworm testing, and tick-borne disease testing. We also require pre-anesthetic testing for pets that will be undergoing a dental cleaning procedure or surgery.

Our hospital uses advanced diagnostic equipment to diagnose, monitor, and treat a wide range of chronic diseases including diabetes, arthritis, Addison’s disease, thyroid disease, metabolic disease, and much more.

Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital provides ophthalmological care to diagnose and treat various conditions of the eyes. Dogs and cats can develop cataracts, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, and dry eye, among other problems. These issues can significantly impact your pet’s quality of life, so having the ability to detect and treat these issues before they can become more severe is extremely important.

Glaucoma, which causes abnormal pressure within the eye, can be especially serious for your pet. We can check your pet’s intraocular pressure regularly to determine whether an issue is developing.

Educating pet owners is just as important as keeping your pet healthy. We aim to serve as your partner in caring for your pet so you can trust in our team, ask any questions that come to mind, and be confident that together, we are making the best treatment decisions for your pet.

Because you know your pet best, we strongly recommend looking out for abnormal changes in their appearance, behavior, and daily habits. If you notice anything unusual, such as loss of appetite, lumps or bumps under the skin, bad breath, difficulty going to the bathroom, etc., please let us know right away.