Wellness Testing
Detection of a disease before a pet shows signs of illness enables Cascade Veterinary Hospital to take the steps to manage or even correct the health problem before extensive damage is done. Cascade Veterinary Hospital offers several forms of wellness programs appropriate for young animals, adult animals and geriatric animals.
Young Pets
When pets first come into our lives, they have unique health and wellness needs that will be met at Cascade Veterinary Hospital. Vaccines must be administered not only for the life and health of your pet, but also to insure your pet is compliant with local law. Our doctors recommend spaying or neutering all pets not used for breeding purposes. Not only do these procedures prevent unwanted puppy or kitten litters, they also provide numerous health benefits as your pet ages. Heartworm prevention in puppies is crucial for their long-term health. Intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks can all be prevented using products available at Cascade. We also recommend microchipping all pets to greatly increase the likelihood they will be reunited with you should they wander away from home. Other considerations for young pets include nutritional and dental counseling so your pet is getting off on the right foot in their young lives. Finally, blood work can also be measured in puppies and kittens so our doctors have a baseline of your pet's health that they can compare to blood testing when your pet is older.
Junior and Adult Pets
As our dogs and cats begin to reach adulthood, their requirements begin to change as well. Maintaining vaccines, heartworm prevention, intestinal parasite prevention, and flea and tick prevention continues to be an important part of the wellness protocol at Cascade Veterinary Hospital. Other health matters, such as yearly dental cleanings, become more important for adult dogs and cats. It is not uncommon for pets as young as one year of age to begin to experience dental issues. Approximately 80% of pets over the age of three have some form of
periodontal disease, so it is best for your pet to get started on the road to oral health as soon as possible. Blood work continues to be a crucial part of maintaining the health of adult animals, as these values can help our doctors discover possible issues prior to the onset of disease.
Senior Wellness
The doctors at Cascade Veterinary Hospital have a plan for senior animals as well. Large-breed dogs may be considered senior at the age of five (5), while average-sized breeds are generally considered senior at the age of seven (7). It is important to bring an older animal to the veterinarians at Cascade more frequently, just as older people see their doctor more often. Blood work becomes the cornerstone of disease diagnosis and prevention, as the tests can discover and track early onset of issues facing older pets.
Contact the caring staff at Cascade to schedule a wellness visit for your pet. Regardless of the life-stage of your pet, our experienced veterinarians are ready to care for your pets, just as they care for their own!