Preventative Health
Comprehensive Exam
Our experienced veterinarians perform a complete physical examination of your pet. We listen to your pet’s heart and lungs, evaluate his or her vision, check for unusual lumps, look at your pet’s teeth and oral cavity, and check your pet’s joints for swelling or stiffness. During the exam, we also discuss home health care options for your pet and answer any questions that you may have.
Your pet’s health is always our number one priority, which is why for most pets we recommend annual wellness exams to ensure that your animal companion remains in good health. If your pet is a senior–over seven for dogs, over nine for cats–we strongly suggest twice-yearly exams and blood screenings. That’s because pets age more rapidly than humans, meaning disease and illness develop faster as well.
Companion Animal Hospital & Boarding Center’s veterinarian-performed physical exams comprehensively assess every aspect of your pet’s health. Wellness exams typically include:
- Ear exam
- Eye exam
- Rectal exam
- Dental exam
- Skeletal exam
- Reproductive system exam
- Internal health evaluation
- Neurological evaluation
- Cardiovascular evaluation
- Nutrition consultation
- Behavior counseling
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are very important in preventing your pet from many life threatening diseases. We use the highest quality vaccinations to help keep your pet healthy.
Young animals are like kids–it’s a never-ending job to keep them safe and happy. Vaccinating your pet is a relatively inexpensive but very important way to protect his or her health. In addition to preventing many life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations can prevent diseases prevalent in wildlife and those that can be passed to humans. It’s important to administer vaccinations when pets are puppies and kittens because their young immune systems are still developing and need protection to stay healthy.
While any medical treatment involves some degree of risk, in the case of vaccinations, the benefits far outweigh any potential side effects. Adverse reactions are rare and usually mild and short-term when they do occur.
Which vaccines should your pet have? “Core” vaccines are those recommended—and possibly mandated by law—for most pets. Core vaccines include:
Canine:
- Rabies 1 and 3 year (under Florida law, rabies is required.)
- DHPP and DHLPP both 1 and 3 year
Feline:
- Rabies 1 and 3 year (under Florida law, rabies is required.)
- FVRCCP 1 and 3 year
Other non-core, but highly suggested vaccinations for dogs, bordetella and canine influenza shots are recommended if they frequent dog parks, boarding kennels, or any place where they’re socializing with other canines.
It’s also important to note that even pets who live primarily indoors should be vaccinated, as they can still be exposed to a
Annual Wellness Bloodwork
Annual bloodwork gives us a way to check your pet for ailments or abnormalities that can not be seen visually. Together, the physical exam and the wellness bloodwork provide a more complete view of your pet’s overall health.
Preventative Medications
We carry several preventative products to keep your pet healthy. A few examples of prevention that we carry are:
- Capstar
- Revolution (Feline and Puppy/kitten only)
- Bravecto (Feline and Canine)
- Heartgard
- Simparica Trio
- Nexgard
- Proheart 6 and Proheart 12
Rabies – Not a Disease of the Past
Help Your Pet Feel Better With Services From Companion Animal Hospital & Boarding Center
Take control of your pet’s health. To learn more about our services in Fort Walton Beach, Make An Appointment.
