Preventative Care

Annual Examination

State law requires that a licensed veterinarian perform a physical exam on your animal before any kind of prescription medication or food can be prescribed, including most prescription flea and tick medications. Even if your pet doesn’t need any medication, we recommend that your pet get a thorough physical examination annually. Our veterinarian will check your pet’s heart, lung sounds, ears, eyes, mouth, palpate its abdomen and joints and can address your concerns. Annual exams identify problems before they progress to disease. For more information on wellness exams, click here.

Dental Care

Just as with people, dental care is an important part of your pet’s overall health. Pets get periodontal disease, which occurs when food builds up on your pet’s teeth then hardens into plaque and calculus. Periodontal disease causes your pet’s teeth to become loose or rotten. It causes bad breath, and the bacterial buildup in the mouth can be transferred to vital organs. Our veterinarian will examine your pet’s mouth during its yearly examination and may recommend a dental cleaning. For more information on what the dental cleaning entails, click here. To prevent dental disease, we recommend cleaning your pet’s teeth with a toothbrush, feeding hard food rather than soft, and feeding your pet dental treats like Greenies.

Laboratory Work

As pets age, we recommend that we analyze blood profiles on them. It is important to have a baseline when your pet is healthy, so if he or she becomes ill, we can see what has changed. We also recommend that we check for heartworm disease, lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases yearly.

Microchipping

A microchip is a small, electronic device that is implanted into your pet. Each microchip has its own specific identification number. Should your pet end up at a humane society, shelter or veterinary clinic, the device can be scanned and the number can be used to locate and contact you. For more information on microchips, click here.

Parasite Control

Parasites are not only a nuisance for your pet, but they can cause an array of medical problems, illnesses, and in some cases, even death. The major parasites that we see are fleas, ticks, roundworms and tapeworms. Less common parasites include hookworms, whipworms, heartworm, mites, lice, and protozoans like giardia and coccidia. Luckily, most of these parasites can be prevented using monthly or semi-monthly oral or topical treatments.

We recommend that puppies and kittens that are new to your family have their stool tested for internal parasites. If your pet is having diarrhea, we also recommend bringing in a sample to have it checked for roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and other ova and parasites. Some parasites that your pets carry are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transferred to people. It is especially important that your pet’s stool is checked at least annually for parasites.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are vital to keeping your pet healthy. Vaccines help prevent pets from contracting certain viruses or infections. After their initial vaccinations, puppies and kittens will come back every 3-4 weeks for vaccine boosters to ensure that they have adequate immunity. After the initial series, vaccines are boosted yearly. The rabies vaccine is required by Maine State Law for every dog and cat over 12 weeks of age. The first rabies vaccine is good for one year. After the initial rabies is given, a 3-year vaccine can be given as long as there is proof of vaccination.

Canine Vaccinations Offered:

• Rabies

• Distemper (parainfluenza, parvovirus, adenovirus, distemper virus & leptospirosis)

• Lyme

• Leptospirosis

• Bordetella (kennel cough)

Feline Vaccinations Offered:

• Rabies

• Distemper (chlamydia, calicivirus, panleukopenia & rhinotracheitis)

• Leukemia

Ferret Vaccinations Offered:

• Rabies

• Distemper