Wellness Care for Dogs

Just like you, we want your dog to live the longest, healthiest life possible. That starts with the basics:  quality food, enough exercise, good grooming, and yes, regular check-ups.

Annual exams are your pet’s first line of defense. Gardner Animal Hospital’s comprehensive annual exams include checking their overall health by taking their temperature, examining skin and coat, lung and cardiac function, internal health, oral hygiene, eyes, ears, and demeanor.

Vaccinations: Keeping your canine up to date on immunizations and booster shots is a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like distemper and rabies. Beyond those core vaccines, your pet’s age, lifestyle, and likely exposure to certain diseases will be evaluated before we recommend additional inoculations.

 Dental Care: Imagine what your teeth would be like if you never cleaned them. Well, the same thing is happening to your dog’s teeth without good oral care. We recommend annual dental cleanings and can show you tips for brushing your pet’s teeth, which can reduce the need for expensive extractions and more serious dental work down the line.

Parasite Control: Fleas, ticks, worms – preventing them in the first place is much easier and ultimately less expensive than getting rid of them after they’ve infested your pet. We recommend monitoring your pet and having them screened for internal parasites regularly, and we offer a variety of alternatives for flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.

Proper Nutrition: There’s so much confusion about what to feed dogs. Grain-free kibble? Home-cooked meals? Raw food diet? Proper nutrition is so important to your pet’s good health, and we can help you figure out what is best for your pet and your lifestyle.

Behavioral Evaluation: Changes in mood or behavior can often be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Swiftly addressing these shifts can help to identify and treat the root cause.

Skin and Coat Care: Grooming and washing are fundamental aspects of proper pet hygiene. Proper skin and hair care can prevent things like mange, matting, bacterial infections and more.

Exercise: Regular workouts support musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in dogs of all ages, as well as improve their overall mental well-being.

Senior Animals: At [Hospital/Clinic Name], we love elder pets! We also know that preventative care is even more significant for them. Dogs age much more rapidly than humans, so diseases and illness progress faster as well. We recommend twice-yearly exams and screenings for seniors to help prolong and improve the quality of their life.