Premier Veterinary Care tailors dog annual wellness visits to the both the lifestyle and life stage of your dog. Asking pet parents about life style enables us to make immunization recommendations specific to one particular dog based on risk assessment for given infectious disease that dogs may be exposed to.
For every vaccine that is recommended, Premier Veterinary Care follows protocols set by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), two essential veterinary medical governing bodies that conduct ongoing research into optimizing the efficacy and safety of dog vaccines.
For life stage, the immunization frequency and recommended health screening will evolve from puppy to adult dog to senior dog. While life stage provides us base guidelines, overall health condition at any life stage may prompt your veterinarian to make recommendations that differ from the status quo. This is why a THOROUGH PHYSICAL EXAMINATION by a licensed veterinarian is INTEGRAL to wellness care at all life stages.
For more in depth information on vaccines, please visit our Pet Vaccinations page.
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Puppy Wellness
Puppy wellness visits generally begin at 8 weeks of age, since puppy litters ideally should not be separated from their mom until this time. The first puppy wellness visit is one of the most important visits of the new puppy’s life. Your admitting technician will begin by taking a medical history by asking you a series of questions and then weigh your puppy. Your veterinarian will conduct a thorough nose to tail physical examination to determine if there are concerning health health issues such as cleft palate or hernias, as well as evidence any congenital diseases present such as heart murmur and hip dysplasia.
Puppies commonly have GI worms, so your puppy will likely receive a dose of deworming medication. But, don’t forget to bring us some puppy poop for his/her first visit a screening because not all GI parasites are worms! Your puppy will receive his/her first immunizations per the guidelines and protocols set by the American Veterinary Medical Veterinary Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). We will also start your puppy on heartworm, flea and tick preventative medication, usually offering a complementary first dose (depending on weight and availability)
There will be a total of three puppy visits generally at 8, 11, and 14 weeks of age. Vaccines and vaccine boosters will be spread out among the three visits, and your veterinarian will perform an examination each time to make certain there are no developmental or health issues during this delicate life stage. Since puppies commonly re-infect with GI parasites, we will ask you to bring us some more poop at the last visit for a second – and hopefully final – screening.
Spay and neuter recommendations are based on breed, size and gender. Your veterinarian will have this discussion with you and make timing recommendations to optimally toe that line between optimal physical development, cancer prevention, and maintaining a good future adult temperament.
Adult Dog Wellness
A dog is considered an adult between years 1-7. During these years, unless there are mitigating health circumstances, we recommend a yearly annual wellness visit. We cannot stress enough the importance of annual adult wellness visits! Our doctors do not just plug your dog with a bunch of shots and send you on your way!
Your admitting technician will begin by taking a medical history and weighing your dog, then draw a small blood sample for heartworm screening. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough nose to tail physical examination. Vaccines are not a one size fits all standard. Your veterinarian will make vaccine recommendations based on the lifestyle or your dog, medical history, results of physical examination, and geography (some infectious diseases are geography dependent).
During the adult years, at some point, your veterinarian may determine that it is time for your dog’s first dental cleaning. In that case, he/she may recommend some general blood work in preparation for the general anesthesia necessary to have the dental procedure performed.
Don’t forget to bring us poop for your dog’s wellness visit! GI parasites commonly do not present with symptoms, yet they still gradually gnaw away at an infected dog’s health over time. They can also present a health risk to the human family.
Senior Dog Wellness
At 8 years of age or older, your dog is technically a senior. The senior dog wellness visit is similar to the adult dog wellness visit. During these years, unless there are mitigating health circumstances, we recommend a yearly annual wellness visit. Senior dog wellness visits are even more important than the adult dog wellness visit, as veterinarians more commonly begin to discover the emergence of chronic disease during these years! Just as in our puppy and adult dog wellness visit, our doctors do not just plug your senior dog with a bunch of shots and send you on your way!
Your admitting technician will begin by taking a medical history and weighing your dog, then draw a blood sample for heartworm screening. Our technicians will draw a bit of extra blood in case you opt in for sending out general blood work for your dog. Yearly blood work is recommended at least yearly for senior aged dogs for early detection of disease.
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough nose to tail physical examination. Vaccines are not a one size fits all standard. Your veterinarian will make vaccine recommendations based on the lifestyle or your dog, medical history, results of physical examination, and geography (some infectious diseases are geography dependent).
Don’t forget to bring us poop for your dog’s wellness visit! GI parasites commonly do not present with symptoms, yet they still gradually gnaw away at an infected dog’s health over time. They can also present a health risk to the human family.