Preventative Care

Preventative care includes the judicious use of core and non-core vaccinations, diagnostic testing such as parasite testing (heartworm, tick-borne, and gastrointestinal), and baseline monitoring using tests that are recommended based on your pet’s life stage. Core vaccinations are recommended for all dogs and cats irrespective of lifestyle and include canine distemper-adenovirus-parvovirus-parainfluenza vaccine, feline rhinotracheitits-calicivirus-panleukopenia vaccine, and the rabies vaccine. Non-core vaccinations are dependent on the pet’s risk of exposure, lifestyle, and geographic location. Recommendations for your pet’s vaccinations will be based on these factors.

Parasite testing includes heartworm testing with tick-borne disease testing (Lymes, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma), feline leukemia and FIV testing, as well as gastrointestinal parasitology testing. Heartworm testing is recommended annually and prior to changing heartworm prevention products. Parasitology testing is recommended at minimum annually and may be recommended more frequently depending on risk of exposure per the Companion Animal Parasitology Guidelines (www.capcvet.org). A number of parasites are zoonotic (transmissible to humans), so adequate parasite testing and treatment is important, particularly in the sub-tropical climate of SW Florida!