Preventative Care

Examinations

Routine wellness exams support a lifetime of health. A nose-to-tail physical exam gives our clinical team a first-look at your pet’s overall health status and allows us to identify underlying signs of illness during early stages, when they are most treatable. During your pet’s wellness exam, we will:

• Look at the eyes, ears, and mouth
• Check the teeth and gums
• Listen to the heart and lungs
• Palpate the abdomen, joints, muscles, and lymph nodes
• Feel for abnormal growths
• Check the skin
• Check weight

Our top goal is to keep your pet healthy. The wellness exam is our best tool in maximizing your pet’s overall wellbeing, which is why our clinical team recommends all pets under our care visit us annually or semi-annually for a comprehensive check-up. Even if your pet appears healthy, it’s important to keep up with routine wellness exams by an experienced veterinary professional. If your pet is sick or a senior, more frequent visits may be encouraged.

A comprehensive wellness exam is not complete without blood work and a fecal sample. A physical exam is the first step, but not everything can be seen with the naked eye alone. Blood work and a fecal sample allows us to understand what’s going on inside your pet’s body, too. All of this gives our clinical team an opportunity to establish a baseline of health.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations play a key role in protecting your pet against disease and illness. Core vaccines are required for all pets, while non-core vaccines are determined based on your pet’s age, lifestyle, health status, and risk of exposure. Our aim is to provide your pet with protection, while avoiding over-vaccination.

Core Vaccines

• Canine: Rabies, DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza), & Lyme
• Feline: Rabies and FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia)

Non-Core Vaccines

• Canine: Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Canine Influenza
• Feline: FeLV

Rabies vaccination is required by law in the state of Wisconsin.

If your pet is lethargic a day or two after receiving vaccinations, this may be normal and does not necessarily call for further treatment. However, if your pet shows serious adverse reactions like pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammation, or anaphylaxis, seek urgent care immediately.

Parasite Control

Parasites, like fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites, are nearly always present in the environment. Annual fecal exams and year-round parasite control is an easy two-step method to protect your pet against parasites and the dangerous conditions they cause.

Our clinical team will help you choose the best preventative product for your pet based on lifestyle, risk of exposure, and unique preventative needs. Parasite prevention comes in a variety of forms including pills, topical treatments, and tasty chewable tablets.

Some conditions are zoonotic and can be passed from pets to people, which means proper parasite prevention protects your human family as well. Children have the highest rates of infection due to lack of hygiene after playtime. Infection in humans can range from mild dermatitis to severe illness. To prevent exposure, wash your hands frequently after interacting with animals, wear gloves when handling pet waste, and pick up and dispose of pet waste properly and promptly.

Fleas

• Cause allergies, Bartonella, tapeworms, and skin irritation
• In severe cases, fleas can lead to anemia and even death
• Present year round, especially in late summer and fall
• Can produce up to 50 eggs a day, which is why controlling infestation is critical

Ticks

• High prevalence in our area
• Transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, tick paralysis, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and more.
• Highly prevalent in grassy, wooded areas
• Check your pet for ticks after spending time outside

Heartworm

• Transmitted by mosquitos
• Leads to irreversible organ damage
• Symptoms may be minimal until advanced disease progression
• Common symptoms include coughing, labored breathing, fatigue, and weight loss
• Fatal if left untreated
• Dogs are natural hosts, but cats can still be infected and diagnosis is more difficult

Intestinal Parasites

• Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms are common intestinal parasites
• Puppies and kittens are most at risk because their immune systems are not fully developed
• Human can be infected too
• Deworming medication is provided for pets that test positive for intestinal parasites

Microchipping

We highly recommend all of our clients have their pets microchipped. Your pet is a priceless addition to your family. We want to help make sure they stay safe with you.

At Superior Animal Hospital, we trust HomeAgain. This is an effective and dependable pet recovery service that prides itself on giving pets the best chance at returning home to the families who love them. To date, HomeAgain has reunited over 2 million pets with their families!

Annual enrollment includes HomeAgain national pet recovery database, 24/7 lost pet specialists, rapid lost pet alerts, 24/7 emergency medical hotline, and travel assistance for found pets.

This permanent identification is completely unique to your special pet and will be scanned for your contact information should your pet be found and taken to an animal shelter or pet hospital. For this reason, it’s imperative that you ensure that your contact information is always up to date. For the most complete protection, tags and collars are always recommended, in addition to microchips.

To learn more, visit www.homeagain.com or call 1-888-HOMEAGAIN (1-888-466-3242). Customer service representatives are ready to answer any questions you may have 24/7.

Nutrition & Weight Management

A nutritious diet and regular physical activity support ongoing wellness in pets. Serious health concerns like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, and bladder and kidney stones can be avoided by simply meeting your pet’s dietary requirements.

As a pet owner, you have complete control over what your pet eats. It’s important to understand what to feed your pet, how much to feed your pet, and how to decipher pet food labels. Your pet’s veterinarian will make specific dietary recommendations based on your pet’s current body weight, ideal body weight, age, and health status. If you have any questions about your pet’s nutritional needs, let us know!

Here a few helpful tips we recommend for all pet owners:

• Always use a measuring cup. Portion control prevents obesity!
• Check the first five ingredients on pet food labels. If any preservatives, fillers, or artificial colors are listed first, the food’s nutritional quality is likely low.
• Avoid sharing human food to prevent accidental sickness or toxicity.

Behavior Counseling

Undesirable behaviors can be frustrating, and if left untreated will negatively impact the special bond you share with your pet. At Superior Animal Hospital, we are able to offer solutions for inappropriate litter box use, excessive barking, separation anxiety, inappropriate chewing, and more.

Undesirable behaviors are sometimes a pet’s way of telling you something isn’t right. When assessing your pet’s behavior, the first step is to perform a comprehensive physical exam to rule out any potential underlying health issues. In most cases, treating the medical concern will resolve the undesirable behavior, too. Common examples include:

• Litter box issues may signify bladder stones, urinary tract infection, or kidney disease.
• Excessive barking or destructive behaviors may signify separation anxiety.

If your pet is acting out and the behavior is not medically related, we can refer you to an animal behavior specialist.