River Road Veterinary Hospital
Pet Wellness Care in Orrington, ME
Pet wellness is critical to keeping your pet healthy and happy. River Road Veterinary Hospital provides a variety of services to help.
Pet Wellness & Preventative Care
Preventative or general wellness care means a proactive approach to medicine. Ideally, problems are caught before they become more serious – and more expensive – and it frees you and your pet to spend your time doing what you really want to do: enjoy each other’s company and unconditional love.
At River Road Veterinary Hospital, we cherish the opportunity we have to nourish and care for pets throughout a lifetime. We pamper our puppy and kitten patients, adore our adults, and celebrate our seniors. And because we understand that needs change with age, we tailor our treatment plans to meet your pets best where they are on their journey.
Annual wellness checkups are a crucial part of preventative care. Our nose-to-tail exams give us a good picture of your pet’s overall health and alert us to any changes that might have occurred since their last visit.
We recommend a physical exam at least once per year for adult pets and then every six months for senior pets. If you’ve recently adopted or purchased a pet, then we advise you that you book an appointment for their first examination within the first few weeks of ownership. Younger animals are very vulnerable to illness and this will allow us to make sure they have the vaccinations they need, reassure you of their health, and give us a starting point for their medical records.
Your pet’s comprehensive physical examination will include some or all of the following:
- Temperature and weight
- Eyes, ears, and mouth
- Heart and lungs
- Abdomen and skin
- Bones and joints
- Teeth/Dental health
- Blood tests
Want to set an appointment for your pet’s wellness exam or talk to a member of our staff about purchasing a puppy or kitten package? Give us a call at (207) 825-2105 today!
Vaccinations
Sometimes having a pet is like having children—it can seem like a never-ending job to keep them healthy and happy. Vaccinating your pet is a relatively inexpensive but essential way to protect his or her health. In addition to preventing many life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations can prevent diseases prevalent in wildlife and those that can be passed to humans. It’s important to administer vaccinations when pets are puppies and kittens because their young immune systems are still developing and need protection to stay healthy.
While any medical treatment involves some degree of risk, in the case of vaccinations, the benefits far outweigh any potential side effects. Adverse reactions are rare and usually mild and short-term when they do occur.
Which vaccines should your pet have? “Core” vaccines are those recommended—and possibly mandated by law—for most pets. Core vaccines include:
- Rabies (dogs and cats)
- DA2PPV – Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus 2, Parvo and Parainfluenza (dogs)
- FVRCP – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (cats)
Other non-core, but highly suggested vaccinations for cats include FIV for feline immunodeficiency virus and FeLV to protect against feline leukemia. For dogs, bordetella and canine influenza shots are recommended if they frequent dog parks, boarding kennels, or any place where they’re socializing with other canines.
It’s also important to note that even pets who live primarily indoors should be vaccinated, as they can still be exposed to the disease. Your River Road veterinarian can advise you which vaccinations are required or recommended for your pet based on age, health, and lifestyle. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at (207) 825-2105.