Your Pet’s Wellness is Our First Priority
At Jenison Animal Hospital, we love to see your pets at all stages of their lives, and not just when they’re sick or injured. Let your veterinarian catch underlying issues before they become big problems. Most of all, these wellness checkups can actually be a fun and happy visit for your pets!
Wellness Consultations
Our first visit with you is to get to know you and your pet. We check in on your concerns and expectations, learn your pet’s lifestyle a little better, and verify core vaccines and overall pet health. We then build a wellness program that focuses on your pet’s individual needs. These programs are different depending on your pet’s breed, age, and overall health. We want to get to know you AND your pet, so you have the knowledge to best grow with your pet, and your pet doesn’t get used to seeing the veterinarian only when they’re sick.
The visits thereafter include wellness bloodwork to check for hidden issues that might be overlooked, a physical exam, and a chance for you to ask questions of Dr. Hilferty. Remember, a wellness check is preventive care: our goal is to be proactive, not reactive concerning your pet’s health.
The pet’s age is important to take into consideration when building these wellness programs. What should a patient expect from these checkups?
For puppies and kittens:
- Newborn checks every 3-4 weeks, for a total of 4 times to monitor weight, growth, and get their vaccines
- Answers to questions about pet’s chewing habits, feeding, behavior, and any other aspects of a newborn pet
- Spay/neuter options and administering pre-anesthetic bloodwork prior to the procedure
- Heartworm testing
For adult pets:
- Annual heartworm checks: bloodwork and tests
- Heartworm prevention care in the form of a Proheart injection
- Flea and Tick prevention options
- Check on changes in lifestyle for the pet
- Behavioral or diet issues that might have developed
- Adjust pet program to the pet’s changing needs
For senior pets:
- Goal is to check in on senior pets semi-annually
- Diagnostics check every six months
- Ultrasound check annually to see if abnormalities are developing
- Vaccine updates and changes
- Pain management options
Older pets are our specialty! We spend extra time looking for lumps, bumps, changes in diet, weight, eating, drinking, mobility, and more.
Whether you’re new to the area or not, have a young or established pet, we’d like to hear from you. Either request an appointment online, or call us at (616) 457-9200 so we can help your pet feel their best at any stage!