Preventive Care

Wellness Exams:

Prevention is the key, when it comes to keeping your pet healthy. A complete physical exam is recommended once yearly for our younger patients and twice yearly for those 7 years and older. Our pets age more rapidly than we do and tend to conceal their symptoms and discomfort. A yearly exam is equivalent to an exam every 5 -7 years for us.

At Lockridge Animal Hospital, we examine your pet form “head to tail”. The doctors auscult your pets’ heart and lungs carefully, palpate their lymph nodes and abdomen checking for enlarged organs or swellings.

The mouth and teeth are examined for periodontal disease or pain. Often, routine blood tests are performed to check for signs of diabetes, kidney disease, parasite infection (i.e. heartworms), lyme infection, and other potential problems. These exams are so helpful in establishing a baseline and also in recognizing problems before they become more serious or expensive to treat.

Vaccinations:

Many potentially fatal diseases are very preventable with the use of vaccinations. This area of medicine has evolved considerably over the last decade. There are newer and better vaccines for lyme disease, canine influenza and leptospirosis for instance. We tailor our vaccination protocols to meet the individual pets’ lifestyle, age and risk factors.

Microchipping:

Unfortunately, a collar and ID tag may not be enough to reunite you and your pet if your pet is lost. Microchipping is a very safe and inexpensive way to help ensure your pet’s safe return. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed beneath the skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip is encoded with a unique number that identifies your pet and contact information.

Most veterinarians and shelters have scanners that can read these numbers. The manufacturer then is able to access contact info through their database. At Lockridge Animal Hospital, we use the HOME AGAIN microchip. We also register your pet with the Home Again company to make it convenient for you.

Nutrition:

Nutrition plays an important role in your pets overall health. Food types, feeding schedules and quantities are all topics for discussion at your pet’s exam. Proper nutrition helps prevent obesity and can promote good oral and gastrointestional health. We also provide a full line of therapeutic diets for pets with special needs such as allergies, kidney disease or heart disease.

Geriatrics:

We love our older patients. We have many elderly patients that we have known and cared for since puppyhood or kittenhood. It is very gratifying to help and guide clients through all their pet’s stages of life. Our geriatric patients benefit from more frequent exams so that problems can be identified early. We pay particular attention to changes in weight, water consumption, stiffness and lack of mobility, and changes in behavior.

Our ability to manage and control many common conditions such as arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, hypertension and cognitive dysfunction (Alzheimers Disease) has greatly improved in recent years, allowing us to keep our older patients happy and comfortable.

Internal Medicine:

Internal medicine is the diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical diseases. This aspect of practice is a large part of what we do daily. The doctors at Lockridge Animal Hospital have been well trained and have many years of experience in dealing with complex internal medical conditions.

These include diseases such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, hormonal problems and gastrointestinal disorders. If recognized early, many of these conditions can be well controlled and managed.

Allergic Disorders:

Both environmental and food allergies are very common in both dogs and cats. Usually these allergies manifest as skin problems such as pruritis (itchiness), hair loss and inflammation of the skin. Dogs may chew their feet or scratch. Cats may over groom or pull their hair out. Ear infections are commonly linked to a primary allergy. Often, allergies are seasonal and associated with different pollens, grasses or molds.

Medications are often used to control symptoms. Allergy testing through specialized blood panels help diagnose the specific allergy and allow us to develop a hyposensitization program or "allergy shots". Food trials using novel proteins and carbohydrates such as venison and pea or a hydrolyzed (broken down) protein is utilized if we suspect food allergies.

Laser Therapy:

Laser therapy in pets is cutting edge, drug free, technology that has allowed the veterinary profession to improve the lives of countless animals. It has the potential to aid in pain management and shorten healing time. Lockridge Animal Hospital has recently acquired a "Companion Laser". This will be used to treat many acute and chronic problems in our patients such as arthritis, disc disease, dermatological conditions and more. Please call the office to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors to determine if this technology will benefit your pet.

Please visit Companion Therapy Laser for more information on this technology.