River Road Animal Hospital

So, you have a dog!

Why we have dogs is a multi-layered onion of a question.  Some would say for companionship, some would say for the unconditional love.  We know there are health benefits to having a dog: lower blood pressure, decreased stress, increased allergy tolerance.  People who have a dog tend to be healthier, happier and get more exercise.

All this being said: it's easy to see why it's sooo important to keep that fuzzy pooch healthy!  If he's not healthy, he can't keep you healthy. 

Here at River Road, we call our care "Wholistic."  Wholistic refers to the whole, a whole item or whole body of a person or thing. The word defines the consideration of the entire structure or makeup, which includes the body, mind and the spirit. 

What does wholisitc care mean for your dog?  It means looking at every part to achieve and maintain optimum health:  progressive preventative care, nutrition review and counseling, and behavior discussions.  To treat we use conventional medicine in concert with alternative management (such as supplements, laser, acupuncture, behavior modification) to create an integrated approach.

We recommend the following for adult dogs as baseline preventative care and wellness:

• Annual exam, nutrition and behavior review
• Spay or neuter
• Vaccinations as indicated by lifestyle 
• Year round heartworm prevention
• Year round flea and tick prevention 
• Annual wellness lab work
• (includes Heartworm/tick disease testing, fecal exam, CBC/chemistry)
• Specific breed testing as indicated
• For senior dogs (generally over 7 years, depending on the breed) we recommend twice annual exams (because so much can change in a short time) and more extensive lab work