Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix highly encourages proactive care for dogs and cats. Read more details for both dogs and cats below.

The Proactive Approach to Canine Veterinary Care

Preventative care is a dog’s first line of defense. Annual exams help by preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease in its early stages, often before any noticeable symptoms begin. The earlier the treatment starts, the more effective it is in keeping your pet from unnecessary pain and suffering.

Preventive Health Measures for Dogs

  • Annual Veterinary Exams: Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix’s comprehensive annual exams evaluate temperature, skin and coat, ear and hearing acuity, lung and chest, internal health, oral hygiene, eye, and visual responsiveness.
  • Vaccinations: Updated vaccinations and booster shots are a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like distemper, rabies, and parvo.
  • Dental Care: Oral health is an important part of your pet’s life; annual teeth cleanings are the best method to maintain and improve dental well-being.
  • Parasite Control: prevention and eradication is a simple and efficient process when anti-parasitic medication is used regularly.
  • Skin and Coat Care: Grooming and washing are fundamental aspects of proper pet hygiene. Skin and hair health prevents mange, matting, bacterial infections, and more.
  • Proper Nutrition: Proper nutrition supports all of your pet’s bodily processes, bolstering their immune system and ensuring normal development.
  • Behavioral Evaluation: Changes in mood or behavior are often symptoms of underlying medical conditions, identifying these shifts helps to identify and treat the root cause.
  • Exercise: Regular workouts support skeletal-muscular and cardiovascular health in dogs of all ages.

Care for Senior Dogs

Preventative care becomes more significant for aging dogs, Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix recommends increasing exams to twice a year for elderly animals. As pets get older they are prone to many age-related diseases that are increasingly difficult to diagnose and treat. Many preventive health measures must be adjusted to better suit the medical needs of senior animals.

The Proactive Approach to Feline Veterinary Care

Preventative care is a cat’s first line of defense. Annual exams help by preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease in its early stages, often before any noticeable symptoms begin. The earlier the treatment starts, the more effective it is in keeping your pet from unnecessary pain and suffering.

Preventive Health Measures for Cats

  • Annual Veterinary Exams: Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix’s comprehensive annual exams evaluate temperature, skin and coat, ear and hearing acuity, lung and chest, internal health, oral hygiene, and eye and visual responsiveness.
  • Vaccinations: Updated vaccinations and booster shots are a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like feline Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and rabies.
  • Dental Care: Oral health is an important part of your pet’s life; annual teeth cleanings are the best method to maintain and improve dental well-being.
  • Parasite Control: prevention and eradication is a simple and efficient process when anti-parasitic medication is used regularly.
  • Skin and Coat Care: Grooming and washing are fundamental aspects of proper pet hygiene. Skin and hair health prevents mange, matting, bacterial infections, and more.
  • Proper Nutrition: Proper nutrition supports all of your cat’s bodily processes, bolstering their immune system and ensuring normal development.
  • Behavioral Evaluation: Changes in mood or behavior are often symptoms of underlying medical conditions, identifying these shifts helps to identify and treat the root cause.
  • Exercise: Regular workouts support skeletal-muscular and cardiovascular health in cats of all ages.

Care for Senior Cats

Preventative care becomes more significant for aging cats, Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix recommends increasing exams to twice a year for elderly animals. As pets get older they are prone to many age-related diseases that are increasingly difficult to diagnose and treat. Many preventive health measures must be adjusted to better suit the medical needs of senior animals.

Parasites: Get rid of those pesky critters

Your pet is an easy target for parasites and small insects. Common parasites like ticks, fleas, and heartworm-carrying mosquitos feed on your pets, potentially infecting them with many dangerous diseases. Discover how these tiny pests can cause big problems.

  • Fleas: These bloodsucking insects feed on mammals and lay eggs in their fur. Fleas can transmit harmful parasites like Tapeworms and Bubonic Plague, as well as cause dermatitis and anemia. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day, making a flea infestation a substantial threat to your pet’s well-being. Flea infestations often spread throughout your home — living in your carpet and furniture and making them tough to eradicate.
  • Ticks: The most common tick in the Phoenix area is the Brown Dog Tick. They favor vertical surfaces such as fences, and walls, and also will attach to shrubbery. It is one of just a few tick species that live exclusively on the dog and also can propagate indoors. One adult engorged female tick can lay approx 2000 eggs so control can be difficult. The brown dog tick transmits Ehrlicia Canis which is a rickettsial organism similar to Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. It is a treatable disease but our goal is prevention. Although rare, animal-to-human transfer is possible, making the tick hazardous to you and your family. Special care should be taken to inspect your pet frequently.
  • Heartworm: Heartworm-carrying mosquitos represent a lethal danger to your pet. The mosquito’s bite transmits the heartworm larva to your animal, it then slowly develops over many months and makes its toward the heart. Once there it multiples within your pet’s pulmonary artery and right ventricle, leading to constricted blood flow, heart and lung disease, and major organ failure. There have been estimates of approximately 600 dogs/year acquiring heartworm disease here in the metro area. This is a very easy disease to prevent however treatment is difficult.

Parasite Prevention Plan

Regular use of anti-parasitic medication is a surefire way of keeping your pet free of nasty parasites. Consult with your Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix veterinarian to determine the best parasite control products for your pet.

Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix’s Parasite Prevention Plan includes:

  • Pet examination and testing
  • Parasite-control product consultation with an Animal Care Hospital of Phoenix veterinarian
  • Access to industry-best medicine and equipment

Schedule an appointment immediately if you suspect that your cat or dog may already be infected.