Call or text us at  434.295.VETS  (8387)

2125 Ivy Road,  Charlottesville, VA

Pet Wellness Services

Why Is Regular Wellness Care for My Pet
So Important?

Prevention is the key to your pet's long- term health. The veterinarians and medical team at Animal Hospital of Ivy Square recommend that your pet receives a complete wellness examination once per year as a young adult, and twice per year as an older patient.

Regular examinations are our chance to assess your pet's overall health, discuss any changes we see, educate and update you on advancements in medical care and for you to discuss any concerns or questions. If a health problem or issue can be detected in its early stages, there is a far greater likelihood it can be resolved and treated with less difficulty, less expense and greater success.

Wellness for Every Age and Stage

When you bring your pet to Animal Hospital of Ivy Square, we work with you to create a lifetime preventive health care plan based on your pet's breed, lifestyle, age and risk factors.

Due to the many recent discoveries and innovations in veterinary medicine, your pet can be protected against many infectious diseases. Vaccinations and preventative diagnostic tests are important for keeping pets healthy and free from disease. Your veterinarian will determine a vaccination protocol based on your pet's lifestyle, susceptibility to disease, our geographic location, and the most current recommendations from the American Animal Hospital Association Vaccine Guidelines. Our shared goal to is to maintain your pet’s optimal health.

Feline Life Stage Health Care Recommendations

(Click for downloadable PDF)

Kitten (<6 months) Core Wellness Full physical exam every 3-4 weeks from 6-8 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Felv/FIV test at first visit and then repeated 60 days later. Fecal parasite test each visit until two samples show no parasites. Deworm every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks. FVRCP at 8, 12, 16 weeks, or every 3-4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age. Rabies at 16 weeks. Felv vaccine at 12 and 16 weeks. Heartworm prevention year round in all cats. Indoor cats are also at risk for heartworm disease. Flea/tick control year round. Begin at 8 weeks of age. Feed a high quality kitten formula, wet and dry food diet Special Procedures Spay/Neuter at 5 months of age. Preanesthetic blood work, with Felv/Fiv test if needed. Microchip with Home Again at time of spay or neuter, or earlier if desired. Begin adult diet at 1 year of age.

Adult Cat (1 – 7 years) Core Wellness Comprehensive physical examination yearly. Purvax Rabies 3 year vaccine. FVRCP vaccine boosted after first year, then every three years. FeLV vaccine every 1 to 3 years, depending on risk of exposure (outdoors or exposure to FeLV positive, or unknown cats). If no risk of exposure boost FeLV 1 year from initial vaccines and discontinue immunization. FeLV/FIV test yearly if outdoors or at risk of exposure. Fecal test and purge deworming yearly. Heartworm, flea/tick prevention year round. Special Procedures Junior Health Screen blood work every year – CBC, Chemistry with heartworm test. Dental cleaning as needed and dental health checks annually.

Senior Cats (8+ years) Core Wellness Full physical exam every 6 months. Monitor weight changes, arthritis signs, changes in thirst, urination. Discuss age related diet changes, e.g. senior diet. Modify vaccine schedule for age and lifestyle. Rabies Purevax every 3 years. FVRCP every 3 years. FeLV vaccine every 1-3 years depending on risk of exposure. FeLV/FIV test yearly if at risk of exposure. Fecal Test and purge deworming yearly. Heartworm, flea/tick prevention year round. Special Procedures Senior Health Screen yearly (CBC, chemistry, electrolytes, thyroid, urinalysis) Blood pressure measurement yearly is optional. Screening thoracic and abdominal radiographs is optional. Dental exam at each visit, anesthetic cleaning as needed. Heartworm test yearly.

Canine Life Stage Health Care Recommendations

(Click for downloadable PDF)

Puppies (<1 year) Core Wellness Physical exam every 3-4 weeks from 6-8 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Fecal Parasite Evaluation at each visit until 2 specimens show no parasites. Deworming every 3-4 weeks until at least 16 weeks. DAPP vaccine every 3-4 weeks from 6-8 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Lepto 4-way Vaccine at 10-12 weeks and again at 14-16 weeks. Consider waiting until after 16 weeks for miniature and small breed dogs. Lyme Vaccine at 10-12 weeks and again at 14-16 weeks for patients at risk. Consider waiting until after 16 weeks for miniature and small breed dogs. Bordatella Intranasal vaccine at 6-10 weeks. Boost every 6-12 months, depending on risk of social interaction. Influenza vaccine, optional, often started 2-3 weeks after 16week vaccines are done. Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks. Heartworm prevention monthly year round. Flea/tick control year round. Special Procedures Spay/Neuter at 6 months of age for most dogs (all small and medium breeds and large breed females). We can discuss the pros and cons of spay/neuter timing during your puppy visits. Large Breed Males neuter at 10-12 months. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork, with first heartworm test. Microchip: Home Again at any time, recommended at spay or neuter. Feed Large Breed Puppy formula to dogs who will weigh over 50# as an adult, until 10-18 months of age (the larger the dog, the longer they should stay on puppy food). Work diligently to prevent obesity during growth, as this can have a significant damaging effect on the growing skeletal system.

Adult Dog (1 – 7 years) Core Wellness Comprehensive physical examination yearly. Formulate appropriate vaccine schedule for life style. Discuss dental care. Rabies vaccine 1 year from initial vaccination, then every 3 years for life. DAPP vaccine 1 year from initial series, then every 3 years for life. Leptospirosis Vaccine yearly depending upon risk factors. Lyme Vaccine yearly for pets at risk. Bordetella vaccine intranasal every 6-12 months, depending on social risk factors. Influenza Vaccine yearly for pets at risk (highly social / traveling such as show dogs, agility trial or dock diving, etc. or frequent boarding, dog day care or parks. Heartworm and Tick Parasite screen yearly. Fecal Parasite Evaluation + purge deworming yearly. Continue heartworm, flea, tick and intestinal parasite prevention year round. Special Procedures Junior wellness screening labwork every year – CBC, Chemistry. Dental cleaning as needed. Giant Breeds move to Senior Care at 5 years of age.

Senior Dog (> 7 years) Core Wellness Full physical exam every 6 months. Monitor for weight changes, appetite loss, excess thirst. Discuss age related diet changes appropriate for age and lifestyle. Discuss dental care. Discuss ongoing health problems. Discuss arthritis and pain management. Rabies vaccine every 3 years. DAPP vaccine every 3 years. Distemper and Parvo vaccine titer yearly is offered as an alternative. Lepto vaccine yearly if at risk of exposure. Lyme vaccine yearly for pets at risk. Bordatella vaccine intranasal every 6-12 months. Influenza Vaccine yearly for pets at risk. Heartworm and Tick Parasite Screen yearly. Fecal Parasite Evaluation + purge deworming yearly. Continue heartworm, flea, tick and intestinal parasite prevention year round. Special Procedures Full Senior Health Screen yearly (CBC, chemistry, electrolytes, urinalysis, and Thyroid level). Antibody titer instead of DAPP vaccine is optional. Thoracic and abdominal radiographs yearly. Electrocardiogram yearly is optional. Dental cleaning as needed. Glaucoma check at time of physical examination. Abdominal Ultrasound is recommended for breeds at risk for Splenic and other Neoplasia (e.g. Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds, and others) and is optional.

At your first visit with your new puppy or kitten, you will also receive a special welcome kit. This kit is filled with valuable health care and behavior training information about your newest family member. Each kit also includes a free month of heartworm and flea prevention.

During each examination throughout your pet's life, we remain committed to listening to your concerns, answering your questions, and keeping you up-to-date on all the information you need to be the best caregiver to your pet. Good communication between you and your pet's doctor is an important way to ensure your beloved companion is receiving the care and attention needed for a long, healthy life.

Your Pet's Golden Years at Home

As for your senior pet, there's an important role for you to play as your pet's primary caregiver. While you cannot control age-related decline, you can influence your pet's activity level, living conditions, access to quality senior veterinary care, and daily nutrition. Following these helpful tips will help preserve your pet's quality of life:

The best time to begin your pet's senior care program and recognize the need for a little extra TLC is well before age-related conditions begin to set in. We can make sure you and your faithful companion enjoy many more happy and healthy years together.

Parasite Prevention

Fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance; they carry diseases dangerous to both you and your pet.

Prevalent tick-borne diseases in Charlottesville include Lyme Disease and Ehrlichiosis, which can be significant threats to you and your dog, especially during the warmer months of the year. Ticks and tick eggs live in the grass and weeds. Check and brush your dog after being outside, especially in grassy or brushy areas. If a tick is attached to your dog's skin, remove it carefully with tweezers and wash the affected bite area and your hands afterward.

Fleas are most abundant during the warm weather; however, if left untreated, they can be a problem year-round. In fact, flea infestation is one of the most common medical problems veterinarians see. Your pet can be allergic to fleas, and just one bite can result in a severely painful skin infection. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases such as bartonellosis (the bacteria that causes “cat scratch disease” in people), and parasites like tapeworms.

The best course of action to protect your pet and yourself from fleas, ticks, and the potential of tick-borne disease is prevention. The latest flea and tick control products are available at our hospital. Your veterinarian can help you choose the correct preventive regimen based on your pet's exposure risks, home environment and health status.

For your convenience, we also provide home delivery of these products on a one-time or reoccurring basis. You can also purchase individual doses of Heartworm and flea and tick preventative medications to ensure your pet is never without protection.

Protecting Your Pet from Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It affects dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats. Although Heartworm disease is most common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the Gulf of Mexico to New Jersey and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries, today it is found almost everywhere in the continental United States.

To best protect your pet's health, our veterinarians recommend heartworm preventives despite the infrequency of the disease in our area. The same medicine the prevents Heartworms from developing also kills and prevents other types of intestinal worms that can infect your dog or cat. For dogs, a once-a-month Heartworm preventive can be given as a chewable treat. Cats are protected by applying a drop of heartworm prevention liquid to the skin once a month.

If you would like more information about the veterinary wellness services Animal Hospital of Ivy Square offers for your pet or to schedule an appointment at our animal hospital in Charlottesville, please call our office at (434) 295-8387 (VETS).