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Mon – Fri: 7:30 AM – 6 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

(763) 544-4141
9200 49th Avenue N
New Hope MN 55428

Preventative Pet Care at our Animal Hospital

Did you know that a dog that is 20% overweight will have 50% more health problems?

Preventive health care is necessary to ensure your pet lives a long and problem-free life as possible. If we can catch problems early before they become serious, we have a better chance of alleviating them.

All animals should have an annual examination. Because animals age differently than people, their annual physical is comparable to you having a physical exam every five or six years.

Our animal hospital often recommend running routine laboratory screening as well to identify abnormalities before they appear clinically. It is especially important if your animal has ongoing health issues or is older because it gives us a chance to find and treat minor health problems before they become more serious.

Book an Annual Exam Every Year

Annual exams should be thorough: listening to the heart and lungs, checking eyes, ears, and teeth, palpating the body to make sure all the internal organs feel normal, and there are no worrisome lumps or bumps. Watching your pet’s weight is also very important. Did you know that a dog that is 20% overweight will have 50% more health problems and, on average, live two years less than a dog at a healthy weight? Discussing weight and diet is also an essential part of the annual examination.

After evaluating your pet’s health status, we can decide together on which vaccines may or may not be appropriate. Vaccines can be challenging to the body’s immune system, and we need to ensure it is in the best interest of your pet to receive vaccines. We can determine this by evaluating your pet’s age, health status, and risk of exposure to dangerous diseases.

Your pet also depends on you to monitor their health at home. Home dental care is another critical health concern for many animals. Clinical signs of health problems in your pet are often subtle. As the guardian of your pet, you are often the first one to notice abnormalities. That is why client education is a priority for our staff. The more you know, the better the health of your pet will be.

 

Heartworm Testing Update

Due to the ever increasing incidence of tick-borne diseases in Minnesota and especially in the Twin Cities, our doctors have decided it is in the best interest of our patients to monitor for potential tick related problems.

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Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis are known as tick-borne diseases because they are transmitted when ticks bite and feed. Dogs that are exposed to Lyme disease, may or may not show clinical signs of illness.

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Feline Nutrition

Cats are true carnivores. They need the nutrients of animal tissues. Their digestive systems are not equipped to process carbohydrates as efficiently as dogs and people.  This can lead to obesity and other problems.

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