Wellness Care
Preventive care is one of the most important things you prioritize when it comes to your pet’s health. Routine wellness exams give your veterinary team a chance to monitor your pet for early signs of common health conditions. The sooner we can catch a potential problem, the more likely we can successfully treat and manage it.
How Often Do Pets Need Wellness Visits?
Healthy adults should receive a wellness visit once a year. Puppies, kittens, and senior pets may need additional visits to monitor their health.
Ideally, wellness exams begin when your pet is just weeks old. Puppies and kittens should receive routine vaccinations beginning at 6–8 weeks of age, and continuing throughout the first months of life. These routine vaccines are a key part of wellness for pets.
Most pets can benefit from annual or semi-annual boosters, too. With a yearly wellness visit, your veterinarian can make sure your pet gets the immunizations he needs for ideal health.
As your pet ages, bi-yearly visits can help your veterinary team get ahead of common conditions like arthritis and cancer.
What’s Included in a Wellness Visit?
Along with routine immunizations, wellness visits are the perfect time for your veterinarian to give your pet a nose-to-tail examination. Your vet will also order blood work to keep an eye on your pet’s overall health, detect underlying medical conditions, and monitor organ function.
Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is another key part of our wellness visits at Broadway Oaks Animal Hospital. Heartworm and fleas are very common here in Texas, and staying on top of preventive care year-round is crucial for your pet’s health.
Wellness visits are an ideal time to get your pet microchipped. Microchipping is a simple, permanent form of identification for pets. We insert a small chip under the skin and register it with your contact information.
If your pet gets lost, a veterinarian or shelter can scan the microchip and contact you, leading to a quick reunion with your beloved pet.
We also offer international microchips, which is important for pets who travel abroad.
Health Certificates
If you do any traveling with your pet, you’re likely to stumble into a requirement for a health certificate. This is especially true if you plan to fly with your pet or cross international borders. These certificates can have varying requirements, but usually they require you to provide proof of your pet’s health and vaccination status.
Our veterinarians can work with you and your pet to provide a health certificate that meets your travel requirements.
Keep in mind that the health certificate process can be complex. You must get the certificate signed within a specific timeframe, for example—there’s not a lot of room (if any) for last-minute scrambling.
As soon as you know you’re traveling on an airplane or internationally with your pet, reach out to our team. We can guide you through the process so you can focus on what’s important—enjoying time with your furry family member.
Preventive Care for San Antonio’s Pets
Contact us today to schedule a preventive visit or health certificate appointment for your pet.