Recommended Wellness Care for Dogs

In order to keep your dog healthy, it is recommended that you bring your dog in for routine wellness care. Here, our South Plainfield vets discuss what the recommended wellness care is and some things to keep in mind while discussing your dog's needs.

Why is routine wellness care recommended even when my dog is healthy?

Our vets at Plainfield Animal Hospital believe that routine wellness care is the easiest and most effective way to keep your dog happy and give them their best possible chance at living a long and healthy life.

Routine wellness care can help to thwart canine diseases that are entirely preventable and most can be effectively treated and cured if detected early enough. However, if left untreated these diseases can progress and become expensive, as well as difficult or even impossible to treat. Therefore, we highly recommend that your dog receives routine wellness care to help protect them in the best way possible.

How often is wellness care for my dog recommended?

Our South Plainfield vets recommend that you bring your dog in once a year for routine wellness care.

However, if you have a puppy or geriatric dog, or one with a medical condition then it may be suggested that they receive routine wellness care more frequently.

What does wellness care consist of?

Our South Plainfield vets provide wellness care for your dog to ensure that they live a long and healthy life. This wellness care covers various areas of healthcare for your dog.

Your vet will collect and discuss any information that is relevant to the health of your dog as well as potentially request a stool sample to be used for diagnostic testing for parasites.

Wellness care for your dog will typically cover:

• Once or twice yearly routine physical examinations that could include the following areas:
  • Dental
  • Aural (ear)
  • Ocular (eye)
  • Musculoskeletal
  • Neurologic

  • Lymphatic
  • Urogenital
  • Abdominal
  • Heart and lungs
  • Dermatological (skin)
• Discussion and education on various nutrition, health, behavior, medical and surgical issues that may affect your dog.
• Ways that you can support weight loss, diet, dental care and behavior at home.
• Vaccinations, parasite prevention and other forms of preventive care for your dog.
• Discuss wellness plan options in order to make routine care more affordable.

Vaccinations for your dog

Vaccines are designed to protect your dog or cat against common, contagious, and potentially life-threatening diseases. The vaccines recommended for your dog or cat will be based on where you live and your pet's lifestyle. 

Core vaccines for dogs and cats are recommended for all pets, whereas lifestyle vaccines are most often recommended for pets that are regularly in contact with other animals.

Adult pets will need to be provided with vaccinations on a regular basis in order to maintain their protection against disease. In most cases, boosters are given annually or once every three years. Your vet will be sure to let you know when your dog or cat's booster shots are due.

Parasite prevention for your dog

Parasites are a real health threat to South Plainfield pets. Ticks and mosquitos carry parasites that can invade your pet's body and cause potentially fatal conditions, that's why your vet will recommend ways to prevent parasites from invading your four-legged friend.

You should also be aware that these parasites are capable of being transmitted from your pet to yourself and your family, so prevention is highly recommended in order to keep your family safe.

Parasite prevention can help to protect your pet from conditions such as:

The cost associated with wellness care

Compared to treating advanced forms of conditions, disorders or diseases, (especially heartworm) regularly scheduled wellness exams will save you money. 

Not only that, but they will make sure your pet experiences a minimal amount of discomfort or pain from any health issues they are experiencing. The sooner a medical issue is detected, the sooner it can be diagnosed and treated. 

At Plainfield Animal Hospital we offer a range of Pet Wellness Plans to help make routine care for your cat or dog more affordable. Wellness Plans bundle a full year's worth of routine care then divide the cost into 12 easy to handle payments

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.