Canine Preventative Care

Wellness exams keep your dog as healthy as possible!

A regular wellness exam by one of our veterinarians, combined with a thorough history, can often detect potential health problems before they become apparent to a dog’s family. Identifying conditions early enables us to minimize suffering and prolong a healthy life. To protect your dog you need to be proactive and take specific actions to prevent disease and to detect it early.

The Value of Regular Wellness Exams

Wellness exams twice a year [or more often, depending upon your pet’s medical needs] are the best step to keeping your dog as healthy as possible – along with your vigilant observations at home. Bringing your dog in for regular wellness exams is the very best you can do to assure longer life and the highest quality of life for your dog.

The wellness exam is an opportunity for you to discuss any concerns you have about your dog’s health with one of our veterinary professionals. Topics ranging from nutrition, allergies, and bad breath, to mobility issues, risk of infections and any lifestyle and age related changes, are all important for your dog’s health, and our veterinarians’ expertise is at your disposal.

Our Wellness Exams are Comprehensive

During your dog’s wellness exam, our veterinarians will:

Obtain a medical history
Check vitals and record your dog’s weight
Perform a complete physical examination, discuss any findings and make recommendations
Perform a dental Evaluation. Dental care is very important for your dog’s overall health, especially as he gets older. We visually examine your pet’s teeth and gums for plaque and tartar, tooth weakness and decay. This screening often detects mouth pain and infections that can affect your pet’s heart, kidneys and liver. Click here to read more about the dental care offered at Portsmouth Veterinary Clinic
May screen your dog for cancer, kidney, liver and heart disease
Discuss nutritional advice with you

In addition, your dog will receive:

Protection from infectious diseases through judicious use of vaccines (for more information on vaccines, please view our vaccinations page)
Screening for the presence of parasites in blood and stool
Protection from fleas and ticks and the diseases they transmit
Heartworm Prevention. Heartworm disease is a serious disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes and if left untreated can be fatal. It is virtually preventable through prescription medication. We recommend your dog be on all-year around heartworm prevention starting at your puppy’s first visit. Your dog will need to be tested with a simple blood test for heartworm disease on an annual basis. Please visit our FAQ’s page for more information on heartworm and why the annual blood test is necessary.
Administration of safe medications to eradicate parasites if needed

We Tailor Vaccines to the Needs of Each Dog

Vaccinating your dog keeps your dog healthy by preventing serious diseases. At Portsmouth Veterinary Clinic, vaccines are individually tailored for each dog. Dogs have different lifestyles and needs and each dog is given individual attention and consideration at vaccination time. We will take into consideration your pet’s age and lifestyle, such as exposure to the outdoors, travel plans, boarding plans, breed, health status and immune competence. These factors may change over time, so we will review your dog’s vaccination plan with you at each wellness exam. Discuss with us what you have planned for your dog’s life in the months ahead and what has happened in the past. Information about vaccination reactions in the past is of critical importance for your dog’s safety during future vaccinations, so be sure to discuss your dog’s vaccination history with us. Rabies vaccine is required by state law for all dogs. For more information about rabies, please see these articles:

Please call us today to schedule a visit with one of our veterinarians so that together we may assess and discuss your pet’s health in detail.