Preventive Care for Dogs

Commit to a lifetime of health.

A Lifetime of Wellness

Here at Aspen Grove, we recommend a well-rounded wellness and preventative healthcare plan for your dog.

8 weeks old

Doctor’s Appointment

• Comprehensive Physical Exam
• Parvo/Distemper combo vaccination
• Dewormer
• Fecal Exam
• Life-Stage Nutrition & Diet Consultation

10 weeks old

Veterinary Technician Appointment

• Dewormer

12 weeks old

Veterinary Technician Appointment

• Vaccine Wellness Exam
• Parvo/Distemper booster
• Dewormer
• Discuss need for non-core vaccines
• Start monthly parasite prevention

16 weeks old

Doctor’s Appointment

• Comprehensive Physical Exam
• Parvo/Distemper booster
• 1 year Rabies vaccine
• Booster non-core vaccines if needed

6 months old

• Pre-surgical blood work

• Spay or Neuter

1 – 7 years old

• Annual Wellness Exams
• Vaccines as needed
• Annual Life-Stage Nutritional Consultation
• Professional dental cleanings as needed and recommended
• At-home dental care
• Monthly parasite prevention

8 years and older

• Senior exam twice a year
• Senior care and blood work as recommended
• Life-Stage Nutritional Consultation and diet change to support vital organs as needed
• Monthly parasite prevention

Yearly Wellness Exams

A yearly wellness exam is a hands-on assessment of your pet’s health status and one of the most important preventative health care measures you can do. This exam allows our team to find clues that may uncover diseases that are not always obvious. Clues to liver, kidney, heart problems, cancer, arthritis and dental issues may not become symptomatic until they are in advanced stages. Early detection and intervention is the cornerstone to the health and happiness of your pet.

Vaccinations

Vaccines are important because they help prevent some of the most deadly diseases in our pets, such as canine distemper, canine parvo virus, and of course rabies. Vaccinating our pets can also help to prevent disease in people. Zoonotic diseases (diseases shared between people and animals) are still very common in parts of the world. Vaccine availability and overall care of our pets has led to a huge decrease in the prevalence of these diseases. Some Zoonotic diseases include rabies, leptospirosis, anthrax and brucella.

Core Vaccines for Dogs

Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs because all dogs are at risk of contracting the disease, regardless of lifestyle or age.

• Rabies Vaccine
• Distemper/Parvo Combo Vaccine

Non-Core Vaccines for Dogs

Non-core vaccines are recommended based on lifestyle and risk factors of individual dogs. At Aspen Grove, we will not automatically vaccinate or send reminders to clients for non-core vaccines. Our doctors and staff will discuss your pet’s individual risk factors and lifestyle and make recommendations during your annual wellness visit.

• Bordatella

  (a.k.a Kennel Cough) Kennel Cough is highly contagious! This vaccine is recommended for dogs who go to dog parks, boarding, grooming, or are around other dogs. It is contracted anywhere dogs commune together. Bordatella is an airborne bacteria and dogs contract it like people contract colds.

• CIV

  (Canine Influenza Virus) CIV is highly contagious! This vaccine is recommended for dogs who go to dog parks, boarding, grooming, or are around other dogs. CIV is an airborne virus and dogs contract it like people contract colds.

• Leptospirosis

  (Lepto) Lepto is a bacteria found in stagnate or contaminated water. This vaccine is recommended for clients who take their dogs into the mountains (hiking, camping, etc) or who live by a drainage ditch or lake.

• Rattlesnake 

  We only recommend Rattlesnake vaccine if a dog is at “imminent risk.” The rattlesnake vaccine is a fairly new vaccine and is supposed to counteract the affects of venom in the blood. However, if your dog gets bit, they still need to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Vaccines for dogs that we do not recommend

• Giardia 

  Giardia vaccine is only about 28% effective. It’s one of the least effective vaccines on the market.

• Corona

• Corona virus presents like parvo but is a “self-limiting virus,” which means that a puppy might be sick for a few days but gets well on its own or with little intervention to manage the symptoms.

Parasite Prevention

Internal and external parasites are a common cause of disease. They can be a burden to pet’s system by sucking blood, invading vital organs, and transmitting many deadly diseases. A parasite prevention program may include products such as Frontline and Heartgard.

Heartworms are parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. The larval stage of the heartworm is deposited in the skin during a blood meal. These larvae will then migrate to blood vessels and then to the right heart and pulmonary (lung) arteries where it will develop into an adult. The life cycle is complete when male and female worms produce microfilaria, or baby worms.

The adults living in the lungs create a physical and inflammatory pressure that the heart must pump against. This added work leads to early-age heart failure. The body also reacts systemically to the presence of the worms leading to other organ failure, especially the kidneys.

This life-threatening parasite is easily prevented with a multitude of medications. The most common are monthly chewable treats such as Heartgard. If given on a regular basis these extremely safe products will keep your pet from contracting heartworms as well as other intestinal parasites such as round worms and hook worms.

While preventatives are safe, it’s best to test for heartworms before starting prevention. Learn more about Heartworms and other parasite prevention.

To schedule your dog’s annual exam, call us at (970) 416-0232 or request an dog exam appointment online.