Pet Wellness Care

The veterinarians and staff at Park Pet Hospital work closely together as a team. We are dedicated to providing excellent care at every stage of your pet's life by offering regular wellness exams, vaccinations, proper dental care, and screening for common diseases. This approach provides a much better chance of your pet living a long and happy life.

Despite our very best efforts, a beloved pet may still develop an illness or be injured. Our experience and expertise in internal medicine and surgery, as well as advanced diagnostics, ensure your pet will receive a quick and accurate assessment of the injury or illness. We will then discuss various diagnostic and treatment options, and work with you to develop a plan that's specific to your pet's healthcare needs.

Please take a look at the services we provide and give us a call for any questions you may have or to set up an appointment.

Established clients can drop-off their pets for non-emergency conditions if arrangements are made in advance.

Puppy and Kitten CareWellness Exams

Bringing a new puppy or kitten into your home is exciting for any family. They add energy and fun and are a source of love and affection as you bond with them.

However, new pets require a little extra attention to ensure they get a good, healthy start at life. This means that comprehensive physical exams from one of the veterinarians at Park Pet Hospital at key developmental stages are essential. Any time that you get a new pet, it's important to schedule an appointment right away so that we may review their prior medical records and make timely recommendations for appropriate wellness care.

Your very first visit with our veterinary clinic is perhaps the most important. These initial visits are when client, doctor and animal first meet and begin to form the relationship that will last for your pet's lifetime. We like to take our time with these visits to give your puppy or kitten a thorough pet wellness exam, talk with you about concerns you may have, offer health care and training advice, and more.

Your kitten's first visit will include (some additional fees may apply):

Your puppy's first visit will include (some additional fees may apply):

It's important to remember that many of the tests and services we recommend can be done during your new puppy or kitten's regular visits.

Wellness Exams

An overall wellness exam as your pet begins to mature is our chance for us to assess your pet's overall health, report any changes we see, update you on advancements in veterinary care, and for you to discuss any concerns or questions you may have.

Wellness ExamsDuring your pet's yearly wellness exam one of our veterinarians will:

  • Examine your pet's teeth, gums, and oral cavity
  • Check your pet's vision and examine the eyes
  • Examine the ears for infection, ear mites, or signs of an allergic reaction
  • Examine the nose, throat and respiratory system
  • Assess your pet's heart and pulses
  • Test your pet's neurologic status
  • Palpate the lymph nodes and abdomen
  • Inspect the skin and haircoat
  • Palpate joints and muscles for arthritis and other orthopedic conditions
  • Test to evaluate the function of internal organs, blood, and other systems

Vaccinations

Our veterinarians recommend that your pet remain current on all vaccinations because they are a safe, effective, and fundamental aspect of your pet's preventive healthcare plan. Diseases that once were relatively common and potentially fatal to pets are now easily preventable. Rabies vaccinations are required by state law – others help to protect family members from some zoonotic diseases – ones transmitted from pets to people. In certain situations, it may appropriate to substitute a yearly blood test that measures your pet's immunity with a vaccination titer instead of giving a vaccination.

Our veterinary staff has tailored our vaccination protocol to the lifestyle of your pet. For instance, if your dog or cat stays primarily indoors, then only core vaccinations are needed. However, if they love going outdoors, roaming the neighborhood, or wandering into the woods, or if they are regulars at dog parks or day care, then they should have extra protection against infectious diseases. Rabies vaccinations are required for dogs and cats in Wisconsin, and many kennels and groomers require Bordetella vaccinations. Leptospirosis cases are on the rise, and central and northern Wisconsin remain hotbeds for Lyme disease and other tick-transmitted diseases. Please consult with members of our health care team to get the type of protection that your pet needs.

Wellness CareCore vaccinations for dogs that we recommend: DHLPP - This is a combination vaccine that protects against Distemper (affects respiratory & nervous system); Hepatitis (leading to severe liver damage); Leptospirosis (a disease passed through contaminated water such as puddles & streams); Parainfluenza (partly responsible for kennel cough/bronchitis); and Parvovirus (causing severe diarrhea & vomiting). RABIES.

Elective vaccinations for dogs: Bordetella (kennel cough) and Lyme disease (causes joint or kidney damage)

Core vaccinations for cats: FVRCP — Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus (affects nose, throat, mouth and eyes) and Panleukopenia (a life-threatening blood and intestinal disease). RABIES.

Elective vaccinations for cats: FeLV — Feline Leukemia Virus (a debilitating, immunosuppressive infection that may lead to cancer)

Deworming and Fecal Checks

It's not pleasant to think about, but many types of parasites are present in the environment that we share with our pets. They can cause a wide range of conditions, and importantly, if they are brought into your home, some of these parasites can be passed from your pet to you and your family. For example, we normally associate intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and giardia with cats and dogs, but people can also be infected. Signs of infection in pets may include vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss, however, in some cases there are no external signs at all. Routine yearly fecal checks and deworming are the best way to prevent intestinal parasitism, or more often if your pet ingests other animal's droppings. Worming treatments also prevent the shedding of parasite eggs, which may contaminate yards or any place a pet defecates.

Regular Blood TestingBlood Work

A comprehensive check-up should include a complete physical examination, a heartworm test, internal parasite screening, and regular blood testing. Blood tests such as a metabolic minipanel or even a full chemistry panel and complete blood count may identify the presence of underlying disease processes, but may also serve as a baseline should your pet become ill between routine examinations. These regular blood tests aid in the early recognition of common problems such as diabetes, kidney disease and anemia, and help us to institute prompt treatment before the situation becomes advanced. Blood testing is necessary prior to considering anesthesia for procedures such as dental cleanings or skin growth removal , or prior to administering certain medications like antiinflammatory and behavior modification drugs.

The Park Pet Hospital offers juvenile, adult and senior blood testing programs that can be done during any wellness exam, or along with routine yearly heartworm testing. Please notify one of our staff if you would like to include regular blood testing as part of your pet's preventive healthcare plan.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks may be found in virtually any urban, suburban or rural environment. Although they're encountered most commonly in the warm weather months and found on dogs and cats that go to parks, lakes and wooded areas, they also can be exposed during kenneling, at training sessions and at doggy day care. Fortunately, many safe and highly effective products are available and there's no reason for any pet or owner to be bothered by these pests.

Beyond causing considerable discomfort and infesting your home, fleas and ticks can carry diseases dangerous to both you and your pet. Fleas can transmit tapeworms, and often you can see segments of the tapeworm in your pet's stool. Your pet can become allergic to fleas, and even just one flea bite can cause an intense allergic skin reaction. In our region, some species of ticks can transmit a variety of serious illnesses, including Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

The good news is that these problems can be avoided by using topical or oral parasite prevention products that are available at our hospital. When used properly and according to our directions, these products are very safe and effective. Most are given just once a month so they are simple to use and some prevent an assortment of different external and internal parasites.

Contrary to what you may have read or been told, there are no holistic or natural products available which have been proven to be effective in preventing or killing fleas and ticks. Ask one of the veterinarians or staff member at Park Pet Hospital to recommend the flea and tick prevention product which is best suited for your pet.

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm is a potentially life-threatening disease of dogs and cats. Mosquitoes spread the disease by injecting the parasite into your pet at the time of the bite. After the infected female mosquito bites your pet, the heartworm migrates through the bloodstream and moves to the heart and adjacent blood vessels, maturing to adults within 6-7 months in dogs and 8 months in cats. As many as 30 species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworms.

Until the early 1970s, the occurrence of heartworm disease in the United States was primarily confined to the southeastern part of the country. Today, heartworm disease is found almost everywhere in the continental United States.

Clinical symptoms of heartworm disease develop slowly. Often symptoms are not noticeable until months or even years after the initial infection. Lack of energy and exercise intolerance are early symptoms, as are coughing and difficulty breathing. As the disease progresses, many dogs develop congestive heart failure. Dogs often collapse in the final stage of the disease. In cats, the symptoms of heartworm disease are similar to those of feline asthma, including wheezing and shortness of breath. Some cats may exhibit no signs of the disease, while others may suddenly die.

We recommend that your dog have a heartworm blood test annually. Cats can be tested too, and chest x-rays are useful in both species to visualize the heart and lungs. If heartworm is diagnosed, there are treatments available but it is much more advantageous to prevent it in the first place.

Heartworm disease prevention is simple. For dogs, a once-a-month heartworm preventive can be given as a tasty, chewable treat. This same chewable prescription medicine prevents not only heartworms from developing, but also eliminates and helps prevent other types of intestinal worms that can infect your dog. Cats may be protected by applying a drop of heartworm prevention liquid to the skin once-a-month. This type of preventive also controls some of the intestinal worms, as well as fleas and ear mites.

If you would like to have your pet tested for heartworm disease, or if you would like additional information on how best to protect your pet and your family from these dangerous parasites, please call us today for an appointment.

Exotic PetsExotic Pets

The veterinarians and staff at Park Pet Hospital believe that every pet deserves the opportunity to lead the happiest and healthiest life possible. This is why we provide basic veterinary care for rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils and mice, as well as some species of birds.

Often, these animals' healthcare needs are quite unique and require veterinary professionals with the experience and expertise to provide them with the best and most appropriate care possible. For example, in the wild, many of these animals created strategies to conceal illness or injuries as a survival technique. These tendencies continue in domestic exotic and pocket pets, which mean their medical problems often go unnoticed.

We recommend yearly physical examinations to check for health problems and to consult about nutritional and husbandry-related issues. It's possible to submit blood tests and other samples tests to diagnostic labs with exotic specialists on staff and get expert second opinions in challenging cases. With regular veterinary medical attention, problems are often diagnosed before they become serious medical conditions.

For more advanced care and for uncommon exotic species, we refer patients to local practitioners that have more specialized training in exotic pets.

Senior Wellness Programs

Senior wellness programs are available for all dogs and cats over the age of eight. Our program includes a complete physical examination and consultation with a veterinarian along with diagnostic profiling. These diagnostic profiles are available on three levels at a rate that reflects a significant price reduction from our normal fees.

Diagnostic profiling, even in pets with no outward signs of disease, is an excellent method of detecting problems before they escalate. It may even save money in the long run, because early detection permits timely interventions that would be more costly if the disease progresses. Please notify our client services staff in advance if you would like to have these any of these senior wellness programs done for your pet. We may request that you leave them with us for part of the day to complete the profiling.

Internal Medicine

We diagnose and treat a wide range of internal diseases, including infectious, inflammatory, metabolic, hormonal, autoimmune and neoplastic conditions. Diagnosis is based on the fundamentals of taking a thorough history and performing a complete physical examination, along with selecting tests to appropriately evaluate your pet's symptoms. These tests may include sampling blood, urine and stool, as well as culturing and PCR techniques, and performing aspirates and biopsies. Diagnostic imaging either at the Park Pet Hospital or by referral to a specialist may be an important piece of the diagnostic puzzle. We work with a large number of private, state, and university diagnostic labs to offer a diverse selection of lab tests, and have the opportunity to consult with internationally-recognized experts via our internet account with the Veterinary Information Network® (VIN).

The entire staff at the Park Pet Hospital will try to accommodate your concerns and budget in our diagnostic approach and then offer further testing and treatment options based on the initial results. We emphasize clear communications with our clients and find that thorough explanations and client education are critical in achieving client satisfaction and the best possible outcomes.