Preventative Care in Summerville

Gold-Standard wellness care for your furry friends.

Providing only the best care At Cane Bay Veterinary Clinic, we believe that a partnership between pet owner and veterinarian is essential for providing your pet with a long and healthy life! Each pet is unique and presents different challenges and needs. We are here to guide you on the best preventative care for your pet whether an exciting new puppy or a well-loved senior kitty. There are four main components that make up preventative care - a comprehensive physical exam, annual early detection blood screening, vaccinations to protect against deadly disease and parasite screening and prevention to keep your pet at their best. In addition, good nutrition and regular dental care keep pet’s living longer and healthier lives. At each visit we will work with you and your pet to make sure they are getting everything they need to prevent disease and live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.

Comprehensive Physical Exam At each visit, one of our veterinarians will perform a complete physical exam on your pet. This includes looking at the eyes, nose, and mouth; checking the ears for any signs of infection; listening to the heart and lungs; and feeling the abdomen and all lymph nodes to assess for any abnormalities. The veterinarian will also perform an orthopedic exam to assess for any musculoskeletal issues when needed.  Puppies and kittens grow rapidly and should therefore visit the veterinarian every 3–4 weeks until around 4 months of age for a developmental exam. This allows our veterinarians to make sure your new puppy or kitten is growing appropriately. It also allows us to address any health or behavioral concerns that may arise in those first critical months of life! We are here to help you and your new family member get off on the right foot!

Adult dogs and cats age seven times faster than humans, and for this reason, we like to see them for an exam every six months. This allows us to catch disease processes early and address them before they become costly and difficult to manage. We want to help you and your pet live a long, happy, and healthy life together, so let us help you address issues before they become overwhelming!

Annual Early Detection Blood Screening Early Detection Blood Screening is a series of tests that we recommend performing on your pet yearly to screen for potential health problems. These tests can be performed as part of your pet's annual wellness exam, or they may be recommended if your pet is showing any signs of illness.

The most common early detection lab tests include:

  • Complete blood count (CBC): This test checks for anemia, infection, and other blood disorders.
  • Chemistry panel: This test checks for kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
  • Thyroid panel: This test checks for thyroid problems, which are common in older pets.
  • Urinalysis: This test checks for urinary tract infections, kidney disease, and other problems.
By starting annual lab work at a young age we can establish a normal baseline for your pet and then detect significant changes early. This allows us to treat disease sooner and allows your pet to live a longer, healthier life. Our highly trained staff will recommend the best lab work for your pet each year based on their age and any new clinical signs they may be developing as they age. Pet owner and veterinary team member reviewing preventative care options at Cane Bay Vet Clinic

Core Vaccines for Dogs

  • Rabies
  • Canine Distemper Virus
  • Canine Adenovirus (hepatitis)
  • Canine Parvovirus
  • Leptospirosis

Lifestyle Vaccines for Dogs

  • Bordetella
  • Influenza
  • Lyme

Core Vaccines for Cats

  • Rabies
  • Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
  • Feline Calicivirus
  • Feline Panleukopenia

Lifestyle Vaccines for Cats

  • Feline Leukemia Virus

Parasite Screening and Prevention Yearly screening for parasites is paramount to keeping your pet healthy. Living in the south means our pets are regularly exposed to parasites as it is never cold enough here to kill off these pesky critters. At Cane Bay Veterinary Clinic, we recommend a yearly fecal screening to assess for intestinal parasites and a yearly heartworm test to check for heartworm disease. This test also screens for tick-borne disease. Not only does screening your pet for parasites keep them healthy, it also keeps your family healthy as some parasites that pets carry can be transmittable to humans.

Along with yearly parasite screening, we recommend that all dogs and cats whether living indoors or outdoors, be on year-round heartworm, flea, tick and intestinal parasite prevention. Even indoor pets are exposed to mosquitos which transmit heartworm disease and all it takes is one stray flea to hitch a ride on your pants leg to start a flea infestation in your home. Preventative pet care consultation at Cane Bay Veterinary Clinic in Summerville, SC

At Cane Bay Veterinary Clinic, we want to be a partner in your pet’s care. We believe this starts with an open and honest relationship with you, the pet parent. Through regular preventative care exams, we are able to get to know you and your pet and provide the most appropriate recommendations to keep them happy and healthy for years to come. Please give us a call today so we can help your furry friend live their best life!

Lifelong Partnership

Call Now Happy, healthy pet during a preventative care wellness visit at Cane Bay Veterinary Clinic