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Pet Wellness Services

APPOINTMENT
Preventative Veterinary Wellness Care

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the old saying goes. At Critter Doctor Animal Hospital in Kirkland, WA, our veterinarians and our medical staff recommend regular veterinary wellness examinations for the same reason that your personal physician or dentist recommends them if a health problem or issue can be detected in its early stages, there is a far greater likelihood that it can be resolved and treated with less difficulty, less expense and greater success.

During your pet’s wellness examination, our Kirkland veterinarians perform a complete nose-to-tail physical to assess your pet’s overall health and to give you, the pet owner, an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Have you noticed any recent subtle shifts in your pet’s health or behavior? Have you observed any changes in body weight, appetite, water intake, urination and bowel habits, and/or activity level? Changes may be signs of medical problems. Seemingly insignificant lumps and bumps under the skin may be indications of infection or cancer. Ear infections, abscessed teeth and gum disease are common, painful conditions that may not become noticeable until seriously advanced. A comprehensive physical examination helps your veterinarian and you evaluate your pet’s health and make informed decisions about your special companion’s veterinary care.

Excellent Veterinary Care Starts With Superior Communication
Our commitment begins right when your new companion enters your family. Our goal is to provide you with the finest veterinary care possible so that you and your beloved companion can enjoy a long, healthy and happy life together.

Each age and stage of your pet’s life presents different health issues that require attention and care. Our team of doctors and veterinary staff provide individualized attention and develop a health care plan for your pet that takes into consideration his/her special needs, lifestyle, breed and home life. We also listen to you, the pet owner, and your schedule, routine, needs and family life. By understanding the whole picture, we can better tailor your pet’s health care plan to suit his and your lifestyle.

Preventive Pet Health Care Services
When you bring your pet to Critter Doctor Animal Hospital, we work with you to create a lifetime preventive health care plan. This includes a balanced schedule of vaccines (to protect your pet against dangerous, but preventable, diseases), routine dental care (good oral health protects overall systemic health), and microchip identification (should your pet become lost). We also provide internal medicine services, nutritional and behavioral counseling, general and orthopedic surgery, advanced diagnostic testing capabilities and much more.

Our commitment to you and your pet’s health begins with an annual examination which includes:

  • Examining your pet’s teeth, throat and oral cavity
  • Checking your pet’s vision and eyes
  • Examining ears for infection, ear mites, allergic reaction and other related health issues
  • Assessing your pet’s heart and cardiac function
  • Examining the skin
  • Palpating lymph nodes and abdomen
  • Examining the respiratory system
  • Evaluating internal organ function and other systems
  • Monitoring your pet’s blood count and serum chemistry
  • Performing laboratory tests to determine the presence of specific diseases
  • Assessing changes in your pet’s health since the last wellness visit
  • Fecal check for the presence of intestinal parasites

During each examination, we also take the time to listen to your concerns, answer your questions and keep you up to date on all the information you need to be the best caregiver to your pet. Good communication between you and your pet’s doctor ensures that your beloved companion is receiving the optimal care and attention that he deserves so that he can live a long and healthy life.

Kirkland Pet Wellness Packages
Save money and gain peace of mind with our Kirkland veterinary wellness packages! View our wellness plans page for more information.

Puppy and Kitten Care

Keep Your New Pet Healthy
Whether purchasing a pet for the first time or introducing one into your multiple pet home, a puppy or kitten quickly melts your heart. However, knowing how to properly care for your new pet will help eliminate the hassles and worries. Always ready to support you with exceptional pet care and guidance, Critter Doctor Animal Hospital shares your joy at welcoming this new family member into your life.

Our puppy and kitten programs are designed to cover all the fundamental health care needs of your new pet during his or her early life stages.

Your Puppy or Kitten’s First Wellness Exam
First on your agenda should be a trip to Critter Doctor Animal Hospital for a comprehensive physical examination by one of our veterinarians. The initial visit provides an opportunity for you, your pet and one of our doctors to meet and get acquainted. This time is well spent and offers you, the pet owner, a chance to ask questions. Our veterinarians also allay any concerns or anxieties you may have about owning a puppy or kitten. This is a special time for you and your pet and we want your memories to be cherished and worry-free.

Life-Long Pet Health Starts With A Pet Wellness Visit
Just like health care for humans, veterinary medical care for pets is constantly evolving and advancing. To help you navigate your way through the various stages of care necessary to keep your beloved companion healthy, Critter Doctor Animal Hospital’s doctors and staff provide comprehensive Kirkland veterinary care at an affordable price.

Similar to the programs offered for adult dogs and cats, our puppy/kitten programs include:

  • Comprehensive wellness examinations
  • Vaccines
  • Parasite prevention
  • Behavior counseling
  • Spay/Neuter surgery
  • Discussion of housetraining/litter box training
  • Nutrition and diet counseling

We can also address common pet owner questions and topics such as:

  • Best Pet Food Brands
  • Microchipping
  • Introducing a New Pet
  • Adjustment to New Baby
  • Preparing for Surgery
  • Puppy Socialization
  • Crate Training

It is important to all of us at Critter Doctor Animal Hospital that your puppy or kitten start off on the right paw and enjoy a healthy and happy life. Give us a call at (425) 823-6762 to schedule an appointment for your new puppy or kitten today.

Click here to view our wellness plans.

Senior Pet Care

Keeping Your Pet Healthy In Their Golden Years
Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever. Your senior pet has medical needs that are very different from puppies and kittens, though. The veterinarians and medical team at Critter Doctor Animal Hospital work with you to develop a health care plan that ensures your pet is safe and happy throughout his or her “golden years.”

Pets age faster than people and are considered to be “seniors” around age nine. Prevention is the key to keeping older pets healthy. Symptoms of disease or a chronic condition many not be readily apparent. In some cases, conditions that may look like the usual signs of “old age” could actually be signs of a more serious problem, such as arthritis, periodontal disease, kidney failure or cancer. We recommend all senior pets undergo at least one physical examination each year, though more frequent examinations are encouraged. During an examination, we also perform a number of tests that can detect the signs of heart disease, infection, diabetes and other health problems.

You are an important ally in keeping your senior pet healthy! If your pet is experiencing any changes in behavior, we urge you to bring him or her in for a check-up. Together, we can make sure you and your faithful companion enjoy many more years together.

Pet Vaccines

Keeping Area Pets Safe and Healthy
Vaccinations are the number one way you can protect your beloved pet from serious infectious diseases and bacteria. Health threats vary from region to region and your veterinarians can create an individual immunization program for your pet based on his/her lifestyle and your local conditions. We use the safest vaccines available, including Ultra by Bohringer-Inleheim and Purevax.

Essential Vaccines for Your Dog
Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus (DAPP): This vaccine protects against viral illnesses that are potentially fatal if not treated early and aggressively. This is why it is considered a core vaccination for dogs. This vaccine may require several boosters for puppies.

Leptospirosis (Lepto): Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can affect
organ health, such as liver and kidney function. Leptospirosis is common in the
Washington area, so we recommend that all dogs receive this immunization. This
vaccine may require a 3-week booster

Rabies: Rabies virus is fatal and all warm-blooded animals (including humans) are susceptible to infection. Most states, including Washington, require rabies vaccinations by law.

Bordetella (“Kennel Cough”): The bordetella bacteria causes an extremely contagious upper respiratory infection. Even dogs that don’t attend public places, such as daycare programs, dog shows, and boarding facilities can easily contract this disease on their daily walks.

Essential Vaccines for Your Cat
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP):
Commonly referred to as a “distemper vaccine,” this combination vaccine protects against common contagious diseases which can be fatal if not treated. This vaccine is considered a core vaccination for cats and may require several boosters for kittens or a 3-week booster for adult cats.

Feline Leukemia (Felv): FelV is a viral infection transmitted from one cat to another through close contact. This vaccine is highly recommended for cats that go outdoors or live in multi-cat households. This vaccine may require a 3-week booster.

Rabies: Rabies virus is fatal and all warm-blooded animals (including humans) are susceptible to infection. Most states, including Washington, require rabies vaccinations by law.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Like most pet owners, you probably enjoy spending quality time with your pets both indoors and out. Unintentionally, you may place them at risk for unwelcome visits from pesky parasites like fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks can be very damaging to the human-animal bond, particularly when flea invasion gets out of control or when ticks hitch a ride with your pet. Not only can these unfriendly parasites make your pets extremely uncomfortable, they can pose grave health risks.

Most indoor environments in our own Washington State offer fleas a perfect combination of temperature and humidity that allows them to vigorously thrive, acting as a nuisance to pets and their people. Consider the following “flea facts”:

  • One single flea can bite your pet up 400 times a day.
  • A female flea can lay 2000 eggs in their short, 2-3 month life span.
  • Fleas are an intermediate host frequently to blame for internal tape worm infection.
  • The adult flea you may see only represents five percent of the infestation, the rest is in often unseen egg, larval, and pupae stages, in the process of becoming biting irritants to your pets.

Preventative measures should be taken year round. By undergoing measures to inhibit these outbreaks, the diseases these parasites transmit to pets and people can also be mitigated or prevented.

There are many safe and effective flea and tick control products available, and our veterinary team will help you choose the correct preventive regimen based on your pet’s risk factors and health status Once a year, it is important to discuss with your veterinarian which external pest control products are ideal for your household, based upon the everyday life of your pet.

Heartworm Disease Dangers for Pets
Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It affects dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats. In the U.S., heartworm disease has been reported in dogs in all 50 states. At Critter Doctor Animal Hospital, our experienced veterinary team will help protect your beloved pet against common parasites in the Kirkland area.

Clinical symptoms of heartworm disease develop very slowly. Early symptoms include lack of energy, exercise intolerance, coughing and difficulty breathing. Because heartworm disease is increasing in frequency and is a serious and deadly disease, we recommend that your dog be tested annually and take preventive medications at least during mosquito season.

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 from this dangerous parasite, please call Critter Doctor Animal Hospital today for an appointment.

Microchipping

A lost pet is a frightening situation with often devastating consequences. Studies have shown more than 10 million pets get lost each year and approximately 90 percent of those found would not have been returned to their owners without some form of permanent lost pet identification.

This is why the team at Critter Doctor Animal Hospital considers Kirkland microchip pet IDs a fundamental way to protect your pet and an important part of responsible pet ownership. We use the Avid microchip system. Each microchip registers the animal with a unique identification number that is filed in a database with your contact information. The contact information can be updated anytime, and it is important to remember to do so whenever your information changes. If your pet is lost, the microchip can be scanned by animal control officers, at shelters and at veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and in many foreign countries as well.

This safe, reliable, and permanent pet identification takes less than 10 seconds to implant and can save you and your Kirkland pet days, weeks, or more of fear and anguish.

Caring for pets and their people.

At Critter Doctor Animal Hospital, expect exceptional care and service for your furry friends.

Contact

Location

11828 Slater Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
Click here for directions.

Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Sat: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Sun: Closed

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