Our Wellness Program for Pets in Troutdale and Gresham

It hurts our hearts when a beloved pet is sick or in pain. And while not every illness or injury can be avoided, our Troutdale veterinarian is determined to help prevent as many illnesses in our companion animals as humanly possible. This is why we encourage our patients’ families, both here and around Gresham, to join our pet wellness program. With regular checkups, periodic lab tests, scheduled vaccinations and exercise and nutrition counseling, we can help the animals in our care live longer, healthier lives together with their families.

The Importance of Wellness in Veterinary Medicine

We believe that prevention is preferable to just waiting until a health problem arises. So our preventative veterinary care starts from puppy or kitten-hood and goes right on through a pet’s golden years. We make sure the little ones get the immunizations they need, when they need them, as well as several lab tests to check for common problems so that we can catch them before they become advanced and more difficult to treat. We also recommend having young pets spayed or neutered when they are old enough, which prevents overpopulation and can help ward off many behavioral and health problems down the road.

We also promote pet dental care. Here in the office, we provide periodic ultrasonic cleanings and scaling to remove plaque, and we also show pet owners how to care for their pets’ oral health at home. Just like humans, proper dental hygiene for pets can ward off tooth decay and infection as well as halitosis.

As pets age, we check them every six months so we can monitor them for the development of cancer, heart disease, obesity, arthritis and other common age-onset problems. Early diagnosis helps us help pets recover and thrive longer. We know every day with our special family members is precious, so we do all we can to make those days healthy and happy for you and your pets!

What are you and your pets planning to do together this spring?

Exotic pets make wonderful animal companions. But did you know that exotic pets often require a higher level of specialty care than dogs and cats? Not all animal hospitals offer exotic veterinary care, and here at Paws & Claws Pet Medical Center, we are excited to provide this elevated level of service to our Troutdale and Gresham pet owners. From iguanas and geckos to snakes and water dragons, our Troutdale exotic vet is committed to keeping your pet healthy.

Exotic Veterinary Care Starts with a Wellness Exam

When you adopt your exotic pet, we encourage you to bring it in immediately for a wellness exam. We will perform a fecal sample analysis to ensure your pet is free from parasites and worms. Common exotic pet health problems can include malnutrition, metabolic bone disease, tail trauma, kidney failure, and parasites. Routine wellness care and proper nutrition is essential to preventing these health problems.

Keeping your pet healthy starts with the right diet. Exotic pets have a wide variety of specific dietary requirements, many of which can be difficult to meet through regular, commercial diets. For example, some reptiles require fresh greens for daily “salads,” while other reptiles need pre-killed or live prey. Our veterinarian can help you source your food commercially or locally to ensure that your exotic pet receives a healthy, balanced diet.

Our veterinarian can also assist you by providing information about exotic pet housing. Reptiles require special living conditions that vary based on the type of pet. For example, iguanas live in areas with high humidity and enjoy basking in the sun. Owners will need to provide adequate heat and humidity. Geckos like to hide and keep to themselves. A tank with artificial plants and rocks will give geckos space to hide, and a hide box can also create a safe place for geckos to shed their skin. Misting the tank can also help maintain humidity levels.

Our veterinarian provides pre-ownership counseling and is happy to answer any questions you may have about housing, nutrition, and wellness care.

Do you currently own exotic pets? Are you thinking about becoming an exotic pet owner?

 

Our Troudale Veterinarian Recommends Vaccinations for Prevention

Each veterinarian at Paws & Claws Pet Medical Center would like to remind our readers to keep their pets’ vaccines updated. It is important to keep your beloved pets safe when they encounter other animals that may be carrying dangerous diseases. Many common diseases within the Troutdale and Gresham animal population are easily spread. One way to stop this rapid transmission of disease is by ensuring that your dog or cat receives protective vaccination yearly at our animal clinic.

We typically recommend that dogs receive the DHPP vaccine, and for certain dogs a bordetella vaccine and/or leptospirosis vaccine. The DHPP vaccine prevents distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvovirus. The bordetella vaccine protects your dog from kennel cough, which can be easily spread in areas with other dogs, like boarding kennels or dog parks. Immunization against leptospirosis is usually only necessary if your dog lives or frequents rural or wild environments that increase his or her risk of contracting this dangerous disease.

There are also several vaccines that are necessary to help protect your cat from common diseases. The FVRCP vaccine can give your cat immunity against several dangerous viruses, including feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia. Kittens should also be checked for feline leukemia. Kittens that do not have this virus can be protected with a vaccine available at our emergency vet clinic.

It is also important that dogs and cats both receive the rabies vaccination, which is required by law in the state of Oregon.

Convenient and Affordable Vaccinations at Our Veterinary Hospital

At our clinic, we work hard to keep as many pets as possible in Troutdale and Gresham safe from the dangerous illnesses that can spread freely within our local animal population. Each veterinarian at our clinic can evaluate your pet's individual risks and recommend an appropriate vaccination schedule. If you have questions or concerns about the Troutdale vaccinations offered at our veterinary hospital, please feel free to contact us.

We would love to hear about your experiences with pet vaccination at our clinic. Why do you vaccinate your pet each year?

Welcome to the Paws and Claws Blog!

Welcome to the very first entry for our Troutdale and Gresham veterinary practice blog! Here at Paws & Claws Pet Medical center and emergency vet, we are proud to be your local veterinarian and veterinary hospital for a wide variety of pets. Whether you are a pet parent to a dog, a cat, a chicken, a parrot or other bird, or an exotic pocket pet, we are here to help and are available around the clock.

Troutdale Veterinarians Provide Comprehensive Care

Our practice offers the standard services such as dog surgery, spay neuter surgery, pet vaccinations, pet dental exams and cleanings, and a wellness program for your pet as well as the services of an exotic vet. Here at our Troutdale and Gresham area facility, we also have the ability to care for pet emergencies and are available as an emergency vet for those times that your pet needs after hours care. Our veterinarians, Ken DeRemer, DVM, Christina Huntsinger, DVM, and Monica Pollack, DVM will treat your animal just as they would treat their own. Our veterinary hospital is staffed by pet lovers just like you, so we fully comprehend how very vital your pet's care and well being is to you!

We plan to cover a number of topics in this blog, especially those that our pet parents find of particular interest but may not remember to discuss with our staff while visiting our facility. We will talk about the importance of regular exams, how to take special precautions during extreme weather conditions, and talk about what pet wellness really entails.

Do you have any ideas for our future blog entries? Please let us know here in the comments section and we will be glad to address your question in an upcoming blog! We want to thank you for entrusting us with the care of your pet, and we vow to do our best to keep your pet well and to give you peace of mind!