Protect Your Pet With Routine Wellness Visits
Keeping your pet healthy is the best thing you can do as a pet parent! During your friend’s wellness exam by a Borash Veterinary Clinic doctor, much will be learned about your his or her overall health, enabling us to provide personalized care recommendations and you to make decisions in the best interests of your pet.
Examinations
Wellness Exam
A comprehensive nose-to-tail exam includes:
- Listening to the heart and lungs
- Checking the teeth and gums
- Examining the eyes, ears, and nose
- Palpitating the abdominal region, joints, and muscles
Based on our findings, we give personalized recommendations for care, enabling you to make decisions in the best interests of your pet. These recommendations will relate to vaccines, parasite prevention, dental care, spay/neuter procedure, and more.
Our pets can’t tell us how they feel. That’s why if any areas of concern are discovered during a physical examination, further diagnostic testing may be recommended. Our facility is equipped with an on-site laboratory, which allows us to quickly and accurately make diagnoses.
Sick Visits
If your pet is showing signs of illness or acting unusual, we strongly urge you to reach out as soon as possible to schedule a visit. This will prevent the progression of symptoms, and also help your pet feel better sooner!
During your pet’s sick visit, we will perform a comprehensive exam and discuss outward symptoms with you. Diagnostic testing is frequently used during sick visits so we can get to the root of the disease or illness with the greatest accuracy in the least amount of time. This is especially important as signs of illness develop much quicker in pets than in humans.
Alert a receptionist that your pet is sick prior to their scheduled appointment time. This way, we can ensure disease and illness is controlled and not spread to other pets in our facility.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are a staple of preventive care. At Borash Veterinary Clinic, we consider your pet’s complete health and unique lifestyle when determining an appropriate vaccination plan. This protects your pet against dangerous viral and bacterial infections that they are exposed to.
If you just welcomed a new puppy or kitten into your home, reach out as soon as possible to schedule a visit so we can begin a vaccination schedule. Young pets are most protected when preventive care begins early.
In the state of Massachusetts, rabies vaccines and tags are required by law for all pets. Please make sure your pet is always current on their rabies vaccine. If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out to us so we can check your records.
Core Vaccines Are Recommended for All Pets.
- Dogs: Rabies, DHPP
- Cat: Rabies, FVRCP
Non-Core Vaccines Are Recommended for Some Pets, Based on Lifestyle and Risk of Exposure.
- Dogs: Lyme, Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Influenza
- Cats: FeLV
Parasite Control
Keeping your pet protected against parasites is a key component of preventative care and responsible pet ownership. At Borash Veterinary Clinic, we recommend annual parasite exams and year round preventatives to keep your pet healthy and parasite-free. Our medical team is here to help you pick the best preventive plan for your pet based on their health status, lifestyle, and risk of exposure. Parasites are both a nuisance and threat to your pet’s overall health. The good news is, prevention is simple!
Fleas & Ticks
Fleas and ticks latch onto an animal’s skin, which leads to skin irritation, allergic reactions, and illness. In serious cases, fleas put pets at risk for tapeworms and Bartonella, and ticks put pets at risk for Lyme disease. Provide your pet with complete protection by administering monthly preventives and checking your pet’s fur and skin during daily grooming.
Intestinal Parasites
Common intestinal parasites include: roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and tapeworm.
Intestinal parasites are found in all areas of the country. This means that prevention is important for all pets, especially puppies and kittens who have a greater vulnerability. Humans can transmit intestinal parasites from their pets, too! To keep everyone in your household protected, bring your pet in for a fecal once a year and administer monthly preventives.
Heartworms
Heartworms make pets very sick, and even risk premature death. These internal parasites are transmitted by mosquitos, leading to impaired blood circulation and damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Prevention is critical as outward symptoms are nearly undetectable until disease progression is severe and challenging to treat. We strongly encourage annual heartworm testing for all pets, starting at 1 year of age, in addition to monthly preventives. If your pet is from an area that has a higher rate of heartworm disease, we recommend you begin testing even sooner.
Advanced symptoms of heartworm infestation include: difficulty breathing, coughing, decreased energy, lethargy, fainting, and weight loss.
Parasite Control
Microchips help to reunite lost pets with their human family members.
If your pet is ever lost, we want to provide the highest chance of a return home. That’s why we recommend all pets be microchipped. Implantation takes seconds, and is administered similar to a routine vaccination. We will inject a rice-sized microchip beneath the skin between the shoulder blades.
The final step is to register your pet’s microchip with your contact information. The staff at Borash Veterinary Clinic is here to help you through that process. If you ever move or change your telephone number, make sure to keep your pet’s information current by updating their microchip.
Nutrition & Weight Management
The veterinarians at Borash Veterinary Clinic are trained to help your pet maintain an ideal body weight. Based on your pet’s weight, age, gender, health status, and breed we will make nutritional recommendations and help you choose the best diet for your pet. Remember, your pet’s nutritional requirements are not the same as your own. Many human foods put pets at risk for toxicity, pancreatitis, and obesity.
Obesity in the pet population is a growing concern. Feeding your pet a nutritious, properly portioned diet is critical to their overall health. Obesity puts pets at risk for a number of health concerns and can impact their overall quality of life.
Nutritional concerns such as food allergies, obesity, renal failure, liver disease, and bladder and kidney stones, can be relieved with a diet that is customized to your pet. If you notice your pet suddenly gaining or losing weight, please call us right away so we can help your pet achieve a healthy weight.
Behavior Counseling
Our professional medical team is here to help with tricky behavioral issues. We understand just how frustrating behavioral issues can be, but we encourage you to seek professional counseling. Do not give up on your forever friend!
Many behavioral issues are caused by an underlying health condition. That’s why we always perform a comprehensive physical assessment first. For instance, a cat that is urinating outside of the litter box may be experiencing bladder stones or urinary obstruction, which is especially life-threatening. Another example, a dog that is acting destructively while you are gone for the day may be struggling with separation anxiety.
If we examine your pet and discover no health concerns, we will work with you to train your pet and begin a behavioral modification process. Stay positive! Your forever friend is worth it.
Age-Specific Plans
Like humans, a pet’s healthcare needs change as they age. At Borash Veterinary Clinic, we work hard to keep your pet healthy during each stage of their life with age-specific veterinary recommendations and services.
