Richmond Pet Wellness Services
Pet Wellness at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital
The team at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital in Richmond, VA believe that preventive care is the best medicine; looking down the road to the long future between you and your pet, we see a wonderful relationship with the fewest obstacles due to active preventive care. A team of skilled veterinarians and caring staff do their best, day-in-day-out, to make sure your pet gets the love and treatment they need to live a long, healthy life.
Veterinary Wellness Examinations
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the old saying goes. At Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Taylor and his medical staff recommend regular pet 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, a veterinarian will perform a complete physical to assess your pet's overall health. Furthermore, we give you, the pet owner, the 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, or activity level? Changes may be signs of medical problems. A comprehensive physical examination helps your veterinarian and you evaluate your pet's health and make informed decisions about your beloved companion's veterinary care.
Good Communication Leads to Good Health
Each age and stage of your pet's life presents different health issues that require attention and care. A skilled team of doctors and veterinary staff provide individualized attention and develop a health care plan for your pet that takes into consideration his or 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 Health Care
When you bring your pet to Locke A. Taylor Veterinary 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 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.
Dr. Taylor's 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
We take the time during each hospital visit to listen to your concerns, answer your questions and keep you up to date on all the information you'll need to be the best caregiver for your pet. Good communication between you and your pet's doctor ensures that your beloved companion is receiving the highest-quality care and attention that he or she deserves so that they can live a long and healthy life.
Richmond Pet Vaccinations
Vaccinations are the number one way you can protect your beloved pet from serious infectious diseases and bacteria. Your veterinarian can create an individual immunization program for your pet based on his or her lifestyle and your local conditions. At Dr. Taylor's office, we tailor each vaccine protocol on each individual pet. Based on risk, we do yearly vaccines for both cats and dogs, as well as some exotic pets. We will gladly refer any animal at the owner's request. We have three specialty hospitals nearby and two veterinary schools that encompass every specialty.
The core vaccinations Dr. Taylor's office administers for dogs are distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvovirus (DHPP) and rabies. We also offer non-core vaccinations for Bordatella, canine flue and Lyme disease.
For cats, we require vaccinations for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calcivirus and panleukopenia (FVRCP), feline leukemia and rabies. We offer a fourth, non-core vaccination for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
Parasite Prevention and Control
Parasites can be real pests. Both external (fleas, ticks) and internal (heartworm, hookworm, roundworm) parasites can cause serious health problems for both your pet and your family. Prevention is the best approach to eliminating these pests. Please ask a staff member at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital for the best way to prevent parasite problems.
Heartworm Disease
Spread by mosquitoes, heartworm disease can be a serious threat to your pet. Fortunately, preventive medications exist to prevent heartworm disease in your beloved companion. The veterinarians at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital recommend administering preventive medication once-a-month, all year long.
Flea and Tick Prevention
Fleas are more than a nuisance; they carry diseases that can be dangerous to both you and your pet. For example, fleas can transmit tapeworms to your pet, and you can often see segments of the tapeworm in your pet's stool. Your pet can also be allergic to fleas. Just one flea bite can cause an intense allergic reaction resulting in a severely painful skin infection.
Ticks can carry a variety of serious illnesses, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in certain parts of the country. If you plan to travel to an area where these diseases are a problem, please talk to one of the veterinarians about the precautions you can take to protect your pet.
The good news is that these problems can be avoided by using one of the safe and effective parasite prevention products that are available at Dr. Taylor's office. Ask a member of the medical team to recommend a product that is right for your pet.
Senior Pet Care
Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer lives than ever. Your senior pet has medical needs that are very different from puppies and kittens. The veterinarians and medical team at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary 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 7. Prevention is the key to keeping older pets healthy. Symptoms of disease or a chronic condition may 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 perform a number of tests that can detect the signs of heart disease, infection, diabetes and other health problems.
You are the most 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.
Exotic Pet Care in Richmond
We offer optimum Richmond pet wellness care programs for birds, reptiles, pocket pets and non-production farm animals. Since it is often difficult to determine if an exotic pet is ill, we strongly recommend physical examinations twice a year to check for health problems, plus annual monitoring to check for nutritional and husbandry-related conditions.
In order to survive attacks from their predators, exotic animals normally conceal their illnesses in the wild. As a result, their medical problems often go unnoticed for long periods of time. By the time you recognize that there is a problem with your exotic pet, the condition is often extremely serious. With bi-annual medical examinations by a veterinarian at Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital, problems are often diagnosed before they become serious medical conditions.
After acquiring your new exotic pet, a complete wellness appointment is strongly recommended. This exam includes a thorough physical examination, husbandry and nutritional consultation, disease screening and laboratory testing if necessary. Before bringing your pet into your home, you want to make sure that he or she is healthy.
If your exotic pet needs intensive care or hospitalization, you want to be sure that your veterinary hospital is specifically equipped to care for exotic species. Locke A. Taylor Veterinary Hospital has the technology, training, and know-how necessary to treat your exotic pet.