Services

Telehealth fosters a direct connection between you and the veterinarian to address your concerns so that we can work as a team to get your pet the best care remotely. We are excited to offer a service that helps bridge the gap in care so that none of our higher-risk clients have to choose between their safety and their pet’s health.

Common concerns that may be appropriate for virtual care:

• Allergy/skin concerns
• Behavior concerns
• Mobility concerns
• Certain eye and ear concerns
• Hospice and quality of life discussions

Virtual care is not appropriate for all patients or concerns. Scheduling telemedicine consults remains at the discretion of the veterinarian to ensure that we are able to address your pet’s concerns to the best of our ability.

Fleas

Fleas can cause problems for pets ranging from minor to life-threatening. Not only can these parasites cause severe itching, irritation, and allergies, but they can also transmit tapeworms and diseases. Fleas can infest dogs, cats, ferrets, mice, and rats. And fleas don’t just stay on pets; they can bite people, too.

Heartworm

When they bite, mosquitoes can transmit heartworm infection. And those heartworms can wreak havoc on your dog or cat. These parasites can severely and sometimes fatally damage the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Some pets may not show any signs of infection; in those that do, symptoms can vary widely.

In dogs, signs of heartworm disease can range from coughing, fatigue, and weight loss to difficulty breathing and a swollen abdomen (caused by fluid accumulation from heart failure). Canine heartworm infection can also lead to a life-threatening complication called “caval syndrome” (a form of liver failure); without prompt surgical intervention, this condition usually causes death.

Ticks

Ticks are becoming more and more prevalent in North America, and they’re now being found in areas where people and pets didn’t previously encounter ticks. These parasites aren’t just a nuisance; they can cause serious—and sometimes deadly—diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and tick paralysis. Contact us immediately if your pet starts coughing or has joint pain, trouble breathing, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, weight, energy, or coordination.

The best method for keeping ticks off your pet is by keeping your dog or cat on a tick preventive. Even indoor-only pets are at risk because ticks can hitch a ride inside on your clothing or shoes. Tick preventives are safe and highly effective at controlling ticks and the diseases they carry. Call us to get your pet protected today!

Don’t panic if you find a tick on your dog or cat, even if your pet is on a preventive. Some preventives kill ticks after they’ve come in contact with your pet. Ticks can hide easily under your pet’s fur, so as an added measure of protection, we recommend checking your pet for ticks every time your pet comes in from outside. And don’t hesitate to ask us any questions you might have.

At around age seven, your pet is entering his or her senior years and often begins to develop diseases common to humans such as diabetes, heart disease, endocrine disease, and cancer. These diseases easily can go undetected because your pet may not show any visible symptoms. Therefore, preventive health care is critical. Routine examinations, blood testing, urine testing, radiographs, and electrocardiograph tests can help identify potential health risks before they become evident. Inform your veterinarian of any changes you notice in your pet, including changes in weight, appetite, energy, urination, behavior, skin and coat, and ability to get up and down. Routine veterinary care will allow your pet to have the best possible quality of life for years to come.

There are many diseases that affect dogs and cats. Veterinary internal medicine deals with the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases, especially those affecting internal organs. The Welcome Waggin’s vets understand that the condition of an ill pet can deteriorate quickly. Fast and accurate diagnosis and treatment give us the best means of bringing your pet back to excellent health.

Just like in people, keeping an animal’s wound site clean is incredibly important to stop the possibility of infection and aid in the healing process. Unlike people, animals have a tendency to bite, lick, or chew at their wounds, or get them dirty. Here at The Welcome Waggin, we make it a priority to keep your pet’s wound sites clean and healing properly.

To reduce the stress on your animal, we can bring all of our wound care materials to you. We are able to do basic bandage changes and wound cleaning in your home, making sure your pet is comfortable and relaxed while we care for their wound. We will even talk to you about the best ways to make your pet leave the bandage alone! 

Just as humans can develop allergic reactions to environmental elements, so, too, can our pets. While we cannot cure your pet’s allergy, there are ways to effectively manage and relieve allergy symptoms.

Pet allergies are a common problem, but symptoms associated with animal allergies can also be an indication of more serious pet health conditions. When necessary, our veterinary staff will perform blood work and other tests to determine the cause of your pet’s discomfort.

Just like people, animals can also suffer from eye complications that affect their day-to-day life. These conditions can include cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, tumors of the eye, eyelid defects, dry eye, retinal degeneration, and corneal ulcers. Our veterinary ophthalmologist can provide pets with nearly all of the medical and surgical eye care that is available for humans while making sure they are comfortable and treated with the utmost care and compassion.

Your pet’s diet is an essential factor in their overall health, and we want to help guide your family in the right direction. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53% of adult dogs and 55% of adult cats in the U.S. are obese or overweight. In fact, 22% of dog owners and 15% of cat owners thought their pet’s weight was healthy when they were actually overweight!

We provide options for pets with special dietary or weight management needs. Our nutritional counseling services can help keep your pet in good health! We’ll work closely with you on food selection and feeding practices for your pet’s different life stages. If your pet has a medical condition, we can help you select the most appropriate diet to suit your pet’s needs.

At no point during our relationship with our pet can we anticipate the sadness, confusion, and desperation we feel when it comes time to let them pass. The Welcome Waggin’ team is here to support you and your family during this time of transition. We are able to answer any questions you may have about their quality of life, palliative or hospice care options available, or expectations and anticipation of their death.

We feel that a collaborative approach to ensuring your pet’s comfort and preserving their dignity is best; working together, we can determine the best way to say goodbye. Let us help you enjoy your final days together and making saying goodbye as peaceful as possible.

Together, we can:

• Determine what aids, including pain and mobility support, your pet may benefit from
• What nutritional options are available for your pet
• How to enrich your senior pet’s environment
• Assess your pet’s quality of life and determine an in-home assessment plan
• When it is time, determine the best surroundings and situation in which to say goodbye
• Administer an anesthetic to your pet without IV catheter placement so your pet can ease into unconsciousness before a final dose of medication is painlessly given, which will stop the heart
• Arrange transportation and cremation for your pet, if you wish
• Provide resources and guidance to help you and other pet’s grieve

Read more about our End of Life Services.

Many of the diseases and illnesses that can affect dogs and cats are preventable through proper pet vaccinations and annual wellness exams. The Welcome Waggin’ team is here to keep your pet happy and healthy through all stages of their life.

We start your pet’s vaccine schedule from your very first visit and work diligently to make sure they stay up to date. Vaccines are special proteins that prime the immune system to fight off specific infections. Vaccines work to reduce the severity of such diseases should they strike or to completely prevent infection.

It’s also important to protect your pet from fleas, ticks, and heartworm. Fleas and ticks can harbor disease and adversely affect your pet’s health. Heartworm is a dangerous parasite that lives in the heart of dogs and cats, damages the heart muscle, and can be fatal. Monthly medication and annual testing are important to make sure that your pet is protected.