Your Questions, Answered
Pets age much faster than people do, which means health conditions can develop and change quickly between visits. Annual wellness exams allow our veterinarians in Arvada to catch issues like dental disease, kidney problems, and early-stage illness before symptoms appear, when treatment is more effective and less costly. Yearly visits also keep vaccines, parasite prevention, and health records current
Symptoms that look identical can have different causes from one episode to the next. A skin irritation, for example, may be allergies one time and a bacterial infection another, each requiring a different treatment. A quick recheck exam lets us confirm what's actually going on so your pet gets the right medication and recovers faster.
Pre-anesthetic blood work checks your pet's liver, kidney, and overall organ function before any sedation is administered. These organs process anesthetic drugs, so if they aren't working at full capacity, your pet could face complications. If we spot an abnormality beforehand, we can adjust our protocol or take additional precautions to keep your pet safe.
When in doubt, call us. As a general rule, seek veterinary care right away if your pet is experiencing difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures, collapse, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, signs of severe pain, or inability to urinate. For milder concerns, monitoring for 24 hours is often reasonable, but our Arvada veterinary team is always happy to advise you over the phone.
Vaccine schedules vary depending on your pet's species, age, lifestyle, and risk factors. Core vaccines like rabies and distemper are given on a schedule set by your veterinarian, while lifestyle vaccines are recommended based on your pet's exposure risk. At Indian Tree Animal Hospital, we build a personalized vaccination plan at every wellness visit.
Parasites are active in more months of the year than most pet owners realize, and infestations can happen even in indoor pets. Heartworm disease in particular is transmitted by a single mosquito bite, is difficult to treat, and can be fatal if caught late. Year-round prevention is far safer, simpler, and more affordable than treating an established infection or infestation.
Weight is one of the most important factors in your pet's long-term health. At each visit, we assess your pet's body condition score, a hands-on evaluation of fat coverage over the ribs and spine, in addition to the scale reading. If your pet's weight is a concern, we can recommend a feeding plan tailored to their age, breed, and activity level.
We recommend scheduling a new pet exam within the first week of bringing your pet home. This allows us to establish a baseline of their health, review any records from the shelter or breeder, start or continue a vaccine schedule, and screen for any parasites or conditions that may not be immediately obvious.
Most pets instinctively hide dental discomfort, so the absence of obvious pain doesn't mean their mouth is healthy. Dental disease is one of the most common conditions we see, and when left untreated it can lead to tooth loss, chronic pain, and bacterial spread to the heart, kidneys, and liver. A professional cleaning under anesthesia allows us to thoroughly clean below the gumline and identify problems that can't be seen during a regular exam.
We treat dogs and cats as our primary patients at Indian Tree Animal Hospital in Arvada, CO. If you have another type of pet, such as a rabbit, bird, or small exotic animal, please give us a call and we'll let you know whether we're able to help or refer you to a specialist who can best meet their needs.