Thank you for completing your pets online Wellness History and Check-In form, as well as, choosing Premier VetCare for your pet's care. You can follow the link at the bottom to our Wellness options and fees.
Below is information on your pet's health care needs. We hope this will make your pets visit with us more enjoyable and insure you have the information you need to make the best health care decisions for your pet. Our clinic has developed wellness programs for all your pets’ important life stages to help provide affordable preventive health care plans that provide the best protection for your pet. Clients using this program also receive many other “Premier Pet” advantages. All the advantages of our Premier Pet Program are outlined HERE.
Click here for your free PET_CARE_BASICS pdf. booklet. In this booklet is many of the must know tips on how to best take care of your new puppy.
The exam is the most important part of the visit!
A veterinarian should do a thorough physical examination on your pet at least once a year. As your pet gets older, or if they develop a chronic medical condition more frequent exams may be needed to manage your pet's health concerns. The exam is essential to identify any health concerns your pet may have. If any concerns are found we will discuss those concerns with you in detail. Some breed abnormalities are normal, and warrant you to be aware but not overly concerned. Please, fell free ask us any question you may have at anytime of the visit.
Adult Vaccination Series.
Adult Immunizations series should include DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, PARVOVIRUS, CORONAVIRUS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, RABIES, BORDETELLA BRONCHITIS, and RABIES. Yearly booster are still the best way to ensure your pets immune system stays protected from these life threatening viruses and bacteria. If your pet has had any type of reaction to vaccination in the past let your pets assistant/technician know.
It is common for pets to experience some or all of the following mild side effects after receiving a vaccine, usually starting within hours of the vaccination. If these side effects last for more than a day or two, or cause your pet significant discomfort, it is important for you to contact us:
Discomfort and local swelling at the vaccination site
Mild fever ( Do not give any aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen to help with fever. These can be toxic to your pet.)
Decreased appetite and activity
Sneezing, mild coughing, "snotty nose" or other respiratory signs may occur 2-5 days after your pet receives an intranasal vaccine
A firm, small swelling under the skin may develop at the site of a recent vaccination. It should start to disappear within a couple weeks. If it persists more than three weeks, or seems to be getting larger, you should contact your veterinarian. We see this most common with the Rabies vaccine. We will administer this vaccine over the right hind area of your pet. If you have any concerns please bring your pet to have any swelling evaluated.
More serious, but less common side effects, such as allergic reactions, may occur within minutes to hours after vaccination. These reactions can be life-threatening and are medical emergencies. Seek veterinary care immediately if any of these signs develop:
Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
Itchy skin that may seem bumpy ("hives")
Swelling of the muzzle and around the face, neck, or eyes
Severe coughing or difficulty breathing
Collapse
Internal Parasite Testing.
Today we will recommend you have your pet tested for internal parasites, both with a blood test for heartworms and fecal exam for intestinal parasites. Even if your pet has been on regular preventive medications it is important we check as prevention scan fail, and resistance to products can occur. To maintain treatment guarantees on heart worm preventives routine testing is requires by the manufactures.
Hookworms, Round Worms, and Whipworms are the most common intestinal parasites we find. Hookworms and Whipworms are typical too small to be seen with the naked eye, although they are the most serious internal parasites in adult dogs. Roundworms are less common in adult dogs, but are still possible. TAPEWORMS are some times found on fecal exams, but are typical noticed by you. Watch the pet's stool and hair for small, white segments, looking similar to rice. Notify the clinic if these segments are observed so the pet can be dewormed for tapeworms.
Heartworms are endemic in Middle Tennessee; despite wide availability of affordable preventives and their use the number of dogs diagnosed each year continues to rise. We recommend monthly heartworm preventive be given year-round, for the rest of your pet's life to prevent the common deadly disease internal and external parasite cause.
We have several options we recommend for your pet's heartworm prevention. We have selected several products we trust that are the most cost effective and convenient on the market.
Monthly Oral Preventive - We sell these in single, three, six, or twelve month counts to fit your budget. It is imperative for best results you remember to give the preventive every month. We highly recommend you set an alert on your phone to help you remember. A large number of the dogs we diagnose with heartworms had preventives at home that were forgotten. We can even set you up with monthly home delivery of your pet's oral internal parasite preventive. This way the cost is spread out and it's easier to remember, just give them their monthly preventive when it shows up in the mail.
Once or Twice a Year Injections-Pro Heart. Pro Heart is available as either a 6 month or 12 month injection. Either can be given to suit your budget today. This is the best way to make sure your pet is protected from heartworms as you will not need to worry about a missed monthly dose. Our system will set reminders to text or email you when the next dose is due. Learn More About Pro Heart Here.
External Parasites.
Fleas and ticks continue to be problems for our pets. In our area they can be a problem year round, and prevention is much easier than treatment. To help protect your pet and home environment we recommend regular use of external parasite preventives. We found Simparica to provide great coverage for external parasites and have the best value of the products on the market.
Want a different preventive or to use an outside pharmacy? Ask today for your prescription!
To accommodate your needs and to allow us the best efficiency please request your written prescriptions today if you plan to use a different pet pharmacy. Request at a later time may require a new exam, or a fee charged to review records and approve any request. Here at Premier VetCare we take pride in providing veterinary care for your pet and it is our goal to take every step possible to ensure that our patients receive the very best pharmaceutical products available. To follow veterinary regulations, we require a physical exam with one of our veterinarians once yearly to prescribe preventive medications. Our staff is not able to approve any faxed or emailed prescription requests. Processing these request outside of appointments is time consuming for our staff. Your cooperation is appreciated. Our policy is to provide any written prescriptions requested during the time of your pet's exam. There is no charge for this prescription during exam visits and we are happy to answer any questions.
We recommend yearly check ups and vaccines, as well as continued protection for heart worms, fleas, and ticks. For pets 5 years old or older we may begin recommending senior wellness work-ups to catch age related conditions before they get out of hand.
Nutrition.
Feed HIGH Quality Pet Foods. NO generic or cheap brands!! Cheap brands of dog food substitute low QUALITY protein sources, which often will not be utilized by the pup. We highly recommend the premium, high quality foods. These foods are much more concentrated than typical grocery store brands. Even though these foods cost a little more than commercial store brands--over a month’s time, it really will not cost you more to feed the pup, since you will be feeding less food if you follow the chart on the package. These foods greatly decrease stool volume, making house training easier.
Feed pets 1-2 times daily. Some small breed dogs are best to be feed three times a day.
Feed your dog the volume of food as recommended on the label. Do NOT leave the food out continuously, this promotes grazing habits that make it difficult to measure your pets food intake and contributes to obesity. If you do leave food out do not put more than a daily ration in the bowl per day, and don not refill unless it is empty.
Remember the label recommendations are for the number of 8 oz cups. So measure it correctly to prevent overfeeding.
Once your dog has been spayed their food intake should be 3/4 of the package label amount. Once altered their daily energy requirements drop by 25%. By reducing the daily feeding to 3/4 of the label recommendations you will help avoid the weight gain often seen after spay or neuter, plus you can fit in a few extra treats a day. The label recommendation is based on unaltered pets.
We prefer to feed NO table scraps. These often make the dog a “finicky eater” as well as cause vomiting or diarrhea, and weight gain.
The only real difference in canned and dry food is the amount of water it contains. Canned food is composed of 80% water. Therefore we recommend dry food because it is much more economical--the nutritional content is the same. A tablespoon of canned food can be mixed with the dry food to enhance the flavor if you wish. Simply warming dry food in the microwave or by adding hot water enhances the flavor. Dry food also is better for teeth care. Make any changes in brands of food gradually by mixing the old food with the new food to prevent diarrhea and digestive upsets.
Avoid Grain Free Diets! Despite the marketing and hype grain free diets are a fad, not based in science or research. Grains are important part of your pet's diet and health, as they are the main source of carbohydrates that provide your pets cells with energy to work properly. Grains are not typically responsible for food allergies or sensitivities, proteins are. In recent years grain free diets have bee linked to the development of Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a heart condition, in dogs. It is unclear the exact reason, but many pets have died from being feed grain free diets. If you think you pet does develop food allergies please see us. Allergies are a complicated problem that can not be cured, only managed, we can help you do it right.
Did you know you can schedule your pets appointments online?
You can access your pets wellness records for your groomer, daycare, or boarding facility through our pet portal. There you can also request appointments, and request your pets in-house medication refills.
Click Below To Download.
Please feel free to contact us with any concerns or questions at:
Appointments Preferred. Pets are seen in following order:
Life Threatening Emergencies, Appointments, Urgent Care Walk-ins, Wellness Walk-ins
Additional Fees Apply to Walk-In & Urgent Care Visits
When bringing your pets into our office, for their and the safety of other pets, please either have your pet leashed or in a pet carrier. Please ask our staff at check in for a leash if needed.
