Did you know that dogs age 7 – 15 years faster than you? So an annual vet check is equivalent of a human going to the doctor’s office once every 7– 15 years! A lot can happen in this time. We recommend a yearly check-up to help us detect any health issues early in order to provide effective treatment options. This will ensure they maintain a healthy life. However, for senior dogs, it is recommended they visit at least twice a year. Like people, their health problems increase in severity and frequency with age.

Getting your puppy off to a healthy start is very important for their long-term health.

We encourage regular checkups and vaccinations during early life. We can also advise and organise nutrition and parasite management during the early months. Desexing will be discussed and microchipping will be recommended for easy, permanent and cost-effective identification for the new family member.

• At Pet Doctor we offer FREE first puppy checks for new puppy owners with puppies under 6 months of age (breeders excluded).
• Please call us to discuss and organise a FREE puppy check at Woodville Pet Doctor

 

Vaccinations are an essential part of keeping your pets happy and healthy. Vaccines help prevent the spread of many deadly and highly contagious diseases.
In dogs, we offer routine protection against diseases such as:

In dogs, we can offer routine protection against diseases such as:

• Distemper which is virus that affects lungs, brain and gastrointestinal tract and can lead to the animal developing a permanent disability
• Hepatitis which affects the liver
• Parvovirus which is a debilitating virus that affects the gastrointestinal tract
• Canine Cough (similar to Whooping Cough in humans) which affects the upper respiratory tract

We can also offer protection against other illnesses including Leptospirosis and Tetanus.

Puppy vaccinations can start as early as 6 weeks of age, however, if you have an older puppy, we can start a vaccination schedule at any time during puppyhood. A course of three injections are recommended at the following intervals:

• 6 – 8 weeks
• 12 – 14 weeks
• 16 – 18 weeks
• Annually for life

Vaccination requirements can be discussed at your dog’s regular wellness examination.

Desexing is probably one of the most important health measures you can do for your pet, and offers both long-term and short-term benefits. Puppies should be desexed at approximately 5-6 months of age as this is when your pet is approaching sexual maturity, and in the case of female dogs, before they come on heat.

• In female dogs, it eliminates the risk of unwanted litters and uterine disease, as well as a significant reduction in the chance of mammary tumours and cervical cancer.
• In male dogs, it eliminates the risk of testicular tumours, and reduces the risks of urine/territory marking and roaming/fighting. It also significantly reduces the risk of prostate disease and perineal herniation later in life.

The price of desexing varies according to your pet’s weight and health status (rather than age). Call us to get an estimate of your pet’s procedure.

 

A microchip is a permanent form of identification and is the only form of identification accepted in legal situations. It is a tiny chip (about the size of a grain of rice) that is implanted under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. We register our microchips with Australasian Animal Registry, which is a nationally recognised database.

Microchipping can be done as early as 6 weeks of age, although many owners prefer to have it done when their pet gets desexed at 5-6 months of age. It is important to keep your contact details up to date on the microchip registry, and this can be done online at home for free.

Our Microchipping is now $67.50 and comes with a lifetime registration.