Wellness Care

1. Puppy & Kitten Care Guidelines (Birth to 1 Year)

Congratulations on this new addition to your family! At West Orange Animal Hospital, our veterinarians will take special care of your furry-family from birth to their senior years. These initial visits are a great time to address any questions you may have about vaccine schedule, preventative care, training, diet, etc. During these “head to tail” visits we will look for any signs of illness and make sure that your new pet is in good health. Our veterinarians will screen your pet for fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites, and any other health problems to ensure that your new family member is healthy and free of diseases that can be transmitted to you or other members in your household.

Spay and Neuter Recommendations
The best timing for spay or neuter surgery depends on your pet’s species, breed, size, lifestyle, health, and household needs. For many cats and small-breed dogs, surgery may be recommended around 6 months of age. For some larger-breed dogs, there may be benefits to delaying surgery until later in development. Our veterinarians will discuss the risks and benefits with you and help choose the timing that makes the most sense for your pet. We also recommend addressing congenital or prophylactic procedures at this time including – repairing umbilical hernias, extracting retained primary teeth, prophylactic gastropexy, etc. Read more here.

Parasite Control for Young Pets
External Parasites (Fleas, Ticks, Mites): Many newly adopted kittens and puppies have been infected with fleas or mites. Comprehensive parasite control includes treatment of the environment (house) as well as monthly preventatives. Additionally, we see many patients in our area infected with potentially fatal tick-borne disease such as Lyme and Anaplasma. We strongly recommend flea and tick preventatives for all patients – indoor and outdoor- as many patients can be infected within their homes.
Internal Parasites (Tapeworms, Hookworms, Giardia…): We routinely deworm puppies and kittens during their initial vaccine visits as young pets are frequently infected with intestinal parasites and several treatments are necessary to eliminate them. We recommend annual routine fecal analyses to check for other parasite eggs.

Behavioral & Training Foundations
House training: The concept is to not allow your puppy the opportunity to make mistakes. Your puppy needs to be taken outside or onto the “potty pad” frequently and shortly after each meal. Applaud your puppy after performing the task appropriately – such as providing treats or words of praise. Punishing for making mistakes is usually not helpful.
Crate training: We strongly advise puppies to be crated when not being immediately observed. This is an important practice for your puppy to learn a sense of independence and minimize separation anxiety. This will also protect your puppy from harm such as ingesting foreign objects.
Litter box training: Most kittens take to the litter box naturally. It may be necessary to experiment with different types of litter as some cats have preference. We recommend one litter box per cat plus one extra litter box. We recommend cleaning the litter box frequently.

Vaccinations Protocols
We believe that one of the most important aspects of caring for your pet’s health is vaccinating him or her against potential diseases. Your veterinarian will create a vaccination protocol based on your pet’s lifestyle and exposure to disease. We will be happy to discuss the benefits of protecting your pet with vaccinations, as well as, provide you with information on the recommended core vaccines for your pet. Explore our detailed guides here: Puppy Protocol and Kitten Protocol.

2. Adult Pet Wellness Guidelines (Ages 1 to 7 Years)

We believe that regular checkups and wellness exams are critical to your pet’s well-being. These annual physical examinations give us a chance to evaluate the overall health of your pet – providing a baseline for their own unique bodies as well as potentially detect potential problems before they become serious. Talk to your veterinarian about the following core adult maintenance services during your visit:

Dental Care: At West Orange Animal Hospital, we are committed to our patient’s dental health and implement the highest quality dental care. We implement a comprehensive approach including at home dental care including brushing and dental chews, as well as thorough dental cleanings. Read more here.

Diet & Nutrition: We recommend using products with “AAFCO” printed on the label – this stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials. A diet can only claim it is “complete and balanced” if it meets or exceeds AAFCO’s minimum requirements. We recommend avoiding generic pet foods and advise that our patients are fed a diet formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Examples of these premium manufacturers include Hill’s science diet, Purina, Iams, Royal Canin. Each individual is different – there is no “best food for all”.

Year-Round Parasite Prevention: We recommend year-long treatment with flea/tick and heartworm preventatives for all patients as well as annual routine fecal analyses and heartworm testing. Please talk to your veterinarian about which preventatives would be best for you and your pet.

Microchipping: Microchipping pets is the best way to ensure their safe return in the unfortunate event that they become lost. This is a safe, simple, and permanent form of identification designed to quickly identify lost pets and reidentify with their owners. This is given by a simple injection under the skin during an office visit or at the time of spay or neuter. The microchip contains a unique identification code that will be linked to your information once registered online. Find out more at HomeAgain.

Advanced Diagnostics & Hospital Support: Our state-of-the-art in-house laboratory equipment allows us to diagnose your pets within minutes and begin treatment sooner. We can perform a complete chemistry profile to evaluate organ function, monitor electrolytes, perform analysis on urine samples, and take digital radiographs or ultrasounds to see what is going on inside your pet without surgery. Learn more about our In-House Laboratory and Digital Imaging services. We also offer secure hospital boarding solutions and full-service surgeries should your adult pet require specialized attention.

Bathing Support: There are many situations when your pet may need a medicated bath. Our most common baths are for dry and itchy skin – we use a soothing shampoo to help patients suffering from skin problems. We also offer baths for fleas, ticks, and ringworm.

3. Senior & Geriatric Care Guidelines (Ages 7+ Years)

Did you know that pets age faster than people and can be considered “seniors” at around 7 years of age? Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever! Just as our health care needs change as we age, your pet’s nutritional needs, exercise habits, and many other aspects of your pet’s daily routine may change as your pet ages. The best way to help protect your pet as he or she ages is through biannual physical examinations, routine wellness blood work and other diagnostic testing to evaluate how your pet’s health is changing with age.

Advanced Pain Management
Recognizing and alleviating your pet’s pain is at the very heart of quality and compassionate patient care. We do not take pain management for granted and will employ all our skills to help ensure your pet’s comfort and well being. At West Orange Animal Hospital, we offer a wide variety of pain control including medications ranging from all natural joint supplements, anti-inflammatories, or Adequan injections. It is important to run blood work before starting many medications to minimize the potential for adverse side-effects. In keeping with the latest medical advancements, West Orange Animal Hospital is one of the few hospitals on the East-coast with the training and experience to perform PRP joint injections. This is the latest and most innovative treatment for dogs with osteoarthritis.

Senior Diagnostic Screenings & Pharmacy
Our state of the art in-house laboratory equipment allows us to run comprehensive profiles, evaluate aging organ function, check fluid balance metrics, and perform urine analyses in minutes. Combined with low-stress digital radiology and ultrasound imaging, we can monitor structural and metabolic internal changes closely. Read our detailed guides for laboratory analytics and imaging diagnostics. Our fully stocked pharmacy contains an immediate inventory of senior-specific therapies and brand-name medications to support your companion seamlessly.

Hospice Care and Humane Euthanasia
Are you having problems caring for a terminally ill pet at home? Before you struggle one more day, contact our staff of compassionate and caring professionals to learn how we can help you through this painful experience. We offer hospice services to ensure your pet’s comfort during their final moments. We understand that decision for hospice care or humane euthansia is a very personal and difficult decision to make. We are here to honor your special requests, provide guidance, and answer questions regarding end-of-life care.