1441 Bridgetown Pike, Feasterville, PA 19053
Comprehensive Pet Care at Family Pet Clinic
We at Family Pet Clinic want to do everything we can to help you keep your friend well, happy, and living his or her best life with you! Our preventative care includes age- and health-appropriate exams, vaccinations, and parasite control. To keep your pal fit and trim, we offer nutrition and weight management guidance. Talk to us about the benefits of microchipping, the best way to be reconnected should your pet be lost and found by a good samaritan.
Examinations
Regardless of how healthy your pet may appear, it is important you bring him or her in at least once per year. Pets are masters of masking signs of illness and disease, but a quick, routine examination can help us catch small signs of illness and disease that could easily go unnoticed.
For kittens, puppies, senior pets, and pets living with health conditions, however, more frequent visits are recommended. For the younger ones, it's to ensure their vaccination schedules and growth are on track. For older friends and those with concerns, it's so we can keep a close eye on their health.
Here at Family Pet Clinic, our medical team has years of experience working with clients and patients to ensure your pet is set to live a long, happy, and healthy life. In our routine examinations, we will check your pet from nose to tail, discuss any findings and talk about follow-up care, if needed.
A complete physical exam will assess:
- Heartbeat and respiratory rate
- Teeth and gums
- Joints and muscles
- Abdominal region
- Eyes, ears, and nose
- Weight and body composition
- Skin and coat
- Temperature
To help us in the assessment of your pet’s overall health condition, please bring a fresh stool sample to your pet’s routine examination. If parasites are detected in the fecal examination, we will discuss treatment options with you.
Have questions? Please ask away! Come with a list! We are here to provide guidance so your pet can live his or her best life.
Some things that are frequent concerns of clients:
- How many hours is it okay to leave my pet alone?
- Why does my friend seem to have phobias and anxieties?
- What can I do to provide my pal a comfy place to sleep?
- Why does my pet not seem to like other people or animals?
- Why doesn't my buddy enjoy playtime?
Should you have any questions that may be better addressed by a specialist in the area, we are always happy to refer you to facilities that we know and trust.
Vaccinations
There are many conditions that may cause a pet’s health to deteriorate. Fortunately, vaccinations provide a trusted line of defense against many. By offering core vaccines, as well as non-core vaccines, we can help protect your pet from infectious disease and keep not only your pet safe, but the rest of the pet and human community too.
All pets are different, which is why at Family Pet Clinic we offer personalized vaccination plans to fit your pet’s personal needs. Our team is highly knowledgeable in prevention through vaccination and can customize a plan that is best for your pet’s species, lifestyle, age and health conditions.
Core Vaccines Are Highly Recommended for All Pets. Rabies is Required by PA Law.
Core Canine Vaccines
- DHPP vaccination prevents four diseases: distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Almost all dogs will be exposed to at least one of these four diseases, making this vaccination very important.
- Rabies vaccination prevents dogs from contracting Rabies, a deadly disease to both animals and humans. This vaccine is required by law.
Core Feline Vaccines
- FVRCP vaccination prevents feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia. Also known as the feline combo or feline distemper vaccine, the FVRCP vaccine is a combination vaccine, which includes protection against three common and potentially serious, airborne viruses.
- Rabies vaccination prevents cats from contracting rabies, a deadly disease to both animals and humans. This vaccine is required by law.
Non-core Vaccines Are Based on Your Pet’s Age, Lifestyle, Health, and Risk of Exposure.
Non-core Canine Vaccines
- Bordetella vaccination protects against kennel cough, a very contagious condition that results in a dry throat and awful hacking cough that can last longer than a month. This vaccine is recommended for pets who frequent boarding facilities, dog parks, and any pet-friendly locations.
- Leptospirosis vaccination protects against a bacterial disease that is spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and survive for weeks and sometimes even months. This disease can be spread from dogs to humans.
- Lyme vaccination protects against diseases from a specific species of tick.
- Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) vaccination prevents the spread of the flu in dogs.
Non-core Feline Vaccines
- FeLV/FIV vaccination prevents cats from getting Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This is recommended for cats who reside in multi-cat households or spend time outdoors.
Vaccines for pets work in the same way that they do for humans. The vaccine exposes the body to extremely low levels of the disease organisms. The exposure is safe and controlled, but it allows the immune system to build antigens against the disease. Thus, when the body comes in contact with the actual virus, the antigens can protect the body.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your pet’s vaccine recommendations, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and ask us questions.
Parasite Control
Parasites are more common than you may think, but there is no need to be alarmed. While parasites like fleas, ticks, mosquitos, and intestinal parasites pose a serious threat to our pets, administering year-round parasite preventatives will help.
In every single case, prevention against parasites is much easier than the treatment of them. Here at Family Pet Clinic, we use a two-step prevention method that effectively protects pets against parasites: continuous preventative medication and annual parasite testing.
Our medical team will take into account your pet's lifestyle, geography, and overall risk of exposure to determine which preventative medication is most suitable. Our recommendations are easy to administer and often come in the form of a pill, treat, or collar. Parasite testing is accomplished at your pet's annual visit through a fecal or blood exam.
Fleas
Fleas tend to be more prevalent in the warmer months, but are present all year round. They reproduce at a rapid rate and can be transferred from animals to people. When fleas bite, it can lead to a variety of potential ailments, including tapeworms, allergies, and bacterial infections. In the most extreme cases, a flea bite can result in death.
Ticks
Ticks carry dangerous conditions like ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, tick paralysis, and Lyme disease. Get in the habit of checking your pet (and yourself) for ticks every time you take him or her outside. Ticks are most prevalent in grassy terrains and wooded areas.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes themselves can only cause itchy and uncomfortable bites for your pet. However, mosquitos pass heartworm larvae to animals, which can pose life-threatening infection to your pet. Dogs are more likely to get heartworm larvae, but cats are also susceptible.
Heartworms
Heartworms are some of the most brutal parasites out there. They occupy vital areas of the body such as the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Heartworms can cause irreversible damage that can result in a slow death for pets. Please, save your pet from this agonizing pest by keeping up with monthly preventatives.
Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal Parasites are very common in pets and can result in serious illness if left untreated. Some examples of intestinal parasites include hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, roundworms, and giardia and coccidia. Such parasites are often spread through contact with the soil and the stool of other animals, meaning that your pet is susceptible whenever he or she goes outside.
Due to their immature immune systems, puppies and kittens tend to be the most at risk for intestinal parasites. This is why it is so important you bring in your new pets as early as possible, so they can be tested, treated, and we can keep up with their preventatives.
People are also at risk of contracting intestinal parasites. This means that when you protect your pet with preventative plans, you are also keeping you and your family safe. In addition to preventatives, it is recommended you maintain proper pet hygiene and wash your hands anytime after you handle a pet who has been outside recently.
- Roundworms look like angel hair pasta. In some cases, pets may pass roundworms in their stool.
- Hookworms look similar to fish hooks and are about one inch in length. They can latch onto the lining of the stomach and cause painful ulcers.
- Whipworms are curly shaped and typically around 2-3 inches in length.
- Tapeworms are very common among pets and can cause gastrointestinal blockages.
- Giardia and coccidia are more prone to affect younger pets and are not visible to the naked eye. Symptoms may include vomiting and diarrhea.
Microchipping
Here at Family Pet Clinic, we know that accidents can happen. Every year, one out of every three pets goes missing, gets lost or stolen. That’s ten million pets a year!
For this reason, we highly recommend that all pet owners be prepared with reliable pet identification. Microchipping provides a modern solution to identifying pets that have been lost or stolen and maximizes your chances of having a pet return home to your should such an incident occur. Microchips may be inserted at any age, but the sooner the better!
The insertion process itself is quick, easy and painless. This procedure may be performed at the same time as other services, such as a dental cleaning or even during a routine wellness visit. Once your pet’s microchip has been inserted, you may upload your current contact information to the national online database. Should you ever move or change phone numbers you can simply update your information.
The microchips all have a unique serial number. Typically, when any lost pet is taken to a shelter or clinic, a special scanner is used to retrieve the contact information from the microchip and contact the rightful owner.
In addition to the use of microchips, our veterinary team recommends that all pet owners use collars and ID tags. These methods may not be the most foolproof, but are an added resource to help your pet should they ever be lost or stolen.
Nutrition & Weight Management
Obesity in pets has become a very serious matter. A clinical survey conducted in 2017 by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that an estimated 56% of canines and 60% of felines are overweight or obese in the United States.
Numerous consequences can arise due to obesity. This includes kidney dysfunction, liver disease, respiratory disorder, chronic inflammation, metabolic and endocrine disorders, cancer, high blood pressure, and a decreased quality of life.
Considering these findings, our medical team has made it a point to carefully monitor your pet’s weight and provide guidance on how to maintain an ideal body size for your pet.
Obesity can be due to several reasons in pets. Consider the following when assessing the shape of your pet:
- Food. Sometimes we like to give our pets a little extra food from the table, or a couple more treats here and there. It may seem harmless, but oftentimes those calories add up quickly and contribute to obesity.
- Lack of exercise. Although your pet may spend hours outside, he or she may not be getting the proper exercise. A simple daily walk is all it takes to keep the weight off dogs. As for cats, choose toys that require physical activity. Running, jumping, and chasing will help your cat maintain ideal body weight.
- Medications. Some medications may include side effects that can cause weight gain by either an increase in appetite or by affecting metabolism.