GAH Wellness Protocol Outline

Exams
Exam (with Worksheet and Questionnaire) every 3 weeks as a juvenile until 15 weeks of age, every 6 months thereafter. Repeat W and Q with any Full Exam (wellness or Illness) that occurs more than 3 months since the last Exam.

Vaccines:

• Rabies- First vaccine between 12 and 16 weeks of age followed by booster 1 year later and every 3 years after that. Purevax – same as above except every year as an adult. First vaccine given as adult is followed by 1-year booster regardless of age.
• DHPP and DRC- every 3 weeks from 6 to 15 weeks of age. Initially 2 vaccines, 3 weeks apart if started after 15 weeks. First vaccine or pediatric series followed by at least 1 annual vaccine, then every 1 to 3 years depending on risk assessment and owners preference.
• BV- every 6 months if pet ever leaves the owners property or is exposed to any other dogs. Fist vaccine is boosted 3 weeks later if given before 9 weeks of age.
• Lyme- If pet walks in woods or is otherwise picking up ticks. Initially a series of 2
  vaccines, 3 weeks apart, started when over 12 weeks of age and boosted annually.
• Feline Leukemia- If pet goes outdoors or is exposed to other cats of questionable FeLV status. Initially 2 vaccines, 3 weeks apart, started over 12 weeks of age and boosted annually. Cat should be Felv tested first.

Labs:

• Fecals- at least 2 during pediatric visits, usually on first and last visit. Every 1 year if on heartworm prevention or never steps outdoors, otherwise every 6 months.
• Heartworm Test- Occult and Filter Tests before starting heartworm prevention if over 6 months old, or if off of prevention for more than 2 months (not required in cats). Annually if on prevention.
• Wellness Blood Panel- annually if less than 7 years old, every 6 months if over 7 or if on certain medications.
• Urinalysis- same as above, ideally at the same time as the blood panel.
  
• ERD- same as above: ideally run all 3 together.

Parasite Control

• Deworming- Strongid at each pediatric visit, at least 2 when a juvenile. Annually if on Heartworm Prevention, every 6 months if not. Otherwise by fecal results.
• Heartworm Prevention- every month, year round, both dogs and cats.
• Flea and Tick Control- Year round prevention, Top Spot preferred.

Dentistry
Dental care and grading at each wellness visit. Professional Cleaning Grades 1-4.

Behavior
Training and Socialization discussed especially as pediatrics. Problems addressed early. See Questionnaire.

Breed Predisposition
Consult Breed Predisposition List for Breed Specific Diagnostic Recommendations and discuss at least annually.

Recommended Wellness Care by Age and Species

RECOMMENDED KITTEN HEALTH CARE

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your kitten's risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases. Kittens should be seen every 3 weeks starting at 5-6 weeks of age and extending to 15 weeks. The number of vaccines given is not as important as the interval between vaccinations and the age at which the last vaccine is given, which should be 15 weeks of age or older.

An EXAMPLE of veterinary visits for a kitten obtained at 6 weeks of age is as follows:

VACCINATIONS are an important part of your kitten's health care program. Kittens, which are allowed to nurse, absorb antibodies from their mother's colostrum (the first secretions from the mammary gland). These antibodies defend against disease until the kitten's immune system is able to do so. Kittens need vaccinations to stimulate their immune system as soon as the protective level of their maternal antibody diminishes (starting at approximately 6 weeks of age). Your kitten needs to be vaccinated against the following potentially fatal and contagious diseases:

D - Feline Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) is a parvovirus that affects the bone marrow, intestines and lymph tissue.
R - Feline Viral Rhino Tracheitis Virus. (FRV) - a serious upper respiratory virus.
C - Feline Calcivirus. This virus and FVR account for approximately 85-90% of the feline upper respiratory infection complex. FVR virus can cause eye disease with or without accompanying respiratory signs.
FLV - Feline Leukemia Virus - FLV causes many different forms of cancer in cats. It also surpresses the bone marrow and immune system. Testing is recommended when the pet is first obtained, and prior to starting the vaccine series. Vaccination against this fatal disease is highly recommended for outdoor cats and indoor cats who are exposed to cats of questionable FLV status. It starts with two vaccines given three weeks apart and then annually as long as the pet is at risk.
Rabies - A virus affecting the brain of all warm-blooded animals - fatal, and state law requires that the first vaccine be given between 12 and 16 weeks of age.

INTESTINAL PARASITES are very common in kittens. Some of these can be transmitted to humans. Kittens should be checked by microscopic examination of a fresh stool sample and de-wormed for intestinal parasites such as roundworms.

OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (spaying) of females and CASTRATION of males should be performed after 4 months of age. (This can actually be performed as early as 8 weeks of age in most cases). These procedures directly and indirectly preserve your cat's health, make him or her a better pet, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.

DECLAWING, if desired, can be performed after 4 months of age (or as early as 8 weeks)

HEARTWORM PREVENTION is recommended for cats that spend time outdoors.

RECOMMENDED ADULT CAT HEALTH CARE

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your pet's risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases.

PHYSICAL EXAM –Every 6 months: very important to detect medical problems early

DRC - Recommend for all cats, Boosted every 1-3 years after initial series, depending on risk factors (see below for definition).

FLV - Recommended for cats that spend time outside or will be exposed to other cats, boosted every year depending on risk factors.

RABIES - Every 1-3 years (after 2nd vaccine).

FECAL EXAM WITH DE-WORMING- Yearly if indoors ONLY or on heartworm preventative, every 6 months if goes outside and is not on heartworm preventative- with de-worming.

INTESTINAL PARASITES are very common in cats. Some of these parasites can be transmitted to humans. Cats should be checked and de-wormed for intestinal parasites such as roundworms. This is achieved by microscopic examination of a fresh stool sample.

WELLNESS BLOODWORK, URINALYSIS, and ERD LAB. SCREENING - annually for pets under 7 years; every 6 months when 7 years and over. Remember that one year of our pets life is equivalent to 5 to 15 of our years. That means that disease can seem to develop very fast. The earlier we detect problems, the better the prognosis. Since our pets cant tell us when they do not feel well, laboratory screening becomes very important.

These are general recommendations. Your veterinarian may alter the vaccination schedule to suit your cat's individual requirements.

D - Feline distemper (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) is a parvovirus that affects the bone marrow, intestines, and lymph tissue.
R - Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Virus (FVR) - a severe upper respiratory virus.
C - Feline Callicivirus. This Virus and FVR account for approximately 85-90% of the feline upper respiratory infection complex. FVR virus can cause eye disease with or without accompanying respiratory signs.

FLV - Feline Leukemia Virus - FLV causes many different forms of cancer in cats. It also suppresses the bone marrow and immune system. Testing is recommended when the pet is first obtained, and prior to starting the vaccine series. Vaccination against this fatal disease is highly recommended for outdoor cats and indoor cats that are exposed to cats of questionable FLV status. It starts with two vaccines given three weeks apart and then annually as long as the pet is at risk.

Rabies - a virus affecting the brain of all warm-blooded animals - fatal, and required by law (every 1-3 years after the 1 year booster).

DECLAWING, if desired, can be performed after 4 months of age.

HEARTWORM prevention is recommended for all cats.

RECOMMENDED PUPPY HEALTH CARE

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your puppy's risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases. Puppies should be seen every 3 weeks starting at 5-6 weeks and extending to 15 weeks. The number of vaccines given is not as important as the age when the last vaccine is given. The last vaccine should be given when the puppy is 15 weeks of age or older.

An EXAMPLE of a puppy started at 6 weeks is as follows:

OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (spaying) of females should be performed after 4 months of age. Spaying is extremely important in preventing serious diseases such as breast cancer (the most common cancer in unspayed dogs), uterine cancers, and life threatening uterine infections.

CASTRATION of males should be performed after 4 months of age. These procedures will prevent common, serious diseases associated with the reproductive system, and may prevent behavior problems.

RECOMMENDED ADULT DOG HEALTH CARE

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your dog's risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases.

PHYSICAL EXAM – Every 6 months: very important to detect medical problems early.
DHPP – Every 1-3 years; boosters necessary after initial series.
RABIES - Every 3 years after 2nd vaccine.
HEARTWORM TEST - Yearly
FECAL EXAM WITH DE-WORMING- Yearly if on heartworm preventative, every 6 months if not on heartworm preventative- with de-worming.

BORDETELLA – Every 6 months.

These are general recommendations. Your veterinarian may alter the vaccination schedule to suit your dog's individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS are an important part of your dog's health care program. A vaccination is an injection of vaccine. Your dog's immune system responds to the vaccine as if it were the disease-causing organism and produces specific antibodies against it. These antibodies protect your pet if it encounters the active organism, thus helping prevent illness. Your dog needs to be vaccinated against the following potentially fatal and contagious diseases:

D - Canine Distemper Virus - a viral disease that affects the respiratory system, brain, and intestines.
H - Infectious Canine Hepatitis - a viral disease affecting the liver, kidney and eyes.
P - Parainfluenza - a viral disease that affects the respiratory tract.
P - Parvovirus - a viral disease affecting the intestine, bone marrow, lymph tissue, and heart muscle.
Rabies- a virus affecting the brain of all warm-blooded animals - fatal - vaccines are required by state law (every 3 years after the 1 year booster).
Bordetella - also known as kennel cough: A highly contagious respiratory infection.

HEARTWORM DISEASE is transmitted to a dog through a bite from an infected mosquito. The larvae is deposited under the dog's skin and travels through the blood stream to the heart where the larvae mature into adult worms. The adults reproduce and release microfilariae (baby heartworms) into the dogs circulation 6-7 months after infection. Therefore, testing puppies less than 6 months of age is unnecessary. Oral prevention is needed year round in Virginia to avoid infection.

WELLNESS BLOODWORK, URINALYSIS, and ERD LAB. SCREENING - annually for pets under 7 years; every 6 months when 7 years and over. Remember that one year of our pets life is equivalent to 5 to 15 of our years. That means that disease can seem to develop very fast. The earlier we detect problems, the better the prognosis. Since our pets cant tell us when they do not feel well, laboratory screening becomes very important.                                                                                                         

INTESTINAL PARASITES are very common in dogs. Some of these parasites can be transmitted to humans. Dogs should be checked and de-wormed on each visit for intestinal parasites such as round and hookworms. This is achieved by microscopic examination of a fresh stool sample.

OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (spaying) of females should be performed after 4 months of age.

AVIAN WELLNESS ADVICE

Birds in the wild have survival instincts, which cause them to hide their illness as long as possible. Signs of illness attract predators, since illness makes prey easier to catch. Birds in captivity, regardless of how tame, have retained that instinct. This fact has led to the misconception that birds get sick and die very quickly. In fact, when most owners notice signs of illness, the disease has been present for some time and is now in the terminal stages. This is why a thorough physical exam and laboratory testing is important.

The following is a list of avian medical procedures and the information gained from each test. The first three procedures are recommended yearly as a routine "well bird" examination. Realize that no amount of testing can 100% guarantee a healthy bird, but the more information we have the more likely we will be to detect disease before it becomes lethal. Also, if this is a post purchase checkup, you may need this information for warranty purposes. Remember, no matter what type of bird you have or how much it cost to purchase, they are all considered family members and deserve the best medical care possible. 

Physical Exam: A complete physical exam may detect many common problems (respiratory disease, malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency, sinus and/or eye infections, mites, feather disorders, etc). It is much harder to get as much information from a physical exam on a bird than on a small animal due to their size and anatomy. That is another reason why laboratory testing is so important. Note that if several procedures are going to be performed at once, the use of anesthetic gas makes the visit much less stressful for the patient.

Gram Stain on choana (mouth) and feces: This test checks for abnormal bacteria and yeast in the intestines and upper respiratory tract. It involves taking swabs from the mouth and the vent, applying these samples to a slide, a staining process and microscopic examination. This procedure can be performed in a matter of minutes.

Fecal Flotation/Direct smear: These tests check for the presence of parasites (worms and protozoa) in the intestinal tract of birds - including roundworms, coccidia and giardia, (also contagious to people). This test also can be done in our own lab, within minutes. 

CBC and Serum Blood Chemistry Analysis: This test checks for anemia, infection, blood parasites, and diseases of the liver, kidney and other internal organs. Diseases such as diabetes and calcium deficiency may also be detected. These tests require a blood sample, and need sent to an outside lab. 

Psittacoses Test (Chlamydia or Parrot Fever): This disease can be carried by the bird for a long time without causing disease. But when active, it can make the bird very sick and may be lethal. It can also be spread to people. This test also gets sent to an outside lab. 

X-Rays: There are many diseases detectable by x-rays such as pneumonia, abscesses, liver disease, fungal infection, old fractures, etc. Additionally, if your pet becomes ill in the future, it helps to have previous x-rays for comparison. Our radiology department is equipped to take quality radiographs of all pets, even the tiniest ones! 

Additional tests that you may consider, depending on the species and origin of your bird, include Polyoma Virus and Psitticine Beak and Feather Disease.

Other available procedures to consider are wing trims, nail trims and band removals. We are also trained to offer advice in the areas of housing, handling and nutrition.

This may also be a convenient time to determine the sex of your bird (through DNA analysis) and genetic "fingerprinting" (for identification). These tests are available through the same laboratory and can be performed at the same time. 

If you are a new bird owner, please request an extended office visit so that we may take the time to discuss nutrition, behavior, housing, training and any other areas of concern. We also encourage bird owners to drop in with their birds from time to time for weight checks to ensure a healthy, growing bird. 

Enjoy your feathered friends, and please call us if we can be of any help!