Primary Care refers to the ongoing day-to-day treatment provided by a veterinarian and includes things like annual exams, vaccinations, and treatment of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Pet Wellness Services and our Commitment Throughout Your Animal’s Lifetime
Ann Arbor Animal Hospital is dedicated to the care of animals—we truly understand how important animal companions are to our clients and their families. We are very fortunate to have the quality of staff that the hospital has assembled and we pride ourselves on “collaborative medicine.” Our team of veterinarians work together, combining their medical expertise to ascertain the best treatment plans for your pet. Matched with our highly proficient and qualified support staff plus state-of-the-art facility and equipment, your pet can be assured of receiving high quality medicine and care. As a client, you can be assured that our team of professionals will make every effort possible to attend to your needs whether it is answering questions, recommending a referral, or giving you a hug.
Our hospital practices routine wellness and preventive care that includes annual checkups, dental care and regular vaccinations. We routinely arrange follow-up calls to clients to report on test results and check on a patient’s progress after an illness or surgery. We are committed to making each client visit the best it can be.
If you would like the convenience of reordering prescriptions and food for pick up at our drive-thru or via home delivery, head over to our Prescription Refills page.
Annual Exams
Routine physical examinations are just as important for your pet as they are for you! We recommend a complete physical examination at least once a year. These annual examinations provide your DVM the opportunity to monitor your pet’s overall health and spot potential issues before they become serious health concerns. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask your vet important questions about your pet’s health, behavior and daily care.
During each wellness exam, our DVMs and Vet Techs will perform a “nose-to-tail” evaluation of your pet—examining his/her vision and hearing, vital signs, test the joints and muscles, check for any lumps or growths on the body, recommend adjustments to diet and more.
Multi Pet Discount
If you have more than one pet, we can accommodate you! We even offer a multi pet discount when you make an appointment! At our discretion, we can see up to three (3) pets per visit unless appointment availability allows for more. When scheduling your next appointment, ask our team if it would be appropriate to schedule a visit for multiple pets at once.
Wellness through the Life Stages
Maintaining the health of your pet requires more than a annual visit for a checkup. It includes understanding the needs of your pet as it transitions through its life stages. At Ann Arbor Animal Hospital we follow a protocol designed to help you manage the health needs of your pet through these stages in order to promote optimal health.
Our program consists of the following:
Youth (birth to age 1) – The first year of a puppy or kitten’s life requires special care in order to ensure that he or she grows and develops normally. This includes an initial exam with vaccinations (even for pets that don’t go outside), regular testing of stool samples, and a discussion about good nutritional health. For puppies we advise the start of heartworm prevention medication. At about six months of age, we recommend spaying or neutering your pet.
Adult (ages 1–9) – These years represent your pet’s midlife years. As such, it is important to keep up with annual wellness exams and boosters for vaccines, regular lab tests, flea and tick prevention, heartworm prevention, dental exams and nutritional requirements.
Senior (9+ years) – Dogs and cats in their senior years require additional veterinary care in order to keep them healthy and to detect early signs of treatable disease. This is all the more true since their metabolism slows and they are more susceptible to a variety of cancers. We still recommend yearly wellness exams, but also recommend a geriatric exam tailored to your pet’s age and condition, an individualized geriatric diet, heartworm prevention and routine screenings for growths and lumps on or just under the skin and unusual changes in your pet’s behavior.