The doctors and staff at Apollo Pet Hospital & Resort are here to provide complete health care services for your pet. That means that we will help your healthy pets stay well, and we will diagnose and treat your sick pets so they can return to a healthy condition as quickly as possible. We are dedicated to partnering with you in the health care of your pet from the first examinations and vaccinations of your young, healthy puppies and kittens, through early detection and treatment of disease as your pet ages.

Puppies and Kittens

Because their immune systems are not fully developed, young puppies are susceptible to common diseases and viruses. After assessing your pet’s risk of exposure to diseases, we will develop a vaccine schedule based on your pet’s individual needs. Vaccinations are vital to your pet’s health, and can save your pet from unnecessary suffering, or even an early death. They can also save you from expensive veterinary bills. Until your puppy or kitten is completely vaccinated, it is best to limit exposure to other dogs and places where dogs frequent such as parks, pet stores, and playgrounds.

We recommend annual check-ups and consistent preventive care to help alleviate serious health problems later in your pet’s life. During our wellness visits, we conduct a thorough physical exam checking vital signs, looking for abnormalities, and testing for heartworms and other parasites. Blood work will also be measured in puppies and kittens so our caring doctors have a baseline of your pet’s health they can compare to blood testing when your pet is older.

We will explain potential health issues that your pet may face depending on the species, breed, the pet’s stage of life, current health condition, environmental conditions, habitat, and so forth. Based on these factors, we will develop preventive protocols for your pet regarding the best ways to control fleas and ticks in your house, your yard, and on your pet.

At Apollo Pet Hospital & Resort, we like to maintain healthy lifestyles and practices to minimize hiccups and surprises for our pet parents. This includes providing guidance for your pet’s nutritional needs for each life stage, including dietary requirements for growth, weight maintenance, and performance.

Additionally, our veterinary professionals can spay or neuter your pet at the appropriate age, not just to prevent unwanted litters, but to lessen the development of cancer in both genders of dogs and cats.

We also recommend microchipping all pets to greatly increase their opportunity to be reunited with you in the event they wander away from home.

Junior and Adult Pets

As our dogs and cats begin to reach adulthood, their requirements begin to change as well. Maintaining vaccine, heartworm preventatives, intestinal parasite prevention, and flea and tick products continue to be an important part of the wellness protocol at Apollo Pet Hospital & Resort.

Other health matters such as yearly dental cleanings become more important for adult dogs and cats. As mentioned in the “Dental Care” discussion, pets as young as one year of age can begin to experience dental issues, and approximately 80% of pets over the age of three have some form of periodontal disease so it is best for your pet to get started on the road to oral health as soon as possible.

Blood work continues to be an important part of the health of adult animals, as these values can help our doctors discover possible issues prior to the onset of disease.

Senior Wellness

The doctors at Apollo Pet Hospital & Resort have a plan for senior animals as well. Large-breed dogs may be considered “senior” at the age of five (5), while average-sized breeds are generally considered “senior” at the age of seven (7). It is important to bring an older animal to our veterinarians more frequently; just as older humans see their doctor more often. Blood work becomes the cornerstone of disease diagnosis and prevention, as the tests can discover and track early onset of issues facing older pets. Other age-related considerations included osteoarthritis, and pain medications as needed.

Schedule a wellness visit for your pet today. Regardless of the life-stage of your pet, our experienced veterinarians are ready to care for your pets, just as they care for their own! We serve pets in Huntsville, Meridianville, Hazel Green, Athens, Decatur, and beyond.