PET WELLNESS CARE IN
GREATER ST. LOUIS, MO

Vaccinations

At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, we follow preventive care and vaccination guidelines set forth by the American Animal Hospital Association. Vaccines are very safe and well-tolerated by most animals, and the benefits of vaccination almost always outweigh any small risk.

If your pet has a history of vaccine reactions in the past, however, we are happy to work with you to devise a protocol that best protects your pet’s health while still ensuring that he or she maintains adequate immunity. Our doctors do offer vaccine titer testing upon request.

General canine vaccines include:

• Rabies
• Parvovirus (a very severe gastrointestinal virus)
• Distemper (a highly contagious, often-fatal virus that causes respiratory and neurologic signs)
• Adenovirus (a disease affecting the liver)
• Leptospirosis (a bacteria found in the environment that causes severe kidney and liver damage)

Risk-based (conditional) canine vaccines include:

• Kennel cough (Parainfluenza and Bordetella; usually required for boarding purposes)
• Influenza (we offer both the H3N8 and the H3N2 strains)
• Lyme disease (a tick-borne disease that can cause serious illness)

General feline vaccines include:

• Rabies
• Feline herpesvirus (a very common cause of upper respiratory disease)
• Calicivirus (another upper respiratory pathogen)
• Panleukopenia (a relative of parvovirus in dogs, which causes diarrhea and immunosuppression)

Risk-based (conditional) feline vaccines include:

• Feline leukemia virus (an immunosuppressive virus that can cause cancer and secondary infections)

Wellness Exams

At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, we recommend that your pet receives a full physical examination by one of our licensed veterinarians every year. While most pet owners recognize the importance of taking their animals to the vet whenever they are sick, wellness examinations are also very important. Here, we can help pick up on small concerns before they become bigger problems, potentially saving you frustration, money, and heartbreak down the line. During a wellness exam, your veterinarian will examine your pet systemically, paying special attention to: skin and coat, mouth, gums, and teeth, eyes, ears, lymph nodes, abdomen, gait, limbs, and musculoskeletal system, heart and lungs.

In addition to performing a thorough wellness exam, our veterinarians can also address behavior concerns during your visit. Your pet’s health is our primary concern, and we want to make sure your animal stays happy and healthy as long as he or she can.

Puppy & Kitten Pediatric Care

At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, we love puppies and kittens, and we want to provide them with the best of neonatal and pediatric care! Setting your furry family member up for a life of success starts with appropriate care early on. We recommend having a full physical examination performed as soon as you bring your little one home to ensure that your new pet is healthy.

In order to protect your family and your new family member, we follow preventive care and vaccination guidelines set forth by the American Animal Hospital Association. Younger animals are especially susceptible to infectious diseases, therefore we use the most up-to-date vaccine protocol to make sure they are protected. Puppies and kittens are also very prone to intestinal parasites, therefore we recommend a comprehensive fecal test, and may prescribe dewormers to help treat these parasites.

For sick neonates, we offer a full-service hospital for diagnostics and supportive medical or surgical care.

We can additionally make specific recommendations regarding diet and training for your pet if indicated. We can also talk to you about puppy- or kitten-proofing your home, and can provide advice about introducing the little one to other animals in the household. Whether this is your first pet or your 50th, we want to provide you both with the tools you need for a long, happy, healthy lifetime of love!

Senior & Geriatric Care

We recognize the unique needs of animals throughout various stages of their lives, including their golden years. Thanks to better care, pets are living longer now than they ever have before but as pets get older, they need extra care and attention. We strive to provide the best senior care in order to maximize your pet’s quality of life.

At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, we recommend annual senior blood work and urinalysis testing in addition to a thorough yearly wellness exam. During this examination, our veterinarians can discuss common concerns with older pets such as behavior changes, limping or trouble walking, heart or respiratory changes, different nutritional needs, skin changes, dental disorders, and even evaluate any new lumps and bumps.

Microchipping

Microchipping is safe and minimally invasive. The chips are about the size of a grain of rice, and the implantation process is no more bothersome to an animal than receiving a standard vaccination. Microchips are unalterable and cannot be lost, unlike collars and tags. Most animal shelters and veterinary hospitals will scan for a microchip whenever a found pet is presented to them. If you are listed in the database as the pet’s owner, you will be promptly contacted so that the animal can be returned to you.