Preventative Care

It’s crucial to keep your pet’s preventative care up-to-date to ensure optimal health. Markham Road Animal Hospital in Scarborough provides many preventative care services, including vaccinations, heartworm prevention, intestinal worming, and prevention treatments for fleas and ticks.

Vaccinations

One of the biggest things you can do for your pet’s protection against illnesses is to ensure that they’re properly vaccinated against highly contagious, life-threatening diseases. New kittens and puppies should not be allowed outside until at least a week after they’ve had their vaccinations so their bodies have time to build immunities.

Heartworm Prevention

Carried by infected mosquitoes, the heartworm travels in your pet’s bloodstream until it gets to the heart. Once in your pet’s heart, the worm grows until it swells to fill up all of the heart’s cavities. It can be fatal if it’s not treated. Thankfully, there’s heartworm medication that can be administered to keep your pet heartworm-free. Usually, we’ll collect a blood sample from your pet to ensure they’re not already carrying the worm before proceeding with the treatment.

Intestinal Worming

Typically transmitted through direct contact with their eggs or an animal with an active infestation, intestinal worms include tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms. Puppies and kittens should be wormed every night from the age of six weeks to 12 weeks and then monthly until they’re at least six months old and every three months after that.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks can cause itching, irritation, allergies, and even more serious effects on your pet’s well-being if left untreated. One tick, the paralysis tick, can cause a fatal condition if left untreated because it affects the function of the heart and lungs. Flea and tick prevention treatments come in the form of sprays and tablets. Talk to your vet at Markham Road Animal Hospital in Scarborough to find out what type of treatment is best for your pet.