Every Monday, the clinic offers an alternative to its spay/neuter services with a Wellness Clinic. Since we are not a full-service veterinary clinic, we are not resourced to treat many serious illnesses and other physical ailments that require more extensive care and follow-up. However, the Wellness Clinic enables us to offer vaccinations and vaccine updates to previously fixed cats and dogs, as well as microchips, flea treatments, heartworm tests, and less common services such as senior screenings.
We recommend that cats receive rabies and FVRCP (distemper) vaccinations while under anesthesia to reduce their discomfort. A booster FVRCP shot should be given within 21 to 28 days of the initial one, and our Wellness Clinic offers this service at a reduced rate compared to many other vet clinics in the city. While we encourage pet owners to foster a relationship with a full-service veterinarian, we can provide annual updates for both this vaccine and the rabies vaccine.
We can also implant an AVID microchip with a lifelong registration, ensuring that a missing animal can be traced back to its owner when scanned; the Revolution flea treatment, which lasts approximately 30 days; heartworm tests for dogs; and combo tests to check for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).
One of our less common services is a Senior Screen. We recommend that pet owners spay/neuter their cats even when they reach an advanced age, as doing so can still be useful in warding off health complications. However, senior cats over the age of nine are potentially at greater risk during surgery and we want to ensure a successful operation. A Senior Screen consists of a CBC blood test (which determines, among other important components, red and white blood cell counts), a T3 analysis (T3 levels can determine a cat’s respiratory rate, heart rate, and temperature), and a urinalysis. This information can help our clinic staff determine whether or not an older cat is healthy enough for surgery.
Our mission as a clinic is to make sure as many cats as possible are spayed or neutered. Because of this, we will not see cats at the Wellness Clinic that have not yet been fixed, excepting cats coming in for a senior screen. We can offer certain Wellness Clinic services (vaccines, microchips, and flea treatments) along with the spay/neuter on one of our regular surgery days. We also cannot see cats that are unwell, as we are not equipped to treat most illnesses. In this case, we advise pet owners to speak with a regular vet.
If you would like more information about or Wellness Clinic, or you would like to set up an appointment, give us a call at 773.227.5535 ext. 3.
posted by Colin S.