Wellness

Wellness Junior: Puppies and Kittens

Regular veterinary appointments are critical to the health of your new puppy or kitten. At Olney-Sandy Spring Veterinary Hospital, we should see your puppy or kitten for the first time when he or she is around 8 weeks old or as soon as you bring your new pet home, and we will continue to see your pet each month during the first 6 months of life. These visits allow us to closely monitor your pet's development, pinpoint any problems early on, and ensure your puppy or kitten receives the preventive care and vaccinations he or she needs to grow healthy and strong. In addition, we will provide counseling on behavior, nutrition, grooming, spaying or neutering and pet medical insurance.

OSSVH offers Healthy Pet Plans for puppies and kittens. Puppies and kittens are eligible to enroll from 2 to 8 months of age. The plans are designed to meet all the wellness needs of your puppy and kitten.

To help prepare for your new pet's appointment, we ask that you complete our online Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form

• Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form

Additional Services for Puppies and Kittens

Spay and Neuter

For most pets, we recommend spaying or neutering your puppy or kitten. Electing the procedure is not only responsible, but it also provides many health benefits for your pet. For most pets, the best time to perform the spay or neuter procedure is when your pet is between 6 and 8 months old. However, for some performance dogs and certain breeds at risk for developmental bone disease, cancer or reproductive tract problems such as urinary incontinence, delaying sterilization may be advantageous. This should be discussed with your pet's primary care doctor. For your pet's safety and comfort, OSSVH takes a multi-modal approach to pain management during spay and neuter procedures. Our approach includes preemptive pain injections, local nerve blocks, and constant rate infusion pain drips when needed.

Microchip

Microchip identification can help ensure that your puppy or kitten can find his or her way home if he or she is ever lost. OSSVH offers Home Again microchip identification and registration. While microchips can be implanted anytime and do not require anesthesia, we often perform the service at the same time as the spay or neuter procedure.

Puppy Training Class

At OSSVH, it is our belief that too many pets end up in a shelter because of a lack of proper training. Our puppy classes help you and your pet invest the time and work together to ensure proper behavior and avoid common behavioral problems. We partner with trainer Alfhild Winder of Come When Called to offer both puppy kindergarten classes and advanced puppy and older dog training classes.

Thinking of Getting a New Pet?

OSSVH offers pre-pet ownership consultations. These consultations can help answer your questions about pet ownership and ensure you are prepared to welcome a new puppy or kitten into your family. Our veterinarians can also make recommendations on the type of pet or breed that would suit your lifestyle best. For a consultation, please call us at 301-774-9500 or send us an email.

Wellness: Adult Pets

Adult dogs and cats need regular veterinary care to help them enjoy their adult years to the fullest. At OSSVH, we recommend twice yearly veterinary visits. During your pet's wellness examination, we provide any necessary preventive care and look for signs of health problems so we can treat and manage them early on. We also provide advice and counseling to ensure you and your pet are enjoying a healthy and rewarding relationship with each other.

To help prepare for your new pet's appointment, we ask that you complete our online Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form

• Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form

Your pet's adult wellness visit will include:

• A thorough physical examination
• Oral exam and recommendations for proper dental health
• Individualized flea and tick control treatments and recommendations
• Risk assessment to determine if any of your pet's risk factors have changed
• Vaccinations or titers based on your pet's unique risks
• Behavioral and lifestyle counseling
• Nutritional counseling and weight management advice

The following tests are performed yearly:

• Heartworm and tick-borne disease testing for dogs (Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis)
• Infectious viral disease testing for at-risk cats (Feline leukemia and Feline immunodeficiency virus)
• Fecal evaluation for intestinal parasites

OSSVH looks forward to being an important part of your adult dog or cat's healthy and active life. For your convenience, you can schedule an appointment by logging in to My Pet Records

Wellness: Senior Pets

Senior pets deserve extra attention and special care. The species of animal you have and its breed will determine when your pet can be considered a senior:

• X-large dogs (>90 lb)—senior at 7 years of age
• Large dogs (51–90 lb)—senior at 8 years of age
• Medium dogs (21–50 lb)—senior at 9 years of age
• Small dogs (0–20 lb)—senior at 10 years of age
• Cats—senior at 10 years of age

We recommend two veterinary examinations per year for senior pets. Your input is very important at these visits and we will have you complete a comprehensive checklist to help us determine if your aging pet is showing symptoms of health problems. As pets age they are more likely to develop certain age-related conditions. Seeing them more frequently can help us look for early signs of medical and behavioral problems that may not be recognized due to their gradual onset. Early detection of such conditions is critical to successful diagnosis and treatment in the aging pet.

For your convenience, please complete our online Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form before your dog or cat's appointment:

• Patient Risk Assessment/Client Update Form

Your senior dog or cat's wellness care includes:

• Thorough physical examination
• Orthopedic evaluation for osteoarthritis
• Oral exam and recommendations for proper dental health
• Blood pressure monitoring when indicated
• Intraocular pressure eye test (in susceptible breeds) to check for glaucoma, which can occur more frequently in pets as they age
• Individualized flea and tick control treatments and recommendations
• Risk assessment to determine if any of your pet's risk factors have changed
• Vaccinations or titers based on your pet's unique risks
• Behavioral and lifestyle counseling
• Nutritional counseling and weight management advice

The following tests are performed yearly:

• Comprehensive blood work to help determine health problems early on while they can still be managed effectively  
• Infectious viral disease testing for at-risk cats (Feline leukemia and Feline immunodeficiency virus)
• Fecal evaluation for intestinal parasites

At OSSVH, we will partner with you throughout your pet's senior years to make them as fulfilling as possible for both you and your dog or cat. For your convenience, you can schedule an appointment by logging in to My Pet Records.