Wellness Exams, Vaccinations & Senior Care

For a healthy pet, we recommend visits to our clinic annually. As pets age quicker than humans, these annual exams will become increasingly important in detecting changes in their health.

At Mandalay, we utilize the following to ensure your pet’s happiness and health:

Complete Physical Exams:

A physical exam is very important to your animal’s health. During this exam, the veterinarian will evaluate:

Your pet’s vital signs, teeth, skin, coat, body score and joints
Your pet’s eyes with an ophthalmoscope
Your pet’s ears with an otoscope
Your pet’s heart with a stethoscope
Your pet’s abdomen via palpation

Early Disease Detection:

Physical exams are important, but they may not reveal everything that is going on with your pet. Procedures such as bloodwork or urinalysis performed annually show worsening values of the internal organs and allow us to identify and treat internal diseases in the earliest possible stages.

Internal Medicine:

Internal medicine deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases within the body. Common examples include:

Gastrointestinal diseases, such as pancreatitis
Liver disease
Renal disease

The staff at our hospital is trained and equipped to administer the best care during times of illness. We offer digital x-rays and some in-house laboratory services to ensure a prompt diagnosis when needed. We work closely with several specialists throughout Colorado to provide the best care no matter the disease.

Client Education:

Examining your pet is important, but equally important is client education. We strive to communicate information about your pet as clearly and efficiently as possible, as well as keep you up-to-date with the latest in veterinary medicine information, procedures and practices.

Vaccinations for Canines:

DA2PP (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) is a combination vaccine that protects against multiple diseases. Puppies 3-6 months of age are most at risk of contracting one of these diseases, which can sometimes be fatal. We recommend DA2PP vaccines for your puppy administered during the first 8 to 16 weeks of their life followed by yearly boosters.
Rabies is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. It causes acute encephalitis (swelling in the brain) and is fatal. Rabies vaccinations are required by law for both dogs and cats. Vaccination protocols are established by the USDA. Your pet will receive their first Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age. It will then need to be boosted at 1 year of age. Subsequent Rabies vaccines need only be administered every 3 years provided you keep to the schedule.
Leptospirosis is an infection in the blood that is spread through the urine of wildlife. It can cause either acute kidney or liver failure in dogs and is one of the only diseases that dogs can spread to humans. It is often found in contaminated water and is recommended for pets who go adventuring in the outdoors often or pets that live near big open spaces. If you choose to vaccinate your pet against Lepto, a second vaccine will need to be boosted 3-4 weeks after the first is given, at which point the vaccine is good for one year.
Bordetella (frequently referred to as “kennel cough”) presents after contact with infected dogs, commonly at boarding facilities, doggie daycare, grooming places or dog parks. Coughing and gagging are the most common symptoms; some dogs will sometimes vomit white “foam” or bile. Many boarding or doggie daycare facilities require this vaccine at least 2 weeks before your dog visits to ensure proper immunity in their system.
Canine Influenza (commonly referred to as “canine flu”) is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the influenza A virus. Many dogs that receive the Bordetella vaccine also receive the canine influenza vaccine because the jeopardized places are similar. If you choose to vaccinate your pet against Canine Influenza, a second vaccine will need to be boosted 3-4 weeks after the first is given, at which point the vaccine is good for one year.

Vaccinations for Felines:

FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotrachetitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) is a combination vaccination that protects your cat against multiple diseases. Kittens 3-6 months of age are most at rick for contracting one of these diseases, which can sometimes be fatal. We recommend FVRCP vaccines for your kitten administered during the first 8 to 16 weeks of their life, followed by yearly boosters.
Rabies is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. It causes acute encephalitis (swelling in the brain) and is fatal. Rabies vaccinations are required by law for both dogs and cats. Vaccination protocols are established by the USDA. Your pet will receive their first Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age. It will then need to be boosted at 1 year of age. Subsequent Rabies vaccines need only be administered every 3 years provided you keep to the schedule.
FelV (Leukemia Virus) and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) are spread from cat-to-cat via bite wounds, through casual contact with infected cats, and/or from infected mother cat to kittens. They are the leading viral killers amongst cats. Both viruses can cause immunosuppression in cats and can cause them to contract diseases and cancers that a normal, healthy cat would not develop. The most at-risk are strictly outdoor cats and indoor/outdoor cats, as well as cats living in households with FelV-infected cats or cats of unknown infection status. Indoor-only cats with no exposure to the outside and/or other cats that may be infected are very unlikely to become infected.

Senior animals require care more frequently.

Thanks to advancing care, pets are living longer now than they ever have - but as they age, they need supplemental care and attention. Regular veterinary examinations can alert to problems in older pets before they become advanced or potentially fatal, which can improve your pet’s quality of life in their golden years.

Pets age at least seven times faster than humans. It varies, but cats and small dogs are typically considered “senior” at seven years old. Larger breed dogs tend to have shorter lifespans compared to smaller breeds and are typically considered “senior” when they are five to six years old. Despite what you might have heard, dogs do not age at an even rate of seven human years per dog year.

While it’s easy to see the noticeable signs of a pet aging such as graying hair and a slower step, it’s important to consider what’s happening internally as well. A senior pet is more likely to experience heart, kidney and liver disease, cancer and/or arthritis. Dogs get cancer at approximately the same rate as humans and cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over 10 years old. Cats have a moderately lower rate of getting cancer than dogs. In addition to these illnesses, it is normal for pets to lose some of their sight and hearing as they age. They might develop cataracts and they may not respond well to voice commands. Pets may also show behavior changes. While this may be due to arthritis or changes in sight or hearing, they might also be due to cognitive dysfunction, which is similar to senility in humans.

If your pet is starting to slow down while (or avoid) running or playing or has trouble jumping onto the couch or in the car, they likely have arthritis. A pet with arthritis might also show tenderness or irritation when touched (particularly over the arthritic areas) and may seem depressed or grouchy. There could be other reasons for these issues, which is why it’s important for your veterinarian to examine your pet to determine the cause of these symptoms. There are many therapies for arthritis available, but simple changes are a great way to start: getting orthopedic pet beds, raising feeding platforms, putting in stairs or ramps, etc.

Weight is also an important factor for senior pets. Obesity in older pets boosts the risk of arthritis, breathing difficulties, heart disease, high blood pressure, skin conditions, cancer and other diseases. An obese pet may not show early warning signs of health conditions, so regular visits to the veterinarian are recommended. Additionally, sudden weight loss is also alarming, especially in cats. Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), diabetes and kidney disease are common explanations for weight loss in cats. Diagnostic testing is especially important in senior animals to check the organ values.

Cognitive dysfunction in senior pets may present itself in one or more of the following ways:

Easily disturbed by loud sounds
Unusually aggressive behavior
Increased barking/meowing
Anxiety or nervousness
Confused or disoriented behavior
Increased wandering or getting lost
Accidents in the house
Changes in sleeping patterns
Less interest in playing/going for walks
Repeating the same actions
Not responding to voice commands
Grouchy or irritable behavior

Clinical studies show that approximately 10% of our pets have some underlying disease or abnormality. As a result, our senior pets can develop problems in a short amount of time. Therefore, we recommend our senior preventative health program (Senior Screening) for our older patients. This program involves exams twice yearly and testing at a discounted rate to help ensure your pet’s well-being. Two wellness exams per year allow us to detect, treat and prevent potentially life-threatening diseases. Physical exams can be normal but some illnesses may go undetected without further testing. Senior Screening allows us to detect some of these problems earlier when more treatment options may be available. Additional tests may be necessary depending on the results of the Senior Screening - such as an ECG, Ultrasound, etc. Because testing can take 3 hours or longer, we will have you drop your pet off for the morning.

We recommend the Senior Screening program for the following ages: