Puppy and Kitten Care Congratulations on the new addition to your home! We believe pets truly are members of the family and we are committed to giving kittens and puppies their best start to a long healthy life and relationship with you. We recommend that you schedule an office visit with us for as soon as possible after bringing your new puppy or kitten home. On this first visit we will perform a thorough physical examination of the major body systems, test for intestinal parasites, and discuss appropriate vaccine schedules to protect against a number of potentially fatal yet preventable diseases. At this time we will also provide recommendations for training, nutrition, heartworm disease prevention, flea medications, spaying, and neutering. Sometimes the number of issues can seem a little overwhelming. We promise to take as much time as you need to be comfortable and confident in the care of your pet. These first few months of ownership are critical in shaping a puppy or kitten’s lifelong health and happiness. We are eager to help you provide their best possible care! Senior Care The golden years of pets can present certain challenges but those years can also be incredibly rewarding. Dogs and cats are prone to developing most of the same diseases that we see develop in the elderly human population. Arthritis, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, and liver disease are only a few of the common problems seen in our geriatric animals. Fortunately, veterinary medicine has advanced so much that we can now with early detection and intervention enjoy tremendous success in managing most of these diseases. We promise to work hard to educate you and guide you in the care of your older cat or dog. Together we can successfully identify and manage these chronic problems to give your pet a longer and happier life. In order to provide you with the best quality care we strongly encourage you to schedule an office visit for your older cat (9-10 years or older) or dog (8-10 years or older) at least every 6 months. After a thorough physical exam our veterinarians may recommend diagnostic tests such a blood panels or x-rays to further evaluate and accurately treat. Click on the links below for detailed articles on dog and cat care Articles on Behavior of Dogs and Cats Articles on Medications       Articles on Dogs Articles on Cats Animal Poison Control http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc Local websites for Greenville, SC 1. http://www.greenvillehumane.com/ : Greenville Humane Society 2. http://www.aecgreenville.com/ : Our local Emergency Clinic 3. http://www.upstatevetspecialists.com/ We are very fortunate to have the specialty clinic Upstate Veterinary Specialists here in Greenville. Our strong relationship with this group of board-certified veterinary surgeons, internal medicine specialists, and oncologists allows us to quickly refer your pet when we feel an expert's care is needed.             Copyright © 2007 Poinsett Animal Hospital