Vets offer many health care services for pets.
Veterinarians, otherwise known as doctors for animals, provide many health care services for pets. As highly skilled professionals, they can treat and diagnose your pet for most any health problems, including behavioral issues, nutrition and dentistry. Some veterinarians specialize in areas like sports medicine or internal medicine. Veterinary practices that treat pets are usually known as small animal practices. Services offered to pets depend on the type of practice chosen. Some offer a wide range of services under one roof as in an animal clinic setting while some animal hospitals also offer general veterinary services.
General Health
Vets recommend regular health check ups for pets.
Most vets recommend regular health check ups for your pet. Seeing your vet at regular intervals diagnoses any major health issues early and also serves as preventive veterinary care. The veterinarian checks your pet's eyes, teeth and feet, makes sure your pet is at an appropriate weight, takes blood tests as preventive measure and consults on nutrition. Veterinary practices can also microchip your pets. Microchips hold the pet's owner's information and help reunite lost pets with their families. The procedure to insert a microchip behind the animal's ear or elsewhere on the body is quick and painless.
Dentistry
Dental health is as important for pets as for humans.
Dental health is as important for pets as it is for humans. Veterinarians specializing in dentistry can perform oral surgeries, diagnose and treat oral tumors, perform root canal procedures and even treat cavities. Many veterinarians recommend regular teeth cleaning appointments for your pet. Teeth cleaning procedures also help the veterinarian to perform a thorough examination of the pet's teeth and gums under general anesthetic.
Behavior
Vets offer behavior modification services.
Pets can develop behavioral problems like aggression, separation anxiety or phobias. Veterinarians who specialize in behavioral issues diagnose and treat the pets by working closely with their owners by assessing the pet's past history and then correcting the behavior through behavior modification exercises. In some cases veterinarians prescribe medications for pets' behavioral issues. Other methods used include 'clicker' training, which used in conjunction with food, will make the pet associate the clicks with positive encouragement, and reward based behavior modification, which uses anything that will motivate the animal to behave in a desired way.
Critical Care
Critical care service is available through animal hospitals.
In an emergency, animal hospitals and clinics offer round the clock assistance. Injuries such as heavily bleeding wounds, severe trauma such as incurred from being hit by a car or eating poisonous substances, all require immediate attention. These services include initial diagnosis, on-site x-ray and surgery facilities, intensive care units, close monitoring of the pet after treatment as well as recommendations for after care.
Boarding
Many veterinary practices also have boarding kennels.
Many veterinary practices also offer animal boarding services for when the owners travel, or if the animal needs careful medical monitoring when recuperating from an illness.
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