Foothills Veterinary Hospital

The medical needs of a dog change as they age. The following is an outline of our recommendation for your pet through all of the stages of his/her life.

Puppyhood (6 weeks – 1 year of age)
• Vaccinations every 3 weeks beginning at 6 weeks of age and continuing
to completion with rabies vaccination as early as 12 weeks of age
• Intestinal Parasite Screening and Deworming
• Heartworm Preventative starting around 8-10 weeks of age
• Flea and Tick Control starting as early as 8 weeks of age
• Spay or Neuter at 5-6 months of age

Early Adulthood (1 - 6 years of age)
• Annual Physical Exams
• Vaccinations as necessary depending on risk factors and duration of immunity
• Annual Heartworm Testing
• Annual Intestinal Parasite Screening
• Monthly Heartworm Preventative
• Monthly Flea and Tick Control
• Regular Exercise
• High quality food in amounts sufficient to maintain healthy weight
• Oral Care Program

Late Adulthood (7 years of age and up)
• All Early Adulthood Recommendations
• Twice a Year Physical Exams
• Annual Wellness Blood Testing

Dogs age much faster than humans, and the organ systems can deteriorate at a much faster rate. As dogs age, they are prone to disease such as diabetes, kidney, liver and adrenal disease, and thyroid abnormalities. Many of these disease states can only be identified through blood testing. Identifying disease states before symptoms are evident increases the likelihood of a better outcome. Blood work is also necessary for those patients on long term medications to help avoid unwanted side effects.