Prevention is the keystone of health.

We strive to prevent illness whenever possible. The time and effort invested in Wellness programs has rewards for both pets and owners.

Physical Exam

A vet examines the hind leg of a dog in a clinic, with an educational poster about pet skin conditions visible in the background.
A physical exam is a non-invasive, routine evaluation that assesses your pet’s 12 main body systems. Our veterinary team performs a thorough physical exam twice a year for well pets, and during any sick visits. Conditions such as obesity, cataracts, dental disease, heart murmurs, abdominal masses, and joint pain can be detected during a routine exam, allowing for earlier treatment and better management. 

In addition to an external physical exam, we also perform diagnostics that we consider to be your pet’s “internal physical exam.” These include:

  • Complete blood count (CBC) — A CBC measures your pet’s white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to provide an overall picture of their health.
  • Biochemistry profile — This blood test assesses numerous body functions, including your pet’s liver, kidneys, electrolyte balance, blood sugar, and blood proteins. 
  • Urinalysis — Abnormalities in your pet’s urine can detect conditions such as diabetes, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections.
  • Fecal check — A fecal check screens for intestinal parasites such as hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, giardia, and coccidia.
Pets under 6 years of age should have blood work performed annually, and pets 7 years and older should be evaluated every six months. +

Vaccinations

A woman in a blue uniform interacts with a small, shaggy dog standing on a scale, possibly conducting a veterinary check-up. They appear engaged in a gentle exchange.
Vaccinations are important to protect your pet from infectious diseases. However, every pet leads a different lifestyle, which must be considered when determining the right vaccination protocol. We carefully evaluate your pet’s risk factors when tailoring their vaccination program, and we avoid administering numerous vaccinations at once to help prevent vaccination reactions. Vaccines your pet may require include:

Core vaccines
Core vaccines are those that every pet needs. These include:

  • Rabies — Rabies vaccines are required by law for cats and dogs and can be administered yearly or every three years, depending on your pet.
  • Distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus (DAP) — Dogs require a DAP vaccine administered yearly or every three years, depending on their age and risk factors.
  • Feline viral rhinotracheitis, chlamydia, calicivirus, panleukopenia (FVRCP) — Cats require a FVRCP vaccine administered yearly or every three years, depending on their age and risk factors.
Risk-dependent vaccines
We may recommend additional vaccines if your pet’s lifestyle places them at higher risk for certain diseases. These include:

  • Lyme Disease
  • Leptospirosis
  • Canine influenza (H3N8/H3N2)
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica (i.e., kennel cough)
  • Crotalus Atrox toxoid (i.e., rattlesnake vaccine)
  • Feline Leukemia 
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Nutritional Counseling

Two women talking in a pet store. One is in a veterinary uniform and the other, a customer, is seen from the back. Shelves stocked with pet food bags, featuring the brand "Royal Canin," are visible in the background.
Finding the right food for your pet can maximize their health and longevity. A well-balanced diet should enhance your pet’s digestive, metabolic, and immune systems, while providing their appropriate energy needs. We offer many prescription veterinary diets designed to promote recovery from illnesses, manage chronic diseases, and maintain a healthy weight. 

The diets we offer, including Royal Canin®, Hill’s Prescription Diets®, and Purina Veterinary Diets®, deliver high-quality, premium nutrition to address your pet’s particular nutritional needs. These specialty diets are available only through veterinary hospitals. You should always consult with our veterinarians before changing your pet’s food, to ensure they receive the right nutrition for their specific condition. 

Many pet food companies now provide preventive diets, breed-specific diets, and “Early Care” diets (e.g., Royal Canin®), and we can determine which food is right for your pet. We also have trained “Fit-For-Life” Weight Management-certified staff to help you choose the best Royal Canin USA® veterinary diet to keep your pet fit, happy, and healthy.
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Microchipping

A vet in teal scrubs using a handheld device to check a fluffy, black and gray dog's microchip, with the dog calmly sitting between her knees.
Pets can go missing for numerous reasons, including natural disasters, emergency situations, theft, and escape. Without proper identification, 90% of pets never return home. Microchipping your pet is the best way to provide permanent identification that can’t be lost or removed. 

This simple, relatively painless procedure involves injecting a small microchip under your pet’s skin. If a lost pet is brought to a veterinary clinic or shelter, the staff will scan the microchip and be able to identify the pet’s owner. In addition, if your pet is stolen, the microchip can be scanned, proving your ownership. Microchipping your pet is especially important since we live in a hurricane-prone area. Provide a happy homecoming for you and your pet by scheduling your appointment today. +

Parasite Prevention

A veterinarian in a yellow blouse tenderly holding a small black and brown puppy, which is looking directly at the camera.
Protecting your pet from parasites, such as fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites, is an important part of their wellness care. Products we recommend to safeguard your pet include:

  • Sentinel Spectrum — We recommend Sentinel Spectrum’s tasty beef-flavored chews for dogs. Administered monthly to prevent and control fleas, heartworms, and intestinal worms, Sentinel Spectrum chews are so palatable that 97% of dogs readily accept them.
  • Revolution Plus (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution) — For cats, we recommend Revolution Plus, which protects cats and kittens against fleas, ticks, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms. The simple to apply, quick-drying solution is administered topically once a month.
  • Credelio (lotilaner) — Credelio is a small, tasty chew approved for puppies and dogs older than 8 weeks and weighing 4.4 pounds. This monthly product quickly kills ticks and fleas on your pet.
  • Frontline Gold — Frontline Gold’s three secret ingredients—fipronil, S-methoprene, and pyriproxyfen—kill ticks and adult fleas, eggs, and larvae. Monthly cat and dog products are available.
  • Trifexis (spinosad and milbemycin oxime) — This monthly, beef-flavored tablet kills fleas, prevents heartworm disease, and treats adult hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm infections. Trifexis is approved for puppies and dogs 8 weeks and older, and weighing five pounds or more.
  • Scalibor (deltamethrin) — The Scalibor Protector Band protects dogs from ticks for up to six months.
  • Capstar — Capstar tablets safely kill adult fleas 30 minutes after administration.
  • Comfortis — This beef-flavored chewable tablet starts killing fleas on dogs and cats 30 minutes after administration, and lasts a full month.
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Urgent and Emergency Care

A female vet pointing to a computer screen displaying an animal x-ray, with various colored stethoscopes hanging in the background.
When your pet needs urgent or emergency care, we strive to provide same-day appointments during regular business hours. Our expert veterinary professionals are trained and prepared to expeditiously administer the ABC’s (i.e., airway, breathing, and circulation) of basic life support. 

Using diagnostics such as on-site blood testing and X-rays, we can quickly reach a diagnosis and provide hospitalization, intravenous catheterization, heart monitoring, pain management, and much more. To ensure your pet receives appropriate care when we are closed, other services available include:

  • GuardianVets — We partner with this after-hours veterinary triage service that allows you to contact our office and connect with a licensed veterinary technician who can provide basic guidance for your pet’s condition. Simply call our office number to access this free service.
  • Local veterinary emergency centers — For the most critical patients and after-hours emergencies, we refer pets to local veterinary emergency centers in Mt. Pleasant, Summerville, and West Ashley.
  • PawMed — PawMed is a veterinary urgent care facility in West Ashley that has extended hours, including on weekends. 
  • Animal Poison Control — The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control is your best resource if your pet has a poison-related emergency. Veterinary professionals are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide guidance.
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