Veterinary Services

Regular vaccinations are one of the cornerstones of good preventive health care for dogs and cats. When administered by your veterinarian, vaccines provide cost-effective protection against infectious and contagious diseases for both pets and people. Vaccines help prevent many contagious illnesses, including ones that can be fatal, that pets may encounter if they are outdoors at all, socialize with other animals in public places, or travel with you.

Our team can help offer you some of the best advice regarding your pet’s vaccination plan, which can help lead to many happy years of health and wellness. Our doctors can help tailor a vaccination protocol for your pet based on his or her individual risk factors. Our pets are faced with many deadly infectious diseases, and vaccines can help protect them. Over the years, vaccines against dangerous diseases have saved millions of pets and virtually eliminated some fatal diseases that were once common.

Rabies Vaccination

All dogs and cats within Visalia and the surrounding area are required to be vaccinated for rabies at three months of age and as needed thereafter. The first vaccination is good for one year and subsequent vaccinations are good for three years.

Proof of prior rabies vaccination is necessary to give a rabies certificate for a three-year duration.

Rabies is a zoonotic disease (meaning it can infect humans) caused by a virus that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. It is 100% fatal once contracted. Even indoor-only pets have been documented to be infected with rabies, thus the vaccination is necessary for all pets.

Recommended Vaccinations

These vaccines are recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association.

Dogs:

• DAPP – distemper, adenovirus I & II, parainfluenza, parvovirus (all five vaccines are given in one shot)
• Bordetella – to protect against kennel cough

Cats:

• FVRCP – feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia (all in one shot)

Additional Vaccinations Based on Your Pet’s Risk

• Influenza – Dogs also are susceptible to the flu. This vaccine may be recommended for boarding, grooming, or dog park interactions. Canine influenza vaccination can be given at six weeks of age followed by a booster two to four weeks later.
• Leptospirosis – This vaccine is recommended for dogs that will be hiking, camping, and generally playing in bodies of water as a way to help protect against this possibly fatal disease. Leptospirosis vaccination can be given at 12 weeks of age followed by a booster in four weeks.
• Lyme vaccine – This vaccine may be recommended if your dog will be spending time in tick-endemic areas (the East Coast, forested areas).
• Feline leukemia – This is a vaccine intended for kittens and is especially recommended if you’re planning on allowing them outside. Prior to vaccination, a leukemia test should be run to make sure your cat does not have this disease. This vaccine should be given at eight and 12 weeks.
• Canine rattlesnake vaccine – This vaccine can be useful in decreasing the effects of the western diamondback rattlesnake venom. It is usually only recommended if the dog has frequent encounters with rattlesnakes, such as pets that hike frequently. If a vaccinated dog experiences a snake bite, they will still need medical evaluation, as the severity of the effects of the venom is only decreased but not eliminated with this vaccine.

Puppy & Kitten Vaccinations

Puppies and kittens are particularly susceptible to certain contagious diseases and should receive their first vaccines for preventive care within six to eight weeks of birth. Please be aware that the first vaccination will not fully protect your puppy or kitten, and they should be kept indoors until the full course of puppy/kitten vaccinations is completed.

Puppy Vaccinations

Due to a puppy’s insufficient immune system, a series of vaccinations every three to four weeks is recommended to “booster” the puppy’s immune system to provide protection from serious life-threatening diseases such as parvo and distemper. As such, it is recommended to keep your new puppy at home until at least one week after the last vaccine booster to protect them from the disease.

The following schedule is recommended at House of Paws Veterinary Clinic. This schedule may change based on the weight of the puppy or signs of illness:

• 6 weeks – Parvo vaccine
• 8 weeks – DAPP #1 (Distemper-Parvo) vaccine
• 12 weeks – DAPP #2, Bordetella #1 (kennel cough), rabies (1 year)
• 16 weeks – DAPP #3, Bordetella #2

Administration of dewormer to treat and prevent GI parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms is recommended for puppies. This can be given by mouth at the time of vaccinations. It is also recommended to check two fecal samples for parasites during the course of vaccines for puppies.

Following a proper vaccination schedule will help to ensure that you are doing your part to keep your new friend healthy. Additionally, we recommend that all dogs be placed on a monthly parasite preventative and be tested bi-annually for parasites with a fecal examination and annually for heartworm.

Kitten Vaccinations

Due to a kitten’s insufficient immune system, a series of vaccinations is recommended to “booster” the kitten’s immune system to provide protection from serious diseases such as panleukopenia. As such, it is recommended to keep your new kitten at home until at least one week after the last vaccine booster to protect them from disease.

The following schedule is recommended at House of Paws Veterinary Clinic. This schedule may change based on the weight of the kitten or signs of illness:

• 8 weeks – FVRCP #1 vaccine, FeLV #1 vaccine
• 12 weeks – FVRCP #2, FeLV #2, rabies (1 year), FeLV/FIV testing

Administration of dewormer to treat and prevent GI parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms is recommended for kittens. This can be given by mouth at the time of vaccinations. It is also recommended to check two fecal samples for parasites during the course of vaccines for kittens.

Following a proper vaccination schedule will help to ensure that you are doing your part to keep your new friend healthy. Additionally, we recommend that all outdoor cats be placed on a monthly parasite preventative.

Prevention is the key to great health! As part of this, annual physical examinations are used to evaluate overall body condition, track age-related changes, provide nutritional advice, and to catch and treat illnesses before they have a chance to progress. We also provide the vaccinations that are appropriate to protect your pet against many deadly diseases. The check for intestinal, skin, and blood parasites, as well as age-appropriate monitoring of body function via laboratory work, are all included in the key to the preventive health package.

Wellness Exams

At the beginning of every wellness exam, your pet’s exam assistant will ask you questions to obtain a complete medical history for your pet. This way, we can determine right away if there have been any changes in health or behavior since your last visit. Your pet’s veterinarian will then assess your pet’s overall appearance and body condition during a physical examination. This examination includes:

• Listening to the heart and lungs
• Feeling for signs of pain, tumors, or any other unusual changes in the body
• Checking joints for signs of arthritis or muscle weakness
• Examining the eyes, ears, and mouth for any signs of disease

Your veterinarian will alert you to any abnormalities they find and will make recommendations to encourage the best health for your pet.

In addition to a complete physical exam, during wellness exams, we will also draw a blood sample to test your pet for heartworm disease and will check a stool sample for intestinal parasites. Depending on your pet’s age and general health status, we will recommend a tailored blood panel and possibly a urinalysis to evaluate the health of the internal organs and help detect the early stages of a disease.

Wellness examinations are the most important part of preventive health care for pets in all stages of life, from puppies and kittens to senior pets. They allow us to detect changes such as weight gain or loss, dental disease, and other subtle differences you may not notice at home. Many diseases become more dangerous and easier to contract as pets get older, so routine wellness exams and blood panels are particularly important for helping us detect diseases in senior pets before those diseases become serious problems.

With early diagnosis, many diseases—like dental disease, diabetes, and heart disease—can be treated, and early treatment can greatly decrease pain and improve your pet’s overall health and well-being. Early detection and treatment can also help extend your pet’s life.

We take immense pride in our highly skilled ability to perform veterinary surgeries when your pet needs it most. Our experienced team of doctors and staff make it their number one priority to focus on pain management and patient safety, employing the most current surgical practices to ensure your pet receives the best veterinary care around.

Our team will be working with you before, during, and after surgery to address any questions or concerns you may have about the procedure, anesthesia, or postoperative care. We will make sure you are equipped with all the knowledge you need in order to make sure your pet makes a full recovery.

When your pet is ready to go home, we will review your postoperative care and medication instructions. If any questions arise after your pet returns home or at any other time during the postoperative period, call us. We welcome your questions and will do all we can to help your pet recover fully. Help is only a phone call away.

House of Paws Veterinary Clinic performs various minor surgeries, including:

• Spay and neuter
• Cesarean sections
• Cherry eye repair
• Entropian surgery
• Soft palate and nasal fold resection
• Exploratory surgery
• Mass removals
• Laceration/wound repairs
• And more!

Pet dental care is a critical component of your pet’s wellness program. House of Paws Veterinary Clinic offers state-of-the-art dental care for every type of pet, with a focus on long-term health and longevity.

Dental disease can be the origin of more complex, life-threatening issues such as heart, liver, and kidney disease in pets. Routine dental cleanings and a home dental care regime have the potential to add years of vigor to your pet’s life.

A dental exam and cleaning are performed under general anesthesia for a safe and thorough procedure. Whenever anesthesia is used, we take many steps to assure the safest possible procedure, including pre-anesthetic laboratory tests, IV fluid support, and blood pressure monitoring, as well as pulse and blood oxygen monitoring on all patients. Your pet’s teeth are cleaned of plaque and calculus, and the tooth enamel is polished, followed by a fluoride treatment to further protect the teeth and strengthen enamel.

Our digital dental X-ray system allows near-instant radiographic views of the non-visible areas of the teeth. This invaluable tool is critical for identifying hidden, often painful problems.

Our staff is trained in dental surgical procedures such as extractions of broken, loose, diseased, or painful teeth. If oral surgery is needed, careful attention is paid to managing pain using local anesthetic nerve blocks and other analgesic approaches. Often, medication is sent home after the procedure to help minimize any discomfort. Finally, a careful charting of any concerns or treatments of the teeth is made for future reference and follow-up.

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums in pets can be a simple and enjoyable process for both the animals and their owners. The professionals at House of Paws offer assistance and training to pet owners in establishing a home care regime that meets their needs. Good dental hygiene is an investment in your pet, paying off in your animal companion living a longer, healthier life free from pain.

Laser Therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light to treat painful and debilitating conditions.

Light energy enters the damaged cells and stimulates inter-cellular activity. This reduces pain in the area and speeds the recovery of the damaged cells. Once the cells recover, the healing process is complete. We use state of the art Companion Laser Equipment.

We are proud laser therapy has become a part of our post-surgical pain protocols. It is also recommended during wound care and to treat arthritis pain and many chronic inflammatory conditions. 
https://www.litecure.com/companion/for-pet-owners/watch-videos/