The first few months are a critical period in your puppy’s development, and we can give you the support and tools necessary to help him or her grow into a well-mannered, healthy dog, including information and advice on nutrition, training, behavior, and socialization.

Schedule your puppy for his or her first exam as soon as possible. Until your puppy has received a series of vaccines, he or she is susceptible to many serious but preventable diseases. We will make sure your new dog is protected against rabies, distemper, and parvovirus, among other diseases. Your puppy will also need to be tested and treated for parasites, which are extremely common in young dogs.

Most puppies have roundworms, which are intestinal worms that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal signs (although dogs can have worms without showing any symptoms). It is important for puppies to be treated for roundworms, not only to rid them of the infection but also to prevent you and the rest of your family from becoming infected. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite, which means they can be transmitted from pets to people. By ensuring that your puppy is properly treated, you can keep your entire family safe from these and other parasites.

We look forward to meeting your new puppy!

The first few months are a critical period in your kitten’s development, and we can give you the support and tools necessary to help him or her grow into a well-mannered, healthy cat, including information and advice on nutrition, litterbox training, and behavior.

Schedule your kitten for his or her first exam as soon as possible. Until your kitten has received a series of vaccines, he or she is susceptible to many serious but preventable diseases. We will make sure your new pet is protected against rabies and panleukopenia (distemper). Depending on your cat’s risk, we may also advise vaccinating him or her against other diseases, such as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). In addition, your kitten will need to be tested and treated for parasites, which are common in young cats.

Most kittens have roundworms, which are intestinal worms that can cause coughing, weight loss, and a potbellied appearance in cats (although they may not cause any symptoms). It is important for kittens to be treated for roundworms, not only to help rid them of the infection but also to prevent you and the rest of your family from becoming infected. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite, which means they can be transmitted from pets to people. By ensuring that your kitten is properly treated, you can keep your entire family safe.

We look forward to meeting your new kitten!

Bringing your pet in for an annual diagnostic and wellness checkup can help reassure you that your dog or cat is healthy or help us detect hidden diseases or conditions early. Early detection can improve the prognosis of many diseases, keep medical costs down, and help your pet live longer. Many dogs and cats are good at hiding signs that something is wrong, so subtle changes in their health or behavior might be easy to overlook. And, depending on the disease, some pets don’t show any symptoms.

Dogs and cats age far quicker than humans, so it is even more crucial for our companion animals to receive regular exams. In addition, the risks of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders, and kidney and liver problems all increase with age.

During your pet’s wellness exam, we will perform a physical assessment, checking your dog or cat from nose to tail. We will also make sure your pet receives appropriate vaccinations and preventives. We will perform a diagnostic workup, which may include blood, fecal, and urine tests to check for parasites and underlying diseases. We may also recommend that your pet receive dental care. When your pet is nearing his or her senior years, we will recommend a baseline exam and diagnostic workup so we’ll know what’s normal for your pet. This will enable us to keep track of any changes.

Because you spend the most time with your pet, you are your pet’s expert, as well as his or her greatest advocate. Please let us know if you’ve noticed any physical or behavioral changes in your pet, as well as any other concerns you might have.

As dogs and cats get older, they need more attention and special care. Our senior wellness program can help your pet remain fit and healthy as he or she ages and help us catch any potential problems earlier, when they’re easier to treat or manage. Regular veterinary exams can actually help your pet live longer, too!

Diagnosing diseases and certain conditions early is important throughout a pet’s life, but it becomes even more critical when your dog or cat enters his or her senior years. The risks of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders, and kidney and liver problems all increase with age. In addition, dogs and cats may not show any signs of even serious diseases until they are quite advanced.

Senior status varies depending on your pet’s breed and size. Smaller dogs tend to live longer than larger dogs, and cats generally live longer than dogs. We can help you determine what life stage your pet is in.

Before your dog or cat reaches senior status, we recommend that you bring your pet in for a baseline exam and diagnostic workup. This will give us a record of what’s normal for your pet so we can keep track of any changes. In most cases, we suggest this checkup for when your dog turns 7 years of age or your cat turns 8 years of age. Thereafter, your senior pet will benefit from more frequent veterinary exams and diagnostic testing.

We can treat many symptoms that are commonly attributed to age, including those associated with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (similar to Alzheimer’s in humans). We can also improve your pet’s quality of life in many ways: by identifying and preventing or reducing pain, recommending an appropriate nutrition and exercise plan, and suggesting environmental modifications to keep your pet comfortable.

Ultrasonography (also called ultrasound or sonography) is a noninvasive, pain-free procedure that uses sound waves to examine a pet’s internal organs and other structures inside the body. It can be used to evaluate the animal’s heart, kidneys, liver, gallbladder, and bladder; to detect fluid, cysts, tumors, or abscesses; and to confirm pregnancy or monitor an ongoing pregnancy.

Pet ultrasound is an excellent tool that views the body’s soft tissues to capture details that X-rays cannot. Widely used in veterinary medicine, ultrasound works by using sound waves instead of radiation to create images of the internal organs. This technology gives My Family Vet Montgomery a major advantage in diagnosing and treating disease, internal injury, and other health problems.

We may use this imaging technique in conjunction with radiography (x-rays) and other diagnostic methods to ensure a proper diagnosis. Interpretation of ultrasound images requires great skill on the part of the clinician.

Digital radiographs (x-rays) provide fast diagnosis of issues and are available for viewing immediately on-screen without the processing time of traditional film x-rays. This helps our team get to work with a treatment plan for your pets. Common reasons for dogs and cats to have radiographs are broken bones, heart disease, foreign objects, respiratory issues, and cancer diagnosis.

When we need to figure out what’s wrong with your pet, we routinely use x-rays to help identify the cause of the problem, rule out possible problems, or provide a list of possible causes. We may also use x-rays during a wellness exam to diagnose potential problems before they become serious.

X-rays provide valuable information about a pet’s bones, gastrointestinal tract (stomach, intestines, colon), respiratory tract (lungs), heart, and genitourinary system (bladder, prostate). We use radiology alone or in conjunction with other diagnostic tools. Interpretation of radiographs requires great skill on the part of the veterinarian.

Seemingly healthy pets can have more happening below the surface than we realize. Blood, urine, and fecal testing help us see essential information about your pet’s health that is otherwise undetectable.

As part of our commitment to preventive care, we recommend yearly blood and fecal screens to check for parasites and diseases (and the potential for disease). Early detection is vital for maintaining your pet’s health and helping them sidestep future issues.

Rapid results allow us to quickly diagnose and start treatment for a sick pet and perform pre-anesthetic blood testing.

Heart disease is quite common in pets, so having the ability to monitor it is becoming more and more necessary.

An ECG/EKG is a record of the electrical activity of the heart. We can evaluate the heart rhythm of your pet, look for any arrhythmias or other abnormalities, and look for heart enlargement, which is a very common sign of heart disease. In addition, ECGs are used to monitor the progress of patients diagnosed with heart disease.

ECGs are a comfortable, non-invasive test where we only have to place clips on certain locations on your pet’s body to get readings.

My Family Vet Montgomery can perform blood allergy testing on your pet to determine exactly what they are allergic to. Once we know what your pet is allergic to, we can consider desensitization therapy using oral drops or injections. Environmental allergies can also be treated with medication or medicated baths for symptomatic control. We will discuss your pet’s unique condition and work with you to determine the best treatment.

• Environmental allergies occur when there is an exaggerated immune response to an allergen. An allergen is a protein that comes from exposure to things like tree pollen, grass pollen, dander, and flea saliva. Your pet can develop antibodies to an allergen and then overreact to it. This leads to skin inflammation and itchiness. You’ll notice is a lot of scratching and biting in order to alleviate this itchiness. Unfortunately, it typically results in even more skin issues, such as red, puffy skin, bleeding, sores, and permanent skin damage.
• Food allergies are quite common and occur in your pet when there is an overreaction of the immune system to a particular ingredient in their diet. This can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms including gastrointestinal issues, chronic ear inflammation, diarrhea, gas, constant paw licking, and more.

It’s never easy to talk about money when it comes to end-of-life care. While difficult, we hope to provide your family with all the information needed to prepare.

The cost of aftercare depends on the type of services you choose. You may also want keepsakes, which could be an additional cost. Give us a call and we will be happy to go options and pricing with you.

We offer private and communal cremation services through Fond Memories in our clinic. Fond Memories offers a variety of packages for private cremation services, including pawprints, urns, and memorial jewelry. When your family is ready, please ask a team member at our clinic for a brochure that features all available items.

Private cremation services usually take about one week to receive back. A member from the My Family Vet Montgomery team will reach out to you upon delivery, and you may take as much time as needed to pick up your pet and memorial items. Some prefer the communal cremation route, where no ashes are received back.

If you decide to use cremation services outside of the ones provided within our clinic, we will work to ensure the transition to end-of-life care is as seamless as possible.

We understand that sometimes coming in for an end-of-life appointment isn’t always an option. Our first priority at My Family Vet Montgomery is your pet’s care and comfort. 

*We offer in-home euthanasia with our doctors with advance notice.