Skip to main content

Annual Care

Consistent, personalized care is the foundation for a long life. As a pet owner, we know you want the best care possible for your pet, and that means seeking professional consultations from those that have your pet’s needs in mind. That’s why at Mt Shasta Animal Hospital we support life-stage wellness and support annual appointments.

We take your pet’s history, environment, and exposure risk into mind when compiling treatment plans. We also continuously seek more effective vaccine options based on current research findings.

Parasite Prevention & Control

External Parasites
As a pet owner, you are likely aware of the fact that fleas, ticks, mites and lice are all common parasites that can cause a host of problems. Fortunately, our pharmacy offers excellent medications to control these parasites.

Internal Parasites
Internal parasites are difficult for the blind eye to identify, as there are generally fewer physical symptoms. Common internal parasites include heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. We estimate that almost 50 percent of our patients will contract tapeworms at some point, which are transmitted by fleas and ingestion of rodents. Since parasites can infect people too, it’s important to catch them early!

Parasites are identified by laboratory tests that analyze fecal samples. Thanks to our in-house laboratory, we are able to quickly confirm their presence in your household. Due to their frequency, we recommend that pets less than a year old have at least two fecal exams annually while older pets should have one.

Heartworm Disease

It is our mission to educate pet owners and provide affordable treatment options to our clients.

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and heart. It’s most commonly diagnosed in dogs, cats, wolves, foxes and ferrets, but has even been identified in humans.

Monthly year-round treatment is recommended because when properly managed, heartworm disease is preventable. Since we support preventative care, ask our staff for more information about what medication is best for your pet. Keep in mind that just because your pet lives indoors, this does not mean that contact is completely avoidable.

Lifestage Wellness

At Mt Shasta Animal Hospital, we know that long, healthy lives are the product of strategic preventative care tailored to your pet’s stage in life. We practice life stage wellness, which means that we have age-specific methods in place. The life stages are puppy (or kitten), adult and senior.

In our experience, the most successful cases at our hospital are those that have embraced the idea of life stage wellness. Therefore, we make an effort to educate each client on the importance and how to implement the practice.

Microchipping

Any pet owner will tell you that the feeling of losing your pet is one of the worst. Microchip identification is the most consistent, trusted method of reuniting with your pet should you become separated.

The actual microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is usually placed right underneath the skin between the shoulder blades. Since each chip has a unique identification number, which is stored on a national database, a quick scan significantly increases chances of reuniting. Since we believe so strongly in the microchip process, we often offer special pricing.

Nutrition

Mt Shasta Animal Hospital is fully stocked with nutritional plans best suited for your pet. Whether you are pursuing a life stage wellness plan or require specific diet needs, our staff is happy to help.

Vaccines

Immunizing your pet is a crucial preventative step towards well being. Consistent vaccine practices help to protect your pet from potentially deadly diseases, such as Parvovirus, Distemper, Rabies and Leptospirosis, Panleukopenia and Feline Leukemia.

Since each pet experiences a different lifestyle at home, our doctors believe in recommending vaccines based on need. This tailors your pet’s care and helps reduce costs for you. For example, some shots are more important for younger dogs while others are recommended boosters throughout the duration of your pet’s life.

We promise that all of our medications are properly stored, handled and administered so that you can rest assured in the care you receive at our hospital.