Yearly Exams:

While Deer Park is a farm-oriented community there are many clients who view their animals as family members. While we are happy to serve farm animals, our primary focus is on pets. At Hometown Animal Hospital we place a great emphasis on  yearly complete physical exams . Because pets have a shorter lifespan, they age more quickly than people. With the yearly exam we aim to address potential health problems early on, before they escalate from manageable to untreatable. We fully document the physical exams and current weights so we can refer back to them later and address possible trends. In older or sickly pets once yearly visits may not be frequent enough.

Vaccines:

General:

We are a full-service small animal hospital that provides a variety of services, both diagnostic and treatment. We are, however, not a vaccination only clinic . All our patients are assessed for health prior to administering vaccine biologicals. Additionally, we address any post-vaccination reactions that might arise. While we strongly recommend regular vaccinations of pets, we place even greater emphasis on regular physical check-ups.

Home-vaccinations:

We strongly discourage clients from vaccinating their pets at home for various reasons, including the following:

1. Proper storage, handling, and refrigeration of over-the-counter vaccinations can't be assured - improper refrigeration might render the vaccine ineffective.

2. Quality and safety of the vaccine can't be assured - for example, there is still a vaccine on the market that can potentially lead to blindness in dogs. In rare cases cats have been known to develop injection site sarcomas (an aggressive and potentially deadly cancer at the injection site of certain vaccinations). To avoid this, we use only the technology and highest quality feline vaccinations, called "recombinant, adjuvant-free vaccine technology." Over-the-counter versions of this are not available.

3. Ingredients: Over-the-counter vaccines may provide more or less protection against different diseases than needed for your pets lifestyle or area of residence.

4. Administration: While most people might know what they are doing, not everyone mixed the vials up properly or gives the vaccine properly. This might result in a pet being vaccinated with sterile water only, rather than vaccine ingredients, or getting vaccine in the fur only - neither will provide any protection!

Frequency:

Not all pets need the same vaccinations, but every pet should receive core vaccinations - the frequency may also vary. Parvovirus still kills dogs in the Deer Park area - particularly puppies. It can easily be prevented by regular vaccinations. Cats have been diagnosed with Distemper virus disease at this hospital, also very preventable by vaccine. 

Laws:  

Cats - whether indoor or outdoor - and dogs are required by Federal Law to be up-to-date on Rabies vaccinations. Bats, which have been found inside homes, are the rabies carrier in Washington State . This law is not made by the veterinarian, but is mandated in the interest of public health.

Pain Management:

We are pro-active about pain management. All our spay/neuter prices include surgical and to-go-home pain medications. Surgical pain relief is also included in the dental package. We like to practice pre-emptive analgesia. That means that pain can be more effectively stopped if you prevent it, rather than treating it after it has started. Animals don't show pain in the same way we do. Very few actually cry out in pain - rather, a pet might be less active, avoid stairs or jumping, be less social, or have a decreased appetite. Arthritis pain can be very disruptive to an animal's quality of life. We prefer to address this before it gets so bad that the pet no longer greets you at the door.

Spay/Neuter

The proper term for a spay is "ovariohysterectomy" and a neuter "surgical castration". Both of them are surgical procedures that require anesthesia and pain control. To decrease behavioral and health problems, we recommend all non-breeding animals be surgically altered. This avoids "pyometras" in females (a potentially deadly uterine infection), decreases the incidence of mammary cancer in female dogs, and avoids testicular cancer and prostate disease in male dogs. Incidence of spraying / urinary marking, as well as roaming, transmission of disease (such as FIV or STDs), and aggression are also less common in altered pets.

Refills

As all refills are reviewed by a veterinarian to ensure safety, we kindly request 24 hour notice for refill requests. Pharmacy law requires a current client-patient relationship; hence we can only refill medications for pets that have had a physical exam with us within the last 12 months. Furthermore, we generally must have seen a pet for the condition of concern prior to filling a new medication. There are also some conditions that we will need to recheck or re-evaluate before we can grant a refill. If requested by you, we will okay online pharmacy prescriptions. However, we do not recommend many of the on-line pharmacies, as some have been implicated with illegal refill activities, as well as faulty products that were overseas imitations. Also, they may not always comply with state guidelines, as they operate on a national basis.