Wellness Care

Routine Exams

Routine wellness exams are the most effective way to keep your pet healthy. Pets age faster than humans and medical conditions can rapidly get worse. Because of this, we recommend all pets receive a full wellness exam every six months. This allows us to establish a baseline level of health for your pet and aids us in spotting disease and potentially harmful conditions before they become too difficult to treat.

Exams generally take about 30 minutes. During an exam, Dr. Fastenrath or Dr. Concannon conduct a thorough physical examination of your pet. We examine your pet's breathing and heart rate, evaluate his or her vision, check for signs of stiffness or arthritis in the joints and muscles, palpate the abdomen (for signs of tumors or growths) and examine your pet's skin and coat. We also perform a series of blood and laboratory tests. These tests help detect the presence of intestinal parasites (roundworm, hookworm, etc.), heartworm, and can detect signs of heart, liver and kidney disease, diabetes and other conditions.

During an exam, we may ask you questions about your pet's diet, lifestyle and behavior at home. Exams are also a great opportunity to ask us any questions you may have about your pet. Please call us today to schedule your pet's exam.

Puppy & Kitten Care

You've welcomed a new puppy or kitten into your home—congratulations! But there is a lot of important information you need to know about your new family member. Animal Medical Clinic provides new pet owners with a special puppy/kitten examination session. Duing a puppy or kitten exam, we go over with you every aspect of owning a new pet, from basic training and nutrition to the vaccination and medical needs of your new companion.

Vaccinations

Keeping your pet up to date on his or her vaccinations is essential. Many diseases once fatal to pets can now be prevented through the use of vaccines. When it comes to vaccinations, every pet has different needs. Age, lifestyle, exposure risk and other factors are all used to determine the type and frequency of vaccines your pet receives. We work with you to develop a vaccine protocol that keeps your pet safe and healthy. Please note: the state of Alabama requires yearly rabies vaccinations.

Telemedicine

When your pet comes to Animal Medical Center, he or she has access to leading veterinary specialists across the country. We use an advanced telemedicine system for consulting with specialists in a number of different fields. We consult with specialists on complex cases or when a confirmation of diagnosis might be helpful. Our telemedicine system allows for fast, accurate consultations when needed.

Microchipping

Each year, millions of pets go missing and many are never found again. Giving your pet proper identification is a must, but sometimes a collar or ID tag may not be enough. Microchipping your pet is a safe, effective way to help make sure your companion returns home safely should he or she become lost.

A microchip is about the size and shape of a grain of rice and is implanted beneath your pet's skin (usually between the shoulder blades) in a process similar to a vaccination. Every microchip is encoded with your pet's vital information - this information is stored in a national pet database. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across the country are equipped with special scanners capable of detecting and reading microchips. Once your pet's microchip has been scanned, the information it contains is used to reunite you and your pet.

Animal Medical Clinic uses the HomeAgain microchip system. Please ask a veterinarian or staff member for more details about microchipping your pet.

Animal Medical Clinic is a full-service veterinary care center. Located at 4296 University Drive in Huntsville, AL, we provide comprehensive veterinary medicine and veterinary surgery to dogs and cats in the Huntsville, AL area. Animal Medical Clinic also provides veterinary ultrasound, dog and cat boarding and pet grooming. Call 256-837-9700 for boarding and grooming reservations.