Life Stage Care

Puppy and Kitten Care Recommended Vaccinations for Puppies Recommended Vaccinations for Kittens Spays and Neuters Adult Pet Care Preventative Dental Care Senior Pet Care

At Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital and Pet Resort, we follow your pet through the many phases of his or her life.  From specialized preventive medicine and care during their younger years, to regular wellness exams and care as they age, we work to prevent and detect problems before they arise and become more serious. We know your pet is important to you, that is why we work hard to ensure they are given only the best care throughout all the years of their lives.

Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital offers individualized care plans for your pets.  Additionally, we offer comprehensive wellness packages for the various stages of development. These discounted wellness plans allow your to provide your pet the best care while keeping your budget in mind.

Puppy and Kitten Care  

Healthy puppies and kittens grow into healthy dogs and cats. The health care team at Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital understands that you want your pet to be healthy and active for all of her or his life. Our team is committed to helping you provide the best possible care for you dog or cat.

Newly adopted puppies and kittens should be scheduled for a complete physical examination with one of our caring veterinarians as soon as possible.  The doctor will talk with you in order to gather information about your pet.  Further, the doctor will screen for fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites and any other health problems to ensure that your new family member is healthy and that disease is not transmitted to other animals or humans in your home. Puppies and kittens are especially vulnerable to parasitic infections that can threaten their health. Proper screening and preventive products can help protect them against intestinal worms, fleas, and heartworm disease. A general worming is recommended during your puppy or kitten's first visit.

Puppies and kittens also have immature immune systems which makes it difficult to fight off disease.  According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), vaccinations are the most effective preventive measure you can take for the health of your pet.

Throughout your puppy's or kitten's growing years and adulthood, regular wellness care is necessary to promote long, healthy, full lives.  Our veterinarians will work with you to ensure your pet's dental health, appropriate nutrition, excellent socialization, and to monitor for any changes in health over time.

A Visit to our Veterinarians is imperative if you notice any of the following:

Unexplained weight loss Excessive drinking and/or urination Loss of appetite Lethargy Behavior changes Diarrhea or vomiting Skin lumps, bumps, or irritation Bad breath, plaque on teeth or bleeding gums Ear odors, redness, scratching, or head shaking Trouble urinating or defecating

Recommended Vaccinations for Puppies:

Visit our Pet Library to learn more about the diseases/illnesses the vaccines protect against.

Additionally, the doctors at Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital recommend Heartgard Plus on an ongoing monthly basis as a preventive measure against heartworm disease.

They may also recommend Frontline Plus on an ongoing monthly basis as a parasite preventive treatment for fleas and ticks.

We recommend worming at 6 weeks of age and repeated wormings, as needed.

Recommended Vaccinations for Kittens:

Kittens also require regular vaccinations to remain protected against the most dangerous and common feline ailments. Visit the links below to learn more about the diseases these vaccines protect your pet against.

Spays and Neuters

Spaying or neutering your pet can help them live a longer, healthier life.  Additionally, spaying or neutering minimizes behavioral problems and helps control the population of unwanted pets.

There are many benefits associated with neutering your pet including decreased incidence of aggressive behavior, reduced risk of certain infectious diseases, testicular cancer, prostate gland cancers, and infection and enlargement of the prostate gland.  

There are also many benefits to spaying your female pet.  First, spaying will eliminate the sometimes "messy" heat cycles that attract male dogs to your home from miles away. Second, you will help prevent diseases in your pet, such as pyometra (infection in the uterus) and mammary cancer.  Additionally, research has shown that pets that have been spayed live longer than pets that have not been spayed.

Your pet's safety and comfort are our primary concerns when performing a spay or neuter. We use advanced pain management techniques in conjunction with anesthesia to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure and after they are discharged.  

If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to question the type of anesthetic used and the type of pain management provided, as well as the monitoring equipment and procedures followed.  All of our surgery patients have an IV catheter placed and receive IV fluids.  We use several monitoring devices during the pet's anesthetic. A veterinary surgical technician continually assesses your pet's vital signs during the procedure.  Our monitoring devices and procedures allow us to respond to any type of emergency, should one arise, faster.  

To learn more details about our spaying and neutering procedures, please visit the following links:  

Our health care team at Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital looks forward to seeing your pet grow and become an integral and active member of your family.

Adult Pet Care

We recommend all pets be examined at least once a year, preferably twice a year, in order to prevent/detect medical problems. Pets age much faster than we do and, as a result, health problems can progress much more rapidly.  

Regular wellness examinations will confirm that your pet is healthy or can help catch problems before they become more serious. Your pet's semi annual veterinary visit will include some, if not all, of the following: a health consultation, blood work, a physical examination, pain assessment, nutritional counseling, an intestinal parasite screening, vaccinations, if necessary, and recommendations for an on-going wellness routine.

Diet and nutrition are very important to maintaining your pet's health. Feeding your pet a specially formulated diet to meet the needs of adulthood helps encourage a long and healthy life. Please consult with your veterinarian about the right food to fit your pet's lifestyle, body conditions, and health needs.

We will assess your pet's comfort level and address any concerns about pain.  Even younger cats and dogs can experience chronic pain due to joint disease (osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cruciate (ACL) disease) and dental disease.

Adult dogs require the Rabies Vaccine booster every three years and the following yearly vaccinations:

    ~ 5-way combination vaccine - Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus

    ~ Bordetella vaccine

    ~ Rattlesnake vaccine ( administered in March or April preferred)

Preventive Dental Care Is Necessary

For Optimal Pet Health

Did you know that preventive dental care can add 2 to 4 years to your pet's life?

Your pet's dental and oral health are an important part of his/her overall health. According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Veterinary dental Association, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have oral disease by the age of 3 years. Peridontal disease is the most common disease in dogs and cats in the United States.

Many health problems start in the mouth. Dental disease can dramatically affect your pet's organ functions and can lead to more serious conditions such as heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease. Plaque, tartar, periodontal disease, and infected teeth serve as a source of inflammation and infection for the rest of the body. Further, many pets with untreated dental disease suffer from chronic pain and premature aging.

Dental disease can occur in pets of all ages; however, if your pet is three years of age or older, he or she likely has tartar and plaque build-up on the teeth and probably needs a professional dental cleaning.  Older pets that lack regular preventive dental care and professional cleanings will have advanced tartar build-up and some degree of gum disease. 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends regular annual oral examinations and professional dental cleanings for all adult cats and dogs, beginning at the age of one year.

Annual dental cleaning for your pet is a must!

Please visit our Dentistry: Oral and Dental Health page for much more detailed information.

To learn more visit the following links:

Senior Pet Care  

Thanks to the advancements in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever. However, with this increased lifespan comes an increase in the variety of conditions and diseases that our senior pets are susceptible to including, osteoarthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Because our pets age much faster than we do, health problems can progress much more rapidly. Here at Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital, we pay special attention to your senior pet's comfort level and address any concerns about pain.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), scheduling regular veterinary examinations is one of the most important steps pet owners can take to keep their pets healthy. AAHA recommends that healthy senior dogs (age 7 +) visit their veterinarian every six months for a complete exam and laboratory testing.

Your pet's senior wellness exam should include the following:

Health Consultation Physical Examination Pain Assessment Oral Exam Nutritional Counseling Diagnostic Tests Blood Work Intestinal Parasite Test Vaccinations (if necessary - see adult care vaccinations above) Overall Wellness Recommendations

A visit to your veterinarian is imperative if you notice any of the following:

     Changes in mobility (i.e. difficulty getting up from a down position, trouble with stairs, limping, decrease in ability to jump onto furniture or into the car, decrease in play)

Unexplained Weight Loss Excessive Drinking and/or Urination Loss of Appetite Lethargy Behavior Changes Diarrhea or Vomiting Skin Lumps, Bumps, or Irritation Bad Breath, Plaque on Teeth, Bleeding Gums Ear Odors, Redness, Scratching, Head Shaking Unexplained Weight Gain

Please read the Adult Pet Care section of this page for additional information about how to best care for your pet's dental health and general health.

Please visit our Senior Care and Geriatric Medicine  and our Dentistry: Oral and Dental Care pages for more detailed information about the care of your furry family member.

This is not a replacement for a veterinary consultation.

Please contact our friendly staff to schedule your pet's appointment today! If you have any questions or concerns regarding your pet's health or care, please call us (480) 893-0533.