Health & Pet Wellness

Teeth Cleaning

Health

Puppies & Kittens

The initial examination that your puppy or kitten receives from your Hillside veterinarian is critical to its well-being and long-term health. Your doctor will pay particular attention to the proper growth and development of the eyes, ears, teeth and enamel, skin and nails, and internal organs. Each youngster will be checked for hereditary or nutritional deficits and the absence of external parasites.

Puppies and kittens receive natural immunity against many diseases within the first few hours of life from their mother's milk, the colostrum, but this protection is short-lived. Your doctor will recommend a vaccination program that will protect your puppy or kitten against the many serious, life-threatening diseases to which young animals are susceptible.

Taking into account animal health care threats that may vary by local conditions, over the course of several visits you may expect your pup to be vaccinated against: distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvo virus and rabies.

Kittens are tested for viral diseases and vaccinated to prevent: Calicivirus, Chlamydia, Distemper, Leukemia, Rhinotracheitis and Rabies.

Laboratory tests to ensure your little friend is free of internal parasites (which also can be transmitted to humans) may be recommended.

Your Hillside Veterinary Clinic team is eager to provide accurate information and explanations about new puppy or kitten behavior, offer practical strategies to prevent problems of developing pets or advice to correct early behavioral issues. Let's talk!

Senior Pet Care

Since each year for a dog or cat is the equivalent of 5-7 human years, it is important that your pets receive a wellness examination annually, at a minimum. By age 7, he or she is considered a senior member of the community, and more frequent exams are recommended. The accelerated aging of a pet resulting in a shorter life span for animals compared to humans means that a pet's health can change dramatically in a very short period of time.

The aging process applies to animals and people in the same way: Associated changes naturally occur in behavior, anatomy and physiology. Your Hillside veterinary team will pay careful attention to the older pet's orthopedic status, cardiovascular system and ophthalmic condition.

Your Hillside veterinarian will discuss with you the normal developmental processes of your aging pet and any diagnosed deviations from what is considered within normal limits. He or she may also recommend appropriate blood tests for the older adult and suggestions for the use of products that can be of benefit.

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Oral & Dental Health

Often overlooked as it relates to a pet's comprehensive health status, animal dental care is needed to provide quality of life and optimal well-being. If left untreated, diseases of the mouth, gums or jaw are not only painful to your companion, but may also be contributing factors to more widespread systemic disease processes. The American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 70-85% of dogs and cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.

The beginning and severity of periodontal disease depends on age, breed, diet and at-home care, with younger, small-breed dogs typically presenting with infection earlier than large-breed dogs. Abnormal signs and symptoms of dental abnormalities include: pain, bad breath, excessive drooling, fractured or loose teeth, swelling or bleeding of the gums, tumors, sores or wounds.

Your Hillside Veterinary team will be certain that your companion animal receives proper dental care from the start. The oral examination performed by your Hillside doctor is the basis of the preliminary treatment plan for your pet. A comprehensive, specific plan can only be determined after your animal has been placed under anesthesia and x-rays of the oral cavity have been taken. General anesthesia is necessary for pets undergoing dental treatment.

While it is understandable that pet owners may be concerned about bad breath and unsightly tartar accumulation, regular dental care is more than cosmetic: Tartar and plaque, often invaded by bacteria, need to be removed to counteract subsequent infection, gingivitis or pyorrhea (infection of tissues surrounding the teeth), with 60% of disease occurring below the gum line.

Hillside Veterinary staff is well-skilled and equipped to perform dental procedures such as:

  • Dental X-rays
  • Ultrasound de-scaling of tartar
  • Deep-gum cleaning
  • Application of Oravet dental sealants to minimize staining and invasion of bacteria
  • Fluoride treatments
  • Teeth polishing
  • Extractions

After your pet's treatment, you and your Hillside team can discuss home dental care for your companion animal in order to understand how to maintain a disease-free oral cavity and to maximize his or her comfort and quality of life.

Hillside's Young Pet Dental Program is an affordable way to help your young furry family members maintain good dental health...

WHY HAVE MY PET'S TEETH CLEANED PROFESSIONALLY?

Did you know about 85% of dogs and cats have some form of periodontal disease? Proper dental care is critical to a pet's overall good health. If oral infection such as periodontal disease is left untreated, bacteria can travel through the bloodstream and damage internal organs. Animals can suffer the same kinds of dental problems as humans, including infection, severe pain, and fractured teeth.

Periodontal Disease warning signs include:

  • Bad breath
  • Tartar (yellow) buildup on the teeth
  • Swollen, receding, or bleeding gums
  • Change in eating habits
  • Excessive drooling
  • Fractured or abscessed teeth
DENTAL PREVENTATIVE CARE

Dental care for animals is similar to dental care for humans, only animals can't brush their own teeth. To prevent dental programs select one or more of these option:

  • Brush pet's teeth with pecially formulated pet toothpaste. Do not use toothpaste formulated for humans
  • Use C.E.T. Enzyme chews daily to help breakdown plaque and tartar
  • Schedule regular professional teeth cleanings by Hillside Veterinary Clinic

Hillside's Young Pet Dental Program Criteria for all dogs and cats:

  • must be 7 years old or younger
  • must be current on vaccinations or be brought up to date here for
  • $80.00
  • must have record of normal lab work or we will do it for $65.00
  • must not have a heart murmur
  • must not need dental extractions
  • if no lab work is needed and the vaccinations are current, the fee for
  • this package ranges from $120-$160 determined by size

Hillside is offering this service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays only.

Call us for more info or to make an appointment 214-824-0397

Wellness

We are committed to prevent disease and detect illnesses early in your pet. Comprehensive physical examinations will be performed; appropriate vaccines will be administered; pro-active, prevention treatments will be advised; species-specific screening tests will be recommended; and sound behavioral training strategies will be discussed with you.

As with you and your family members, it is often easier, less uncomfortable and less costly to prevent--rather than treat or cure--injury or sickness. Your Hillside veterinarian is your pet's advocate, and he or she will make every effort to maintain the best possible quality of life and health for your pet.