Wellness Care

Vaccinations are a safe and effective way to protect your pet against disease and are an important and fundamental piece of your pet’s preventative health care plan. Advances in veterinary immunology have made diseases that once were relatively common and fatal to pets easily preventable. There are also some vaccines that help protect your family from very dangerous and difficult to treat diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis which can be passed from infected wild animals.

Young animals need to be vaccinated early on since the natural immunity that they get from their mothers’ milk gradually wears off and they become vulnerable to infectious diseases. We recommend giving puppies and kittens a series of vaccinations starting when they are approximately six weeks old, with the final vaccination series being administered when they are 15 to 17 weeks old.

Routine booster vaccines will also be necessary to keep your pet’s immunity high enough to protect them over time. It’s important to remember that as with other medication, not all vaccines are 100% effective in every pet; a vaccinated pet may not develop adequate immunity and could possibly become ill. However, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. When vaccinated, pets are protected against life-threatening diseases.

Does your pet have a microchip? Microchipping your pet is a safe, simple and effective way to increase the likelihood of being reunited with your lost pet. Identification microchips are encoded with a number that is listed in an electronic database; this number contains all of your emergency contact information and can be updated at any time. About the size of a grain of rice, identification microchips are implanted beneath your pet’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades.

Microchips are designed to last your pet’s entire lifespan. Like your pet, your pet’s microchip ID code is one of a kind. Once enrolled, they will be linked to a permanent record of your information – which is important to keep up-to-date so you can be reached when your lost pet is found. Your microchip comes with a personal listing in the lost pet database, and this translates to anytime/anywhere pet recovery services.

Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across the country and around the world are equipped with special scanners capable of reading these microchips. When your lost pet is taken to an animal shelter or veterinary clinic, a staff member will scan your pet for a microchip, read its unique code, and use the information in the chip to reunite you with your pet.

If your pet will be traveling around the world these microchips are Internationally recognized and can be read by any International Organization for Standardization (ISO) compliant scanner in the world.

*These microchips are not GPS microchips and cannot be remotely traced or tracked.

At Comal Pet Hospital we know how important a quality diet is to your pet’s overall health. Some pets require special food to maintain optimum health, but all pets benefit from a balanced, healthful diet. During your pet’s comprehensive physical examination, we will make suggestions regarding the appropriate food for your pet’s age, species, breed and lifestyle as well as evaluate his or her body condition and give recommendations regarding feeding.

We offer custom ordering from a diverse inventory of prescription foods with the option to have food shipped directly to your door. Additionally, our staff can advise you about the diets that benefit specific medical conditions such as liver disease, bladder and kidney stones, renal failure, food allergies and other conditions. Our trained staff at Comal Pet Hospital is available to help you with nutritional challenges and choosing the right diet for your pet in order to keep him or her happy, healthy and active.

Periodontal disease is a progressive, gradual destruction of the gums caused by bacteria. This dental disease can be life threatening because dangerous bacteria can enter the bloodstream and wreak havoc in your pet’s internal organs such as the liver, kidney and heart. And while cat and dog dental diseases can be preventable, if current diseases are left untreated they can often lead to larger systemic problems.

During your pet’s physical examination, our doctors will evaluate your pet’s current dental health condition, and should it be determined that a dental prophylaxis (teeth cleaning) is necessary, we can schedule it at that time.

When the time does come for a dental cleaning, your pet will require general anesthesia. While your pet is under anesthesia, we will perform a thorough oral exam, take full oral x-rays, and perform any additional services, such as tooth extractions or take other steps to help preserve marginally loose teeth. Following your pet’s exam we will be available to discuss proper home dental care that may lead to fewer cleanings and fresher breath for your pet.

Dentistry is a special interest of Dr. Kathryn Gibson and an area where she has pursued advanced training. At Comal Pet Hospital your pet’s dental health is a top priority and by taking care of your pet’s teeth, we can enhance your pet’s overall health so you can enjoy each other longer!