Veterinary Well-Care Services
for Your Pet
As pet owners and people that have dedicated our lives to the care of animals, we truly understand how important animal companions are to each and every one of our clients. Your pet is a special, unique and important member of your family. This is why Palatine Animal Hospital strives to be at the forefront of veterinary care by providing state-of-the-art medical services and protocols within a modern, fully-equipped, and welcoming facility.
The basis of our promise to you and the foundation of your pet's health is the thorough practice of preventative care. We recommend yearly, nose-to-tail wellness checkups, proper dental care here and at home, a balanced approach to vaccinations, microchip identification, as well as regular screenings for diseases that commonly afflict our pets in their senior years.
We also strongly believe that client education and communication are vital aspects of good veterinary care. Our promise to you and the work of caring for your pet does not begin and end at our doors. It is continuous and requires empowering you with the information you need to provide the best and most compassionate care for your beloved pet.
Also, when you bring your new puppy or kitten in for its first visit, your veterinarian will provide you with important information and advice on its care. We will also give you a kit filled with helpful information and products for your puppy or kitten at no extra charge.
Unfortunately, even despite the most aggressive preventative treatment, our pets may yet experience a periodic illness or injury. The skill and extensive education of the doctors at Palatine Animal Hospital means we can effectively manage a number of complex cases. In some cases, though, your pet may require the care of a trained specialist. We maintain relationships with a number of area specialty veterinarians and will work with you and the specialist to ensure your pet receives the best and most appropriate care possible.
Please take a look at the services we have to offer on this and following pages and feel free to give us a call at (847) 359-1688 to ask our staff any questions or to set up an appointment.
Veterinary Wellness Exams: The Heart of Preventative Medicine
A regular physical examination is just as important for your pet as it is for you. Because our pets can't tell us how they really feel, we recommend a complete nose-to-tail physical examination at least once a year, though more frequent exams are encouraged.
A routine examination provides you and your veterinarian with the opportunity to develop a picture of your pet's overall health as well as to spot potential medical issues before they become serious health concerns. It's also an opportunity for you to ask your veterinarian important questions about your pet's health, habits and daily care. We also use this time to inform you about home healthcare for your pet and offer important advice and new information on the care of your particular type and breed of animal.
During your pet's wellness checkup, Palatine Animal Hospital doctors will:
Listen to your pet's heart – Early signs of cardiac disease such as heart murmurs and abnormal heart beat patterns known as arrhythmias can be heard through a stethoscope. Discovering these initial indicators of trouble ahead can lead to identifying and treating the underlying condition before it becomes a more serious health threat.
Listen to your pet's lungs – Health issues such as infections, obstructive diseases and other problems can be detected by listening to your pet's lungs through a stethoscope. The doctor can also assess the overall pulmonary health of your pet.
Check your pet's teeth and oral cavity – Examining your pet's teeth and mouth is an important part of preventing dental disease, which is one of the most common health concerns in pets. Very young animals, such as kittens and puppies, also need to be checked to ensure they are developing an appropriate bite and that they are losing their baby teeth at the right time. We also take the time to discuss proper home dental care with you.
Evaluate your pet's vision – All diseases follow relatively predictable processes and if found early can be more easily treated. Ocular conditions, which can also be prevented through regular care and screenings, are no exception.
Look into your pet's ears – As with dental disease, ear disease is relatively common in many types of pets. Issues such as low-grade allergies, swimming or bathing, reactions to certain foods, mites and other parasites can all cause and contribute to otitis or ear disease. Though you may feel this is an area that can be well-handled at home, the fact is that many ear diseases are difficult to detect and require medical treatment.
Palpate the lymph nodes, abdomen and skin – By feeling the skin, we are looking for unusual lumps or swellings as well as evaluating for skin discolorations, lesions or patterns of hair loss or thinning. These can indicate the presence of more systemic problems, especially metabolic diseases, which most commonly occur in middle-aged animals.
Palpate joints and muscles – By examining the joints, legs and other areas of the body, we are able to evaluate for swollen joints, decreased muscle tone and variations in muscle size between the limbs. We also observe your pet's gait for developmental issues. In puppies, we look for early indications of hip or elbow problems. For older pets, we look for signs of arthritis, which can be well-treated if found early.
Lab work – A complete physical includes a heartworm test, parasite screening, and should include a full blood workup. Not only can a full chemistry panel and complete blood count identify the presence of underlying disease processes, but these tests help create a baseline should your pet become ill between routine examinations. Additionally, blood work is necessary if your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning, removal of skin masses, or any other procedure that requires anesthesia.
Vaccinations for Your Pet: Safe & Effective
Vaccinations are the cornerstone of your pet's preventative health care plan. Advances in veterinary immunology have made diseases that once were fatal to pets easily prevented. Today, many immunizations and preventative treatments are available that did not exist just a few years ago. We always tailor your pet's vaccination schedule according to his or her needs. All decisions about vaccinations and preventative care are made jointly by the veterinarian and you in order to develop a vaccination protocol based on your pet's lifestyle, environment, and other risk factors.
Palatine Animal Hospital believes that our well-balanced vaccination protocol is the best means to protect your pet from disease as well as the risk of an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
Nutritional & Behavioral Counseling for Your Pet
Nutritional Counseling
We know how important a quality diet is to your pet's overall health. During your pet's comprehensive physical examination we evaluate his or her body condition and give recommendations. Some pets require special food to maintain optimum health, but all pets benefit from a balanced, healthful diet.
Palatine Animal Hospital has trained staff available to help you with nutritional challenges for your pet. We can also offer advice and provide information about diets that benefit specific medical conditions such as liver disease, bladder and kidney stones, renal failure, food allergies and other conditions.
Behavioral Counseling
Behavior problems are the number one reason that owners give up a pet. Palatine Animal Hospital offers behavior counseling for a number of issues such as inappropriate urination or defecation, aggression, separation anxiety, inappropriate chewing and barking, introduction of new pets into the household and household pets that are in conflict with one another. Oftentimes a behavior problem, such as inappropriate voiding, can be linked to a medical issue (cystitis, bladder stones, and kidney disease).
Your veterinarian will help you recognize, validate and categorize any behavior issues you may notice. We will then work closely with you to develop a plan to help eliminate your pet's unwanted behavior. If our veterinarians and technical staff members cannot help with your pet's behavior problem, we can refer you to a specialist in animal behavior.
Veterinary Allergy Testing & Treatment
Pets have allergies, too. Itching, scratching, and hot spots are all signs of allergies and skin conditions in pets. Allergies to pollen, dust and fleas are all very common and treatable. No matter what your pet's allergy or skin condition, Palatine Animal Hospital has the expertise to identify and treat many of the allergies and resulting medical conditions that can affect our pets.
Senior and Geriatric Veterinary Care
Dogs and cats in their senior years may have slowed down a bit, but they are still very loving and satisfying companions to have. They also require a bit more veterinary care in order to keep them happy and healthy as well as to detect the early signs of treatable diseases.
Palatine Animal Hospital still recommends regular wellness and dental exams, but also a geriatric exam tailored to your pet's age and condition. Our geriatric care program includes the standard vaccines your dog or cat needs, as well as diagnostic tests designed to help catch any problems associated with aging before they become difficult and expensive to treat.
Microchipping: Safe & Reliable Pet ID
Does your pet have a microchip? Each year, millions of pets go missing and many don't make it back home. Microchipping your pet is a safe, simple and effective way to prevent this tragedy. About the size of a grain of rice, identification microchips are encoded with your pet's vital information and implanted beneath your pet's skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters across North America are equipped with special scanners capable of reading these microchips. The information in the chip is used to reunite you with your pet.
Palatine Animal Hospital uses the AVID (American Veterinary Identification Devices) microchip system. AVID comes with a number of valuable services and is recognized not only across the United States, but throughout South and Central America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
Our Veterinary Pharmacy
In numerous acute or chronic conditions, medication is required to cure or alleviate symptoms. At Palatine Animal Hospital we believe that timely and convenient access to these medications is an important aspect of caring for your pet. For this reason, we maintain a comprehensive pharmacy.
Not only does our pharmacy mean you don't have to wait for important medicines for your pet, but there is a direct line of communication between the examination room and the pharmacy window. Each medication becomes part of your pet's medical record, which reduces the chance for errors and enhances our ability to monitor its use and the outcome for your pet.
Refills are easy too. Simply give us a call or visit our online pharmacy and we can either mail them to you or have them ready at your next visit.