Wellness Checks
Dr Amanda Young
Integrative Veterinarian / Veterinary acupuncturist
DVM, CVA, BHSc.TCM, BSc (Hons I)
At All Natural Vet Care, we are committed to providing holistic and individualised veterinary care tailored to the unique needs of each pet throughout every stage of their life. From the crucial first year through to their senior years, our wellness checks are designed to ensure optimal health, early detection of potential health issues, and individualised integrative care plans.
Wellness Checks During the First Year
For puppies and kittens, the first year is pivotal for growth, development, and establishing a foundation for long-term health. After completing their initial post adoption health checks and necessary vaccinations, we recommend that they return for adolescent wellness checks every three months. These visits allow us to monitor their development closely and address any emerging health concerns promptly. Key focuses during these checks include:
Continued Health Monitoring: Tracking growth milestones, behaviour, and overall health.
Discussing neutering: Ensuring that an individualised recommendation is made that reflects your pet’s lifestyle, breed risks and behaviour. There is now a variety of evidence-based reasons to not provide a standard recommendation for all dogs.
Parasite Prevention: Managing and adjusting parasite control strategies based on growth and risk exposure. Aiming for the lowest chemical load as possible
Nutritional Assessments: Tailoring dietary recommendations to support rapid growth and developmental needs, for example, adequate dietary omega-3 and microbiome support from prebiotics.
Behavioral Health: Providing further guidance on socialisation and early training to address and prevent behavioural issues.
Transition to Biannual Wellness Checks
Once pets reach one year of age, we transition to biannual wellness checks. This shift reflects their move into adulthood and the need for ongoing preventive care, allowing us to maintain a close watch on their health as they age. During these wellness checks, we focus on:
Comprehensive Physical Examinations: Assessing overall health and checking for signs of emerging adult-onset diseases.
Screening Blood Tests: Starting from adulthood, we recommend semi-regular blood tests to monitor health and detect dysfunction and conditions early. Aiming to detect clues while diseases are reversible.
Vaccination Management: We never administer adult or booster core vaccines unless an antibody titre test proves they are necessary, or an individualised risk-benefit analysis strongly supports their use.
Nutritional Adjustments: Adapting their diet to suit their matured metabolism and lifestyle to maintain optimal body condition, for example, if they have been neutered.
Parasite Control: Continuously evaluating and updating parasite prevention measures, ensuring lowest chemical load and avoiding un-necessary treatments to protect your pet, but also yourself and the environment.
Behavioural Assessments: Ongoing support for behavioural health and making environmental or behaviour modification suggestions as needed.
Enhanced Checks for Senior Pets
As pets enter their senior years, our biannual wellness checks become even more comprehensive to address the challenges of ageing:
Blood Pressure Monitoring: Regular checks to detect hypertension early, which is common in older pets.
Urine Assessment: Essential for monitoring kidney function and detecting other health issues.
Comprehensive Eye Exams: To catch age-related eye conditions early, ensuring your pet maintains good vision and eye health.
We expand on the proactive, preventive foundation we have built during a pet’s young life and focus more on active disease prevention and certainly on slowing ageing, healthspan and lifespan
Holistic and Individualised Care
As a holistic integrative practice, our approach extends beyond conventional veterinary care:
Nutrition, Herbal Medicine and Nutraceuticals: We emphasise the importance of nutrition and the use of herbs, nutraceuticals and other botanicals to support health, including preventive strategies for conditions that the pet may be at heightened risk of developing, , for instance, heart, brain and cancer protection
Physical Therapy and Optimal Movement: We incorporate physical therapy to promote optimal movement and prevent mobility issues, particularly as pets age.
Supporting Detoxification: Our care plans include supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes, crucial for maintaining long-term health.
Targeted Preventive Strategies: We develop targeted strategies to preemptively address any specific risks your pet may be predisposed to, ensuring proactive management of their health.
Our Commitment
At All Natural Vet Care, our proactive and holistic approach to pet wellness ensures that we are not just treating illnesses but are actively working to maintain and enhance your pet's health through every stage of life. While we are unable to be the primary care giving veterinary team for your pet if you are not in Sydney, Australia, we do provide telehealth to complement your pets health if you are not located locally.
Our commitment to regular, comprehensive wellness checks, tailored care, and preventive strategies aligns with our mission to provide the best possible life for your pets.
Dr Jana Gale and Dr Amanda Young lead our preventative care clinic at All Natural Vet Care and we are available for consultation weekdays. Our consultations start at 30 minutes to ensure adequate time is available to listen to your concerns and examine your family member in a low stress manner.
