Westford Animal Hospital

Comprehensive Medical care for all life stages

Preventative Care

It's more than just vaccines. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll only take my cat to the doctor if she looks sick?” or “My dog doesn’t get sick.” Nearly every pet will experience at least one illness in his lifetime. Often, they have many. And while people can voice their concerns to their doctors, pets often hide illness until it has been present for many months. We know that treating diseases early leads to better outcomes and lower costs. Preventative care focuses on catching problems before they might be obvious. This is why we want to see you and your pet at least every year, or every 6 months for seniors, regardless of whether he is “acting sick.”

Geriatrics

Our pets are living longer and longer. It’s not uncommon for us to see a 16 year old dog, or a 20 year old cat. We want our “super seniors” not only to live longer, but better. At your pet’s senior visit, we focus on issues common in older pets such as arthritis, mobility, sensory changes, digestive changes, anxiety, or cognitive dysfunction.

Dentistry

All pets need dental care. There. We said it. We help you start caring for your pet’s teeth at her puppy visit. But even with the most excellent daily home care for teeth, nearly all pets will develop tartar and gingivitis, the hallmarks of periodontal disease. Would you go 6 years between visits to your dental hygienist? We thought not. Pets don’t show their dental pain well. Instead, they get grumpy or depressed. What about anesthesia free dentals? Most disease is below the gum line, which is why we assess it with digital dental xrays. We clean teeth with an ultrasonic scaler above and below the gum line. Cleaning the teeth only on the outside misses half the mouth! Using sharp instruments in the mouth is not safe in awake animals.

Safe Anesthesia

Many pet owners fear anesthesia. Maybe you or someone you know once lost a pet during a procedure. While this is a hear