At Alpine Animal Hospital, we care for all manner of animals, from tiny pocket pets to giant draft horses and bulls. Although we are skilled in diagnosing and managing diseases, we would prefer to prevent problems rather than treat them, by providing routine wellness care for your pet, horse, or livestock. Most animals we care for are prey species, who are masters at hiding signs of illness, as they know that the herd’s weakest animal is a predator’s easy target. Because of this finely honed ability to hide an illness until it has advanced, we highly recommend annual or biannual wellness visits to monitor your pet’s health. With routine disease screening, and through disease and parasite prevention, we can help your companion live a long, healthy life. 

Small animal preventive-care services

Throughout your dog or cat’s lifetime, her healthcare needs will change. For example, young pets should be spayed or neutered when they reach physical maturity, while older pets often require more extensive health screening, such as thyroid and blood pressure testing. To keep your furry friend in tip-top shape, regardless of age, we recommend a variety of preventive services, including:

  • Vaccination protocol based on lifestyle and exposure
  • Parasite prevention
  • Annual blood work to provide a baseline of your pet’s “normal”
  • Oral exam and dental care
  • Dietary adjustments to maintain a healthy weight, or fight disease
  • Exercise plan to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis
  • Assessment and management of problem behaviors
  • Environmental enrichment recommendations

With routine wellness care, we can minimize disease risk through prevention and help your four-legged friend live a long, healthy life.

Exotic animal preventive-care services

In addition to the typical pets of cats and dogs, we are skilled in exotic animal care. Dr. Steve Haymore has extensive experience with reptiles, rodents, birds, and other exotic pets, and he understands the importance of proper and preventive care for keeping these special creatures healthy. He can help you create the optimal habitat and nutrition plan for your exotic pet during her wellness visit, and will discuss any potential problems seen in her species. 

During a routine preventive visit, we will cover many aspects of the care required for exotic pets and look for signs of illness. We will discuss:

  • Habitat requirements and arrangements, including temperature, lighting, size, and hygiene
  • Diet and nutrition options, such as commercial products or fresh foods
  • Environmental enrichment to prevent boredom and problem behaviors
  • Grooming of beaks, claws, feathers, scales, and other exotic-pet needs
  • Oral and dental care, especially for rabbits and rodents

Exotic pets are a totally different breed—pun intended—and many owners are unfamiliar with the special care these unique animals require. With routine wellness visits, we can maintain an open conversation about your exotic pet’s special needs to ensure her continued health and happiness. 

Large animal preventive-care services

As East Idaho’s most complete resource for livestock and equine veterinary services, we are proud to provide comprehensive, on-site care services for individual, or a few, animals at our large animal facility. We also make farm calls to surrounding farms and ranches when veterinary care is needed for large numbers of cattle, sheep, or goats, and transport is impractical. 

For cattle, sheep, and goats, we recommend the following annual or biannual preventive-care services, based on your herd’s needs:

  • Herd-health exams
  • Vaccination programs
  • Parasite control

For our equine patients, we offer the following additional preventive-care services to ensure continued health:

  • Oral and dental exams to identify problems early and prevent costly future emergency treatment
  • Vaccination program based on exposure:
    • Primary vaccinations, which include tetanus toxoid, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis, Western equine encephalomyelitis, influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and West Nile virus
    • Secondary vaccinations, which include Streptococcus equi against strangles and distemper, rabies, and Potomac horse fever
  • Deworming
  • Annual blood work
  • Comprehensive health exam, including:
    • General appearance
    • Haircoat evaluation
    • Pulse
    • Respiration
    • Lymph-node assessment
    • Movement assessment

Whether your cow, horse, sheep, or goat is your barn’s sole inhabitant, or part of a herd, we will tailor her preventive health care plan to her needs.

Large or small, we care for them all. We also offer wellness diagnostic tests and screenings tailored to your pet’s specific needs at every stage of life. To stave off potential health issues, and ensure your animal companion’s continued health, schedule a wellness visit with us.