Other important services...
Lakewood Animal Health Center understands that caring for your pets extends beyond medicine and surgery and into the areas of behavior, weight control, and training. Below is a description of each of these services as offered at our clinic:
BEHAVIORAL COUNSELING
As animal lovers and pet owners ourselves, we have a passion for the way animals think and feel. There are many animal behaviors that are normal that human beings just don’t understand. Our goal is to bridge that gap so that owners understand their animals better, and so animals know what their human families expect of them. Shaping a new puppy or kitten into a life long companion is one of our favorite discussions.
Most of our behavioral counseling occurs during puppy, kitten, and wellness visits. However if you encounter a problem, please feel free to call and discuss the problem with one of our experienced staff. If a problem is difficult and a pattern of behavior has developed, an appointment with the doctor will be recommended. If we feel the problem is beyond our basic knowledge, we will refer the pet/owner to a veterinary behavioral specialist.
PUPPY TRAINING
We offer a 4-week program for puppies 8 weeks to 20 weeks of age. The sooner a family can start shaping their puppy and teaching desirable behavior, the sooner the family can enjoy the pleasure of companionship. During each class we teach basic commands such as sit, down, come, stay, and heel. We discuss puppy topics such as mouthing, biting, jumping, digging, and barking. Leadership and discipline are discussed in depth. The class allows each puppy to socialize and become familiar with other dogs and people. Puppy playtime is everyone’s favorite activity. The front desk has a registration sheet for upcoming puppy classes.
PRESCRIPTION DIETS
Over the past decade nutrition has played a key role in the health and longevity of companion animals. Our goal with preventative health care is to catch a disease process early in its development.
Our primary response to early disease is nutritional intervention. Placing animals on therapeutic diets with ingredients and nutritional content to delay the progression or prevent a disease is our primary focus in treatment.
Our prescription diets range from Hill’s Science Diet to Purina’s CNM formulas. We carry a full line of hypoallergenic diets by Innovative Veterinary Diets (IVD). Many cats are being encouraged to consume canned therapeutic foods to help slow down disease. Often diets must be changed as the animal ages or the disease condition progresses. All therapeutic diets must be used as directed by the veterinarian familiar with your pet.
If your pet refuses to eat a new food (as they often do), we offer a satisfaction guarantee that allows you to return the food for full credit and try another therapeutic food choice.
