Wellness Care
At Animal Medical Center, we believe prevention is the key to a long, healthy life for your pet. The time and care invested in routine wellness not only helps avoid illness but also ensures early detection of potential health concerns—benefiting both pets and their families.
Our wellness programs are tailored specifically to your pet’s individual needs and life stage, and may include:
- Comprehensive physical exams
- Internal parasite testing
- Heartworm, flea, and tick prevention
- Core and lifestyle-based vaccinations
- Spay and neuter packages
- Specialized blood testing for all life stages
We also carry a wide range of trusted, high-quality veterinary products. Our knowledgeable team will help you choose the most effective flea, tick, and heartworm preventives for your pet, many of which come with manufacturer guarantees for added peace of mind.
Wellness Care at Every Life Stage
Every stage of your pet’s life comes with different health priorities—and a different reason to keep up with routine care.
Puppies and kittens need more frequent visits during their first year. In addition to a series of core vaccines and parasite prevention, early wellness visits let our veterinary team track growth, catch congenital concerns early, and give you guidance on nutrition, behavior, and spay or neuter timing. Starting good habits young sets the foundation for a healthier life ahead.
Adult dogs and cats—generally ages one through seven—do well with annual wellness exams. These visits keep vaccines current, monitor weight and dental health, and give us a year-over-year picture of what’s normal for your individual pet. That baseline matters more than most owners realize. A change in bloodwork or weight that might look insignificant in isolation often tells a very different story when we can compare it to last year’s visit.
Along the Gulf Coast, year-round warmth means year-round exposure to heartworm, fleas, and ticks—parasites that don’t take a winter break the way they do in cooler climates. Consistent preventive care is especially important for pets in Foley and across Baldwin County for this reason.
For senior pets, we take an even closer look. That’s covered in our Senior Wellness Work-Up below.
Senior Wellness Work-Up
As pets age, regular screening becomes even more important. Our senior wellness work-ups are designed to establish a health baseline, detect early signs of disease, and help prevent more serious conditions before they progress.
What Do We Screen For?
Routine testing helps evaluate your pet’s overall health, including:
- Blood: Detects infections, anemia, and evaluates organ function
- Liver & Kidneys: Identifies disease early—often before symptoms appear
- Thyroid: Screens for hormone imbalances that affect metabolism
- Heart & Lungs: Assesses circulation and oxygen delivery
- Pancreas & Intestines: Evaluates digestive health and inflammation
- Urine: Helps detect infections, kidney disease, and other concerns
Additional Diagnostic Options
Based on your pet’s needs, we may also recommend:
- Cancer Screening (Dx Test): Helps detect conditions like lymphoma early
- EKG (Electrocardiogram): Monitors heart rhythm and function
- Eye Testing: Measures tear production and eye pressure to screen for conditions such as dry eye and glaucoma
With proactive wellness care and early detection, we can help your pet enjoy more happy, healthy years by your side.
Schedule Your Pet's Wellness Care Visit
Whether your pet is coming in for their very first puppy exam or a senior screening, our team at Animal Medical Center takes the time to get to know your pet—not just treat them. We serve dogs and cats throughout Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Elberta, and the surrounding areas of South Baldwin County. Call 251-955-5900 to schedule a wellness visit, or learn more about our pet wellness care in Foley.
FAQ About Pet Wellness Care
Most adult dogs and cats benefit from a wellness exam once a year. Puppies and kittens need more frequent visits during their first year—typically every 3 to 4 weeks until around 16 weeks of age—to complete their vaccine series and monitor early development. Senior pets (generally age 7 and older for dogs, 10 and older for cats) often do best with exams every six months, since health can change more quickly as pets age.
A wellness exam at Animal Medical Center includes a nose-to-tail physical examination, a review of vaccines and parasite prevention, and any recommended blood work or diagnostic testing based on your pet’s age and history. We’ll also talk through nutrition, weight, dental health, and any behavioral or lifestyle questions you have. For senior pets, we offer a more comprehensive Senior Wellness Work-Up that screens for organ function, thyroid health, heart and lung condition, and more.
The sooner, the better—ideally at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Early visits allow us to start the core vaccine series, screen for parasites, and give you a head start on nutrition and socialization guidance. Puppies and kittens typically come in every 3 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks old, then transition to an annual schedule after that.
Yes—even cats that never go outside benefit from annual wellness exams. Indoor cats are still susceptible to many health conditions that have nothing to do with outdoor exposure, including dental disease, obesity, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes. Annual visits let us catch these conditions early, when they’re easiest to manage, and keep your cat’s vaccines and parasite prevention current.
A senior wellness work-up is a more thorough screening designed for older pets—generally dogs age 7 and older, and cats age 10 and older. In addition to a full physical exam, it includes blood testing to evaluate organ function, a thyroid panel, urinalysis, and heart and lung assessment. Because senior pets can develop health problems quickly, having a clear baseline from regular screenings makes a significant difference in catching and managing conditions early.
Yes—we provide wellness care for both dogs and cats at all life stages, from puppy and kitten exams through senior wellness work-ups. Our team is experienced with the specific health needs of each species, and our wellness programs are tailored to your individual pet rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.