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Dunleer Clinic 041 686 3895
Ardee Veterinary Hospital 041 685 3722

Health Checks & Services

Health Checks are key to maintaining your pet's health

Health Checks are key to maintaining your pet's health. Just as you go to your GP to check everything is okay, our vets and nurses do the same for your pet. Hopefully, your pet's health check will be routine with no concerns but should any issues arise which may need medical or surgical treatment we are here to help.

Give us a call and book a health check with us.

  • Annual Health Check
  • Puppy and Kitten Health Check
  • Developmental Health Check Up
  • Parasite Treatment
  • Dental Care
  • Eye appointment
  • Skin appointment

Annual Health Check

'Prevention is the best cure' is the core purpose of your pet's annual health check. The annual health check is used to screen for and highlight potential health and behavioural issues. Our vets will discuss any concerns you may have during this visit. 

Puppy and Kitten Health Check

When you first bring your puppy and/or kitten to visit us, it's typically for their first round of vaccinations. During this appointment a vet will give your puppy and/or kitten a clinical examination and will discuss the core points that will allow you to maintain your pet's health. Additionally, they offer some training advice with you.

Developmental Health Check Up

This is a complementary junior health check managed by our nurses. The aim of this health check is to assess your puppy with a clinical examination and discuss with you any concerns or problems they may be having. Typically, no needles or uncomfortable procedures are involved. We hope through treats, lots of positive attention and cuddles that your puppy will grow up to be a dog that has a positive association with a trip to the vet - making future trips to the vets a lot less stressful for all involved. 

Parasite Treatment

We offer advice on and stock a range of treatments for internal and external parasites your pet may be exposed to.

Each pet depending on their behaviour and lifestyle will require different treatment plans which we will advise upon.

Some common parasites can have an affect on human health. Following tailored treatment plans are important for your pet health and your family's health. 

If you have any queries about pet parasites give us a call to chat to one of the team or explore the ESCCAP (European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites) website for up to date information on pet parasites.

Dental Care

We take our Dentistry seriously here at O'Dowd Veterinary. This passion for this branch of veterinary medicine has motivated us to create a dedicated dental suite. Our dental suite is fully equipped with modern technology and enables us to give your pet our highest standard of care when it comes to their dental health.

Dental hygiene and care play as an important role in the health of our pets as it does for us. Poor dental health can cause a range of issues for our pets from mild to severe.

These include:

  • Smelly breath (halitosis)
  • Plaque/tartar
  • Pain
  • Mild to obvious discomfort eating
  • Not willing to play with their toys
  • Cats: reluctance or inabilty to self groom
  • Weight Loss
  • Fractures
  • Abscess
  • Gum recession
  • Periodontal disease
  • Oral tumours
  • Escalation of underlying heart, respiratory and some immune conditions
  • Infection
  • Shortened life expectancy

There are simple things you as the owner can implement to help your pet's dental health. Introducing daily tooth brushing, water additives, dental chews and dry food are excellent preventative measures. However, just like us, trips to the dentist are required over the course of your pet's lifetime.

More information about dental care here.

Eye appointment

The cause to a pet's eye issues are varied. Some are the primary and only problem, while some happen secondary to a condition or disease your pet already has. They can present in the following ways:

  • Red conjuctiva (pink eye)
  • Mucus discharge
  • Squinting
  • Blinking a great deal
  • Over-production of tears
  • Dry eye
  • Scratching or rubbing at affected eye(s)
  • Swollen appearance
  • Bulging eyes
  • Cloudiness
  • Poor vision
  • Blind
  • Severe apparent trauma to the eye(s)

The vet is likely to perform some further in house tests. This enables the vet to gain more information as to what the potential cause of your pet's eye issues may be.

Flourescein Test

This is a test were the vet places specialised drops into the eye. These drops help highlight ulcers that the eye may have. It also can help the vet to assess how severe the ulcer is should one be apparent. It does leave some distinct bright yellow fluorescent staining on the eye and the surrounding hair. The stain is not permanent.

Schirmer Tear Test

This involves folding Schirmer tear strips behind the eyelid. It is not painful and is a relatively quick test to perform. This test helps the vet to assess the level of tear production and whether your pet could be classified as having dry eye.

Tonometry - Intraocular Pressure Test

Using a specialised tool called a Tonometer, the vet can assess the intraocular pressure of your pet's eye. This is an important diagnostic test for glaucoma. It is a painless procedure and non-invasive too.

Skin appointment

Pets with skin problems are some of the most common cases we see here at O'Dowd Veterinary.

Skin problems can present in various forms. The list below is some of them but it is not exhaustive:

  • Itching
  • Scratching, biting and chewing at skin
  • Excessive face rubbing
  • Excessive grooming
  • Hair loss
  • Recurrent ear infections
  • Red inflammed skin
  • Dandruff
  • Dry skin
  • Hair loss
  • Sore and inflamed patches of skin (hotspots)
  • Dermatitis
  • Dull coat
  • Greasy coat

This wide range of presentations can have a wide range of causes. This is where a skin appointment comes in to play. For our vets to try and establish what is the potential root cause of the problem for your pet, an investigation has to begin.

This investigation or work-up may require some of the below tests. Again this list is not exhaustive as each patient we see is an individual that may require additional specific tests.

Skin Scrape

This requires the vet scratching the skin to collect a sample of the skins layers. The sample is assessed under the microscope for things such as parasites that live in the deeper layers of the skin.

In-house Microscopy

This involves using the microscope to analyse samples collected from your pet for parasites and/or microbes (e.g. bacteria or yeast).

Ear Swab

A specialised swab is used to take a sample from the ear canal. If both ears are affected a separate swab and test is required for each. The swab is then sent off to a referral laboratory for culture and assessment by specialists. If the tests show a bacteria and/or yeast are present then the results will also indicate what strain it is etc. This information helps the vet to create an effective target therapy.

Biopsy

This is when a sample of skin is surgically removed for sampling. The biopsied tissue is placed in specialised containers and sent to a referral laboratory for further diagnostic tests. A report is sent back to us from the specialist in the laboratory. A level of anaesthesia or sedation is required for a skin biopsy - the vet will discuss which route they will undertake as it varies on a case by case basis.

Environmental Allergy Testing

Testing is available for potential environmental allergies your pet may have. Depending on results, there may be potential therapies available to help your pet.

Food Diet

Some pets have food intolerances or allergies. Adherence to a strict diet that excludes potential triggers is key to your pet's treatment. Any treats, scraps or meals that differ from what the vet prescribes could undo the whole process. However, once the positive results are gained the hard work is undoubtedly worth the effort.