What veterinary care does my pet need?
Important additional health care measures
Consider the following as you choose a veterinarian
Local area vets

Why is a Veterinarian Important?

You wouldn’t have a child without choosing a pediatrician.  Your new pet is an important family member, too, and needs a doctor of its own.  Your dog or cat relies on you for all its needs, and especially for its health, so it is essential to establish a health-care program for your pet.

Regular veterinary care for you pet is not an option.  It is a critical part of responsible pet ownership.  Regular health care helps assure that your pet will be a part of your family for a long time to come.  Dogs and cats can live actively for ten, 15, even 20 years, depending on the breed.  But your pet’s life and health can be threatened by a number of common contagious diseases.  Fortunately, most of these diseases can be prevented with simple vaccinations – part of your pet’s annual checkup.  It doesn’t cost a fortune to maintain your pet’s health, but veterinary care is an annual expense you must include as a priority in your household budget.

What veterinary care does my pet need?

At bare minimum, the law requires your pet to be vaccinated against rabies each year.  Rabies is a deadly disease that can be transmitted to any mammal (including human beings) and it is always fatal if untreated.  It is easily prevented by an annual vaccination. 

Although not required by law, it is also critical, at minimum, for your pet to receive annual vaccinations against common contagious diseases like distemper and parvo, life-threatening illnesses which can easily be prevented by an annual vaccine.  While these diseases cannot be transmitted to humans, they are highly contagious among pets.  The additional vaccine against these diseases costs only a little more than the rabies vaccine required by law, and it’s essential to your pet’s basic health care.

Heartworms are life-threatening and easily preventable.  Other parasites, like ear mites and intestinal worms, can seriously affect your pet’s health as well.  For both dogs and cats, de-worming and parasite prevention are an important part of your pet’s health care program.  A fecal exam (checking the animal’s droppings) can identify any worms or other intestinal parasites your pet may have.  Your veterinarian can help you choose the proper medications for parasite prevention.

Spaying and neutering is an essential consideration if you want your pet to live a longer and healthier life.  Because they are freed from the risks of reproductive diseases and certain cancers, spayed and neutered pets tend to live years longer than dogs and cats who are able to reproduce.

Dogs and cats can be spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks of age.  It’s best to have the surgery done before they reach sexual maturity, to eliminate any chance of unexpected pregnancy for a female, or unexpected insemination of a female by your male.

Important additional health care measures:

If you have a cat, you should have her tested for feline leukemia and FIV (feline AIDS).  These diseases cannot be transmitted to humans, but they can be transmitted to other cats.  These tests are especially important if you have more than one cat, or if you allow your cat to roam outdoors. 

If your cat does not have either of these diseases, it is important to have her vaccinated against them, especially if she is allowed out of doors, of if you have other cats. 

If you have a dog, he should be tested for heartworms.  If he tests negative (no heartworms) you should begin regular heartworm prevention and have him re-tested again six months after the first test (a newly infected animal may take up to six months for the heartworms to grow and reproduce enough to show up on a test).  If he tests positive, meaning that he does have heartworms, consult with your veterinarian about treatment options.

For good health, both dogs and cats need a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, a clean living environment, and regular cleaning and care of their coat and skin. 

Good dental care is also important for your pet’s health.  Consult with your veterinarian about dental care options for your dog or cat.

Consider the following as you choose a veterinarian:

Quality:  make a surprise visit to the clinic you are considering so you can evaluate the cleanliness of the facility, the attitude of the staff and the veterinarian, and the general “feel” of the clinic.  Your vet’s office should be comfortable and clean, and the staff should be courteous and willing to answer questions.

Convenience:  Is the clinic open early in the morning and/or late in the evening?  Can you drop off your pet in the morning and pick it up after work, or must you keep a strict appointment time?  Is the clinic close to your home or workplace?  Are they open on Saturday mornings?  Can you fill all your veterinary prescriptions at the clinic?  If not, is there a facility nearby where you can have the prescription filled?

Availability:  At a large clinic, there may be several veterinarians, and the same vet may not see your pet each time you bring it in for a checkup.  If you prefer to know your veterinarian, find out if you can arrange to see the same vet each time you bring in your pet.

Reputation:  talk to other pet owners and ask where they take their animals.  Like good physicians, good veterinarians build loyal followings.

Emergency services:  Is your vet available after hours if your pet becomes injured or seriously ill?  If not, is your vet affiliated with a 24-hour emergency clinic?  If your vet is affiliated with an emergency clinic, visit the clinic before you need it.  You don’t want to be in your car with a crying animal and upset family members, driving around during a midnight storm, trying to find the clinic for the first time.

Cost:  some veterinarians charge more than others for the same services. Shop around for a vet whose fees for office visits, health tests and other procedures are within your budget.  If an unexpected and costly emergency occurs, some veterinarians allow clients to break up a large bill into two or three monthly payments.

Specialist services:  Does your pet have diabetes, a neurological problem, or another special health need?  Be sure to choose a clinic which is well-equipped to handle animals with special needs.

Other services and conveniences: With our busy schedules, many people like the convenience of one-stop shopping.  If this is important to you, consider a veterinarian who also offers grooming and boarding facilities, and who carries a line of quality pet food, flea control products, leashes, toys, etc.

Access to information:  your veterinarian should keep a complete record of your pet’s entire medical history and provide you with this critical information upon request.

 

The following is a list of most area veterinarians.  This list is updated only occasionally and may contain some inaccuracies.  After all, people retire, and new veterinarians go into business on a regular basis.

Veterinarians in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding communities.

Baton Rouge Area

Acadian Oaks Pet Clinic  387-2462

Animal Ark Pet Clinic  924-5984

Animal Health Clinic  924-1353

Associated Vet Services  928-4417

All Pets Clinic  767-2462

Animal Center (Zachary)  654-2649

Armstrong Vet Hospital  928-4540

Azalea Lakes Vet. Clinic  755-3838

Baker Animal Hospital  775-8815

Baton Rouge Animal Hospital  927-9940

Bluebonnet Vet. Hospital  296-0488

Bocage Animal Hospital  928-7550

Central Animal Hospital  261-3394

Comite Drive Animal Hospital  755-8036

Country Club Highland Hospital  756-5193

Coursey Blvd. Animal Hospital  292-4392

Downing Animal Hospital  751-2345

Garden District Animal Hospital  381-9661

Greenwell Springs An. Hospital  275-0340

Harrells Ferry Rd. An. Hospital  293-9698

Highland Road Animal Hospital  766-3200

Helouin Animal Hospital  924-2471

Jefferson Animal Hospital  927-2344

Joor Road Veterinary Hospital  262-8385

Jones Creek Animal  753-0527

Kleinpeter Vet. Hospital  756-0204

LSU Vet School Small Animal Clinic  578-9600

Mistretta Vet Clinic  927-7196

Old Hammond Vet Hospital  275-9854

O’Neal Pet Hospital  273-0579

Park Forest Animal Hospital  275-2284

Perkins Road Animal Hospital  766-0550

Plank Road Animal Hospital  356-5676

Plains Vet. Hospital  658-2242

River Oaks Animal Hospital  275-7015

St. George Animal Hospital  769-7141

Shenandoah South Veterinarian  752-3979

Sherwood Forest Animal  275-2461

Sherwood South Animal  293-6440

Siegen Lane Animal Hospital  769-4892

Staring Plaza Animal Hospital  766-8333

Village Animal Hospital  766-4570

Woodlawn Animal Hospital  753-1120

Zachary Small Animal  654-2723

 

Emergency Clinics

Animal Emergency Clinic  927-8800

Animal Hospital Associates  665-6169

B.R. Pet Emergency Hospital  925-5566

LSU Vet School Small Animal Clinic  578-9600

Plank Road Animal Hospital  355-5676

 

Surrounding Areas:

Denham Springs

Animal Hospital Association  665-6169

Denham Springs Animal Hospital  665-8271

Dodge City Vet. Hospital  664-6441

Live Oak Animal Hospital  665-4442

 

East Feliciana Parish

Clinton Animal Hospital  683-8502

E. Feliciana Animal (Ethel)  683-8285

Feliciana Vet. Hosp. (Jackson)  634-7761

LaCour Veterinary Service  658-8387

 

Galvez

Galvez Veterinary Clinic  622-6443

Griffith Veterinary Clinic  622-2568

 

Gonzales

East Bank Vet Hospital  644-8668

East Ascension Veterinarian  647-7050

 

New Roads

McCaskill Vet. Hospital  638-9228

 

Plaquemine

Animal Medical Center  687-6015

Carville Veterinary Clinic  687-7387

 

Prairieville

Prairieville Animal Hospital  677-5005

 

Walker

Varnado Vet. Hospital  664-7277

 

Watson

Watson Animal Hospital  665-7233

 

West Feliciana Parish         

Bayou Sara Animal (St. Francisville)  635-2838

Serio’s Animal Hosp. (St. Francisville)  635-6681

 

West Baton Rouge Parish

Westport Animal Clinic  383-5097