Routine preventive care is the foundation of a long, healthy life for your pet. At Norgate Animal Hospital in North Vancouver, our pet care services cover everything your dog or cat needs from their first visit through to their senior years. We take a personalized approach, tailoring vaccination timing, parasite prevention, and wellness recommendations to your pet's breed, age, lifestyle, and the specific health risks in the North Vancouver area. Our team believes in honest conversations about what your pet actually needs, without recommending anything that is not appropriate for their situation.
Vaccinations are one of the most effective tools we have for protecting your pet from serious infectious diseases. For dogs, core vaccines include DHPP protecting against distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus, along with rabies. Lifestyle vaccines including Bordetella for kennel cough, Lyme, and Leptospirosis are recommended based on your dog's exposure risk. For cats, FVRCP and rabies are core, with Feline Leukemia recommended for cats with outdoor access or exposure to other cats. We follow current CVMA and WSAVA guidelines and discuss timing with you at every visit so your pet stays protected without over-vaccination.
Fleas and ticks are a year-round concern on the North Shore. Fleas cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and can transmit tapeworms, while ticks carry diseases including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. We carry a range of veterinarian-approved preventive products in oral and topical forms suited to your pet's size, health status, and lifestyle. Consistent use of a vet-recommended preventive is far simpler than managing an active infestation or the health complications that follow one. We will help you choose the right product and set up a year-round prevention schedule at your visit.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes serious damage to the heart and lungs. While the risk in the Lower Mainland is lower than in some other regions, it increases significantly if your pet travels to endemic areas such as parts of eastern Canada or the United States. We assess your pet's specific risk factors and recommend preventive options accordingly. If your pet is coming from a higher-risk region, we will discuss testing before starting prevention. Monthly preventives are highly effective when used consistently.
A microchip is a permanent, reliable form of identification for your pet. The chip is implanted under the skin using a needle similar to a standard injection, and contains a unique ID number linked to your contact details in a national registry. If your pet is ever lost and scanned at a shelter or veterinary clinic, the chip provides the fastest route back to you. We offer ISO-certified microchipping at any routine appointment and recommend registering the chip immediately after implantation and updating your contact details if they change.
Regular nail trims prevent overgrowth that can affect your pet's gait and cause discomfort. Ear cleaning removes debris and helps detect early signs of infection before they become painful. Anal gland expression relieves the discomfort of full or impacted anal glands, a common issue particularly in smaller breed dogs. These services can be performed at your routine wellness visit or as a standalone appointment. Our team uses calm, low-stress handling techniques to make these routine procedures as comfortable as possible for your pet.
Intestinal parasites including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and Giardia are common in dogs and cats in North Vancouver. Puppies and kittens are particularly vulnerable and typically require deworming every two weeks until 12 weeks of age, then monthly until six months. Adult pets benefit from regular stool testing and targeted deworming based on results. Some of these parasites are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted to people, so keeping your pet on a consistent deworming schedule also helps protect the rest of your household throughout the year.
A thorough physical examination is the most important thing we do at every visit. We assess your pet from nose to tail, checking weight, teeth, eyes, ears, coat, joints, lymph nodes, heart, and lungs. Many health issues develop gradually and are not obvious to pet owners until they have progressed. Regular exams allow us to catch early changes and address them before they become serious. We recommend annual wellness exams for young and adult pets, and biannual exams for seniors aged seven and older.
Give your pet the preventive care they need to stay healthy year-round. Call Norgate Animal Hospital in North Vancouver at (604) 980-2222 or book your pet's wellness visit online today.
