"Improving the health and quality of life of every animal we touch"

Preventative Medicine


Regular wellness exams supplemented by select lab work are
necessary to ensure your pet's health.

Comprehensive Exam

Examinations are the most important part of your pet's visit, as they allow the doctors to get a hands-on feel for your pet's current state of health. Yearly exams are just as important in pets as they are in people (if not more important) because pets age faster than we do and have shorter lifespans. Our doctors will check your pets from head to tail, assessing a variety of categories, including:
  • Dental health
  • Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Skin and hair coat
  • Joint mobility
  • Palpating internal organs to check for normal size or irregularities
And more! This is the time that the doctors can compare your pet's exam to prior exams and see if there are any changes that have occurred and if there are any significant issues to be addressed. For our yearly annual exams, this is the time to discuss overall health, including:
  • Diet
  • Weight and body condition as it relates to nutrition and exercise
  • Parasite prevention
  • Preventative options for aging changes, like joints, kidneys, heart health, and more
After a discussion of your pet's lifestyle and physical exam, our doctors will have an overall picture of your pet and be able to tailor their recommendations, including diagnostic procedures and at-home options that can greatly increase your pet's daily comfort and quality of life.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas are a common parasite in Washington State. Owners are often unaware that their pet may be harboring fleas; however, fleas can cause mild to severe skin irritation, transmit infectious diseases, and if consumed, can transmit tapeworms. If this happens, tapeworm segments are often visible in your pet's stool. Your pet can also be allergic to fleas, and even just one flea bite can cause an intense allergic reaction, resulting in a severely painful skin infection. A single female flea lays as many as 30 eggs/day and breeds for up to 100 days, and eggs can lie dormant in carpets and upholstery for 8 months. The best techniques of flea-proofing your home include regularly vacuuming of all floors, furniture and areas where your pet sits or sleeps, and weekly washing of your pet's bedding, toys, and towels. Flea populations do diminish in the colder months, but fleas can survive in warmer areas, like dog houses, bedding, and even inside homes during the winter months. Only year-round prevention can eliminate the risk of dormant fleas. 

Ticks can cause serious disease and we are seeing an increased prevalence in Washington State for all tick-borne diseases. Contrary to what you may have read or been told, there are no holistic or natural products available which have been shown to be effective in preventing or killing fleas and ticks. Fortunately, many safe and highly effective products are available. Today, there is no reason for any pet or owner to be bothered by these pests.

Laboratory Services

We offer a wide variety of laboratory services, available both in-house and sent to our outside reference laboratory. In addition to general bloodwork testing, we also recommend routine parasite testing, as many diseases can go unnoticed in daily behavior. The in-house services we offer include:
  • Heartworm testing
  • Tick-borne disease screening
  • Giardia testing
  • Pre-surgical bloodwork
  • Bloodwork for routine medication monitoring
  • Urinalysis
  • Ear swab microscopic analysis to diagnose ear infections
  • Aspirates of lumps for basic microscope interpretation
Our outside services through IDEXX Laboratories include a wide array of individual tests and full panels to monitor everything from basic chemistry panels and complete blood counts, fecal testing and urine testing to full histopathology services, biopsies, allergy testing, cultures, comprehensive panels and specific diagnostic testing.

Depending on your pet's particular needs, our doctors can choose from a multitude of tests available to us that will assess your pet's health.

Preventative Labwork Bundles

At Ally Pet Medical Center, we offer bundled labwork options to make preventative healthcare comprehensive and cost effective. Ask the veterinarians and staff at Ally Pet Medical Center for more details at your pet's annual exam.

Intestinal Parasites

Round, hook, and whipworms: these are the most common intestinal worms in companion animals, and can be found throughout the natural environment, transmitted by wildlife. Roundworms can even occasionally be found in bagged potting soil. Raccoons bring these parasites into our backyards and playgrounds, and can infect not only your pets, but children as well. Infections with these parasites can occur throughout the year in any climate and in any season. In addition, round and hookworms are a significant cause of zoonotic disease, which means that they can spread from pets to their owners and families. Children and immunocompromised people are the most at risk for picking up zoonotic infections. Consequently, preventing parasites from infecting your pets will help protect your families.

Heartworm Disease

Heartworms are a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. It primarily causes disease in dogs, but cats are susceptible to it as well, and there is no treatment for cats. Heartworm disease rarely occurs in humans, but can be fatal to pets if it is not caught and treated early. While less common than in some other states, heartworm infections in Washington State are rising, and even those pets who have not traveled are at risk for contracting the disease. Prevention is the best course of action and is much more cost-effective than treating the disease once a pet has been infected. Our veterinarians can help you find the best preventative for your pet.