Our Services

Just like you, we want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible. That starts with the basics: quality food, enough exercise, good grooming, and regular check-ups.

Annual exams are your pet’s first line of defense. Kittery Animal Hospital’s comprehensive annual exams include checking overall health by taking temperature, examining skin and coat, lung and cardiac function, internal health, oral hygiene, eyes, ears, and demeanor.

Vaccinations: Keeping your animal companion up to date on immunizations and booster shots is a highly effective way to prevent many common diseases and infections like distemper and rabies. Beyond those core vaccines, your pet’s age, lifestyle, and likely exposure to certain diseases will be evaluated before recommending additional inoculations.

Dental Care: Imagine what your teeth would be like if you never cleaned them! Well, the same thing is happening to your dog or cat’s teeth without good oral care. We recommend annual dental cleanings and can show you tips for brushing your pet’s teeth, which can reduce the need for expensive extractions and more serious dental work down the line.

Parasite Control: Fleas, ticks, worms – preventing them in the first place is much easier and ultimately less expensive than getting rid of them after they’ve infested your pet. We recommend monitoring your pet and having them screened for internal parasites regularly, and we offer a variety of alternatives for flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.

Proper Nutrition: There’s so much information out there about what’s best to feed your pet that sometimes it’s hard to know what’s right without consulting your vet. Grain-free kibble? Home-cooked meals? Raw food diet? Proper nutrition is so important to your pet’s good health, and we can help you figure out what is best for your pet and your lifestyle.

Behavioral Evaluation: Changes in your pet’s mood or behavior can often be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Swiftly addressing these shifts can help to identify and treat the root cause.

Skin, Coat, and Nail Care: Grooming, washing, and nail trims are fundamental aspects of proper pet hygiene. Proper skin, hair, and nail trimming can prevent things like mange, matting, bacterial infections, and more.

Exercise: Regular workouts support musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in dogs of all ages and improve their overall mental well-being.

Senior Animals: At Kittery Animal Hospital, we love elder pets! We also know that preventive care is even more significant for them. Dogs, cats, and most other pets age much more rapidly than humans, so diseases and illness progress faster. We recommend twice-yearly exams and screenings for seniors to help prolong and improve the quality of their life.

Your pet eats something he shouldn’t, is suddenly sick or traumatically injured. Health problems, injuries, and illness can happen quickly, and many need immediate attention. Don’t wait! When your pet urgently needs to see a veterinarian, Kittery Animal Hospital offers quality emergency and urgent care.

Kittery Animal Hospital has a veterinarian and staff on duty six days a week who are trained and equipped to handle any emergency your pet has. Urgent care—when the condition is not life-threatening but still can’t wait for an appointment—is available as well, and our staff will work with you to get your pet seen as soon as possible. If you ever feel your pet needs emergency or urgent care, don’t hesitate to call or come in immediately. Our number is (207) 439-4158.

While we understand you may not always be able to call in advance, if you are able to do so, it will help our staff be prepared for your pet’s arrival, so the animal gets needed medical care that much quicker.

If your pet has an emergency after hours, we recommend the following 24-hour veterinary hospital(s):

Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital – 603-433-0056

The Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Referral Center of New Hampshire – 603-431-3600

Signs your pet may need emergency care:

• Pale gums
• Rapid breathing
• Weak or rapid pulse
• Change in body temperature
• Difficulty standing
• Apparent paralysis
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Excessive bleeding

Safety tips:

Pets who are severely ill or injured may try to bite, claw, or act aggressively toward those trying to help them. Approach any injured or sick pet slowly and calmly; say their name and see how the animal reacts. Call for help if the pet reacts aggressively.

For dogs, fashion a makeshift stretcher if the animal is unable to move. Make sure the neck is supported.

For cats, slowly place a blanket or towel over the head to prevent biting. Slowly lift the animal into an open-topped carrier or box.

Elevate and apply pressure to any bleeding wound.

If you think your pet has eaten something poisonous:

Call us, or if after hours, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. Trained toxicologists will consider the age and health of your pet, what was ingested, and then make a recommendation about what action should be taken.

Surgery is often the most effective way to treat many serious injuries and disorders, and Kittery Animal Hospital is proud to offer state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Our hospital provides a full range of surgical services ranging from standard spaying and neutering to advanced procedures.

Patient safety and comfort are our main priority. Kittery Animal Hospital’s experienced veterinary anesthesiologists provide skilled pain management during and after all surgical procedures, ensuring your pet recovers quickly and with minimum discomfort.

Our veterinary team will walk you through the entire process, giving you the tools to make informed decisions regarding your pet’s treatment options. We understand surgery is a stressful time for any owner, and we’re available every step of the way to answer questions and put your mind at ease.

If you are considering veterinary surgery for your pet, please contact your Kittery Animal Hospital veterinarian to schedule an introductory consultation.

The procedure is typically quick and painless, with most pets requiring little to no sedation. By providing a clearer look inside the body, ultrasound helps our veterinary team make accurate diagnoses and develop the best treatment plans for your pet’s health.