Longer, Happier Lives 

Better care for the best pets.

Wellness Care

At Wilder Animal Hospital, we subscribe to the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  During a routine physical exam, we may be able to detect diseases early, allowing us to intervene.  In addition to physical exams, wellness care includes immunizations, screening blood panels, and parasite prevention.  These diagnostics allow us to assess 

A physical exam will include a thorough once-over of the entire body, including examining the eyes, ears, teeth, coat quality, palpating the abdomen and internal organs, joints, assessing lymph nodes, and listening to the heart and lungs.  As pets age it is also important to assess their mobility and gait, as osteoarthritis can affect both dogs and cats.  

We believe that regular wellness check-ups are vital to maintaining the best quality of life for your pet, and extending their life for as long as possible.   If you have any questions about wellness care or to schedule an appointment, please call us at 805-695-8387.
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Same-Day & Urgent Appointments

Sometimes your pet will need urgent care, when waiting a week or more to be seen is not an option.  The veterinarians at Wilder Animal Hospital have decades of experience with urgent and emergent conditions, including point-of-care diagnostics and x-rays/ultrasound to help immediately diagnose the problem.   If you believe your pet is in immediate need of care during our operating hours, please call us at 805-695-8387.  If we are closed, please call Advanced Veterinary Services (AVS) a 805-729-4460, or VCA CARE at 805-618-2440.   +

Vaccinations

Immunizations are essential to preventing harmful diseases that can be spread from one animal to another. 

Puppies and kittens receive either 3 or 4 rounds of combination vaccinations (DHPP for dogs, FVRCP for cats), given every 3 weeks until they are 4 months old. Dogs are required by law to receive rabies vaccinations, and this can be done as early as 12 weeks. Cats that venture outdoors should also receive rabies vaccinations. We may also recommend other vaccines for dogs (such as the Leptospirosis vaccine) and cats (the Feline Leukemia vaccine) depending on their lifestyle. As adults, vaccines are given either yearly or every three years, depending on the vaccine.

At Wilder Animal Hospital, we will work with you to develop a customized vaccine plan based on your pet’s individual lifestyle and needs. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 805-695-8387
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Diagnostics

Diagnostics, such as blood panels, radiographs (x-rays), and ultrasounds, are sometimes needed to diagnose your pet’s condition.   At Wilder Animal Hospital, we are proud to offer the most modern point-of-care diagnostics, including a full in-house labwork suite, as well as access to the best reference laboratory in our field.  

Whether your beloved pet is sick and needs immediate x-rays or labwork to check the status of his/her internal organs, or is healthy and in need of wellness/screening blood panels, we will ensure that you have access to the best and most reliable diagnostics. 

To learn more about our diagnostic capabilities, please call us at 805-695-8387.
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Behavior Counseling

Dogs and cats can develop anxiety, fearfulness, compulsive behavior, and stress-related behavior problems just as humans do.   At Wilder Animal Hospital, we can discuss your pet’s behaviors and guide you to the appropriate training, medication, or diagnostic work-up that is needed to mitigate these issues.

Anxiety and stress can lead to a variety of behavioral problems in dogs and cats.  This can include excessive vocalization, inappropriate urination or defecation, aggression, excessive grooming, hiding, changes in appetite, among other signs.   If you believe that your dog or cat is showing signs of a behavioral problem, please call us at 805-695-8387.  
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Nutritional Counseling

Did you know that depending on their stage of life, or potential illness, dogs and cats nutritional needs may vary wildly?    At Wilder Animal Hospital, we are trained in nutrition and can help guide you to the optimal food for your furry loved one.

Puppies and kittens require a special balance of calories, vitamins and minerals as they grow and mature.  Spayed and neutered animals may require fewer calories as their metabolic needs decrease.  Older animals, or those with arthritis, may benefit from foods that have been fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.  In addition, animals with kidney disease, liver disease, neurological disease, and other chronic illnesses all require specialized diets. 

Here at Wilder Animal Hospital we can help guide you through the many dietary options and help find the one that best fits your pet’s needs.  To schedule an appointment with us, please call us at 805-695-8387
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Dermatology

You may have heard it called “the Santa Barbara Itch,” but in truth, it is much more involved than that.   Allergies are the most common culprit for skin conditions in our companion dogs and cats.  Allergies can range from mild to severe, and are oftentimes require life-long treatment.   At Wilder Animal Hospital, we offer allergy services including allergy testing, skin itch and infection treatment protocols, and immunotherapy options as well. 

In addition to allergies, skin conditions can be caused by external parasites, auto-immune conditions, certain cancers, among others.  At Wilder Animal hospital, we are proud to offer excellent point-of-care testing as well as fine needle aspirates, biopsies, and cultures, which we can send to our reference laboratory. 

The good news is that we now access to numerous safe, long-term therapeutic options for your pet’s skin conditions.  Please call us at 805-695-8387 to discuss your pet’s condition and how we may be able to help.
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Parasite Prevention

Just as we humans love living in beautiful Santa Barbara, so do fleas, ticks, and other parasites. At Wilder Animal Hospital, we recommend monthly parasite prevention in the form of flea and tick control, and dewormers.   There are many new, safe, and effective parasite preventatives on the market – gone are the days of the horrible flea dips and ineffective collars.   We stock several parasite preventatives and recommend that your pet stay on one year-round.   We all know about the real estate market in our area – trust us, your pet’s skin and coat is a hot market!  To pick up some flea, tick, or heartworm preventative, please call us at 805-695-8387. +