diff --git a/tests/client_test.py b/tests/client_test.py
index 5b2fe27..3f4e481 100644
--- a/tests/client_test.py
+++ b/tests/client_test.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 # mypy: ignore-errors
 
 import pytest
+from packaging.version import Version
 from pytest_httpx import HTTPXMock
 
 from tests.conftest import API_BASE_URL, mock_healthcheck, undo_mock_healthcheck
 from zep_python import APIError
-from zep_python.zep_client import ZepClient, concat_url
+from zep_python.zep_client import ZepClient, concat_url, parse_version_string
 
 _ = mock_healthcheck, undo_mock_healthcheck
 
@@ -54,3 +55,28 @@ def test_concat_url():
         concat_url("https://server.com/zep/", "v1/api")
         == "https://server.com/zep/v1/api"
     )
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_with_dash():
+    assert parse_version_string("1.2.3-456") == Version("1.2.3")
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_with_dash_and_empty_prefix():
+    assert parse_version_string("-456") == Version("0.0.0")
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_with_dash_and_empty_prefix():
+    assert parse_version_string("abc") == Version("0.0.0")
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_without_dash():
+    assert parse_version_string("1.2.3") == Version("0.0.0")
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_empty():
+    assert parse_version_string("") == Version("0.0.0")
+
+
+def test_parse_version_string_none():
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        parse_version_string(None)
diff --git a/zep_python/zep_client.py b/zep_python/zep_client.py
index b4517b0..4d54b4c 100644
--- a/zep_python/zep_client.py
+++ b/zep_python/zep_client.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
 import httpx
-from packaging.version import Version
+from packaging.version import InvalidVersion, Version
 
 from zep_python.document.client import DocumentClient
 from zep_python.exceptions import APIError
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ def _healthcheck(self, base_url: str) -> None:
             if zep_server_version_str:
                 if "dev" in zep_server_version_str:
                     return
-                zep_server_version = Version(zep_server_version_str.split("-")[0])
+
+                zep_server_version = parse_version_string(zep_server_version_str)
             else:
                 zep_server_version = Version("0.0.0")
 
@@ -268,3 +269,28 @@ def deprecated_warning(func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., Any]:
         stacklevel=3,
     )
     return func
+
+
+def parse_version_string(version_string: str) -> Version:
+    """
+    Parse a string into a Version object.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    version_string : str
+        The version string to parse.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Version
+        The parsed version.
+    """
+
+    try:
+        if "-" in version_string:
+            version_str = version_string.split("-")[0]
+            return Version(version_str if version_str else "0.0.0")
+    except InvalidVersion:
+        return Version("0.0.0")
+
+    return Version("0.0.0")