Because our four-legged companions age at a much faster rate than we do, regular wellness exams are one of the most critical components of your pet’s overall care. In keeping with the guidelines of the American Veterinary Medical Association, we recommend you bring your dog or cat in for a complete wellness exam at least once a year. Maintaining that schedule not only enables us to help keep your pet healthy now, but it allows our doctors to identify potential medical problems and address them immediately, before they have a chance to develop into something serious. So, give your furry loved one a gift that fits—and benefits—all shapes and sizes of pets. Wellness exams may not taste as good as a treat, but early detection of illness and disease can vastly improve the quality and length of your pet’s life.
As part of this comprehensive examination, the doctor will check the following:
- Heart and lungs
- Vision and ocular (eye) changes
- Teeth and oral cavity
- Unusual lumps or swelling
- Joints and muscles for arthritis and sources of non-obvious pain
- Inspect the skin, hair coat and ear canals
- Lymph nodes for enlargement or irregularities
- Body mass index for weight concerns
As part of the exam, we will review with you your pet’s vaccination needs and discuss his or her behavior, eating habits and any other lifestyle information that you feel is important to share with us.
While we listen carefully to everything you tell us, we also are looking to establish a relationship with your pet, which wellness examinations help us do. Through every interaction, we get to know the animal’s personality and learn about his or her lifestyle, health risks, home environment and whatever else might impact our treatment. Ours is a special relationship built on trust, devotion and unconditional love; we want every one of our visitors to feel that when they’re with us, they’re members of our family.