What Happens During a Pet Wellness Exam at Apple Valley Veterinarians?
Preventive medicine isn’t just for the two-legged members of your family. Just like children need regular checkups, your pets need to be examined on a regular basis. Your pet can grow to adulthood in under two years. With all that growth and change, yearly wellness exams are an important part of making sure your pet lives a long and healthy life. During a pet wellness care exam, our Plantsville Veterinarian team will examine your pet’s health and lifestyle to ensure that no problems are likely to occur. Your pet may not show signs of an ongoing problem. That’s why our veterinarians recommend scheduling an annual pet wellness exam for your dogs and cats even when she appears normal.
What is Included in a Pet Wellness Exam?
Wellness exams are general health checkups that look at your pet from nose to tail. They include evaluation of the health of your pet’s organs and internal systems, as well as evaluating lifestyle habits and other factors. The wellness exam is also an opportunity for you to discuss concerns and get advice from our veterinarians about any pet related issues.
- Coat, Skin, and Eyes The outer surface of your pet can tell our doctors volumes about her health. A dull coat can point to a nutritional deficit, rashes and allergies can hide under a thick coat of fur, and tumors may that you may have missed could be present. Our doctors can check for any diseases that might affect your pet’s vision. In older animals, especially, this means looking out for glaucoma and cataracts, which can cause blindness if left untreated.
- Weight Obesity is a common problem with animals today, just as it is for humans. Obesity can cause other health problems, decreasing your pet’s quality of life and longevity. If your pet is overweight, we’ll recommend actions you can take to get him back into shape.
- Ears We check the ears for infection, redness, swelling, ear mites, and tumors.
- Mouth and Nose A wellness exam always includes a dental checkup. Our doctor will check for loose and broken teeth, swollen or bleeding gums, bad breath, and abnormal swelling under the tongue. We’ll also check the nose for any discharge or pain.
- Heart and Lungs Our doctor uses a stethoscope to check your pet’s heart and lungs, listening for abnormal heart rhythms or breathing sounds.
- Abdomen The abdominal organs are palpated, and the sounds of the intestines are stethescopically examined to determine areas of pain, abnormal swellings, and fluid.
- Vaccinations Your pet needs regular boosters to bolster its immunity to various diseases. Some vaccinations, such as rabies shots, are required by law while others are simply a good practice for keeping your pet healthy throughout its life. It is likely that blood will be drawn for laboratory testing. It is important to establish a baseline of laboratory values that are normal for your individual pet so that trends toward abnormality can be spotted early. In addition, diagnosis of diseases like heartworm are determined by blood testing.
In addition to regular wellness checks, our doctors will keep you informed about any ongoing health concerns you may have with your pet such as breeding, old age, or arthritis. For the healthiest and happiest life your pet can live, call our Plantsville office to make your first pet wellness exam appointment. Our entire staff is dedicated to keeping your pets healthy. If you have any questions about your pet’s health, give us a call at (860) 628-9635 today.