Wellness and Routine

Yearly Consult and Wellness Exam

Most veterinarians recommend that all pets be checked at least once a year for a wellness exam. Since animals cannot complain about their illness and are good at hiding their signs, they are often extremely ill before the pets owner notices and brings the pet in to be examined.

A veterinary exam includes:

  • temperature, pulse and respiration
  • heart and lung auscultation
  • neurological evaluation
  • oral/dental evaluation
  • body condition scoring
  • lymph node palpation
  • abdominal palpation
  • ear, eye and nose exam
  • skin and coat evaluation
  • sometimes blood and urine samples are advised based on the pets age and condition

During a Preventive Care Consultation, the veterinarian can often detect a problem that the owner may not notice; such as a heart murmur or arrhythmia, enlarged lymph node, abscessed tooth, abdominal mass, or other abnormalities. Early identification of a problem will make the road to recovery faster, easier and often less expensive. This also gives the veterinarian the opportunity to discuss at-home routine maintenance and provide the tools necessary to avoid risks that may lead to common diseases in your pet.