The Importance Of Regular Pet Wellness Exams
Apart from seeing your pet’s sweet face, and hearing about his or her devotion, abilities, or antics once or twice a year, we truly value the time spent assessing your pet’s health. We see your pet’s regular wellness exam as an opportunity to finely tune the conversation between you and your pet’s veterinarian, in order to support health, happiness, and longevity.
Some pet owners wonder about the importance of wellness exams, especially if their pet is seemingly the same as the last time he or she was in for an exam. And, while we appreciate the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, there is so much to pet wellness than what is seen by the naked eye. The following offers a sketch of what we look for at regular pet wellness exams, and what you can observe at home.
The Rundown On Pet Wellness
A commitment to routine pet wellness exams ensures that your pet receives preventive screenings that support long-term health. We can diagnose and treat potential conditions before they progress into serious health threats, resulting in expensive (and possibly painful or risky) emergency care.
What To Expect
When your pet comes in for a wellness appointment, we will first conduct a physical exam that includes evaluation of the eyes, ears, mouth, skin, coat, and abdomen. Beyond that, we will examine and recommend treatment for the following:
- Dental Care – The benefits stemming from proper dental care impacts more than just the teeth, mouth, and gums. Leaving your pet’s teeth “alone” could cause problems throughout the body, including the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.
- Nutrition – In addition to obesity, there are other issues that can result from poor or incorrect nutrition. We are dedicated to making sure each pet receives the proper nutrition, and can guide you with specific recommendations.
- Diagnostics – As your pet ages, we run certain diagnostics to support health throughout his or her senior years. Our diagnostics can reveal problems connected to arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. This may involve blood work, x-rays, urinalysis, and ultrasound to detect any problems unseen in a physical exam.
- Parasite Prevention – Keeping your pet safe from fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites remains a top priority at pet wellness exams. We can screen for parasites and advise you on which products to use to keep parasites away from your pet. Not only will this protect your pet, but since certain parasites cause diseases that can spread to people, your entire family will stay safe, too.
- Vaccinations – In line with preventive veterinary medicine, vaccinations help to limit the risk of dangerous, life-threatening diseases. Your pet’s lifestyle will be discussed and the correct vaccines will be administered based on the possibility for exposure to any number of diseases.
Pet Wellness Counts!
Animals age much faster than humans, so pet wellness visits become increasingly critical as the years go by. Your pet might be exceedingly good at hiding symptoms from you, but if he or she is screened routinely, health problems can be stopped or slowed. We also allow for your concerns and questions to guide the visit, and hope to see your pet soon at his or her next wellness exam.