What to Expect in a Wellness Exam for Your Pet?

Most pet owners want to provide their cat or dog with the best surroundings and care possible. Pet wellness exams are one of the most beneficial things you can do for your furry family member, whether young puppies and kittens or elderly dogs and cats. By providing your veterinarian with an annual opportunity to evaluate your pet, routine wellness checks help keep your pet healthy by keeping track of their general health and checking for early disease symptoms.

Why Visit the Vet if My Pet Is Healthy?

A veterinarian “checkup” for your dog or cat is a yearly wellness examination. Wellness examinations are performed once or twice a year when your pet seems to be in excellent health. By putting a strong emphasis on prevention and early illness diagnosis, these exams are a terrific approach that helps your pet achieve maximum health.

By bringing your healthy dog or cat in for routine checkups in reputable facilities like Yolinda Animal Hospital, you offer your vet the chance to monitor your pet’s overall health and look for conditions that might be challenging to detect in their early stages, such as cancer and parasites.

How Often Should Dogs and Cats Visit the Vet?

Puppies & Kittens

The growth and development of puppies and kittens happen quickly. From the time they are 6 to 8 weeks old until they are between 16 and 20 weeks old, they typically require wellness care visits to a veterinarian every 3 to 4 weeks. Once a year has passed since their previous visit with the puppy or kitten, their next wellness exam is typically scheduled.

Adult Dogs & Cats

Regardless of your pet type, routine care should include a yearly checkup. Immunizations, dental cleanings, physical exams, grooming appointments, desexing, and professional advice on any issues you may have all contribute to ensuring your pet stays healthy and lives a long and happy life. The vet might refer your pet to a dog or cat dermatologist if he spots skin problems. 

Senior Dogs & Cats

Pets age more quickly than humans, so once they reach their senior years, it’s a good idea to take them to the vet every six months. Medium-sized dogs go through this change at the age of 7, gigantic breeds a year or two early, and cats and tiny dogs a little later.

What Happens During Routine Exams?

Your pet will get a physical examination by your veterinarian, which often includes any or all of the following:

  • Listening to the heart and lungs of your pet
  • Examining the posture, pace, and weight of your dog or cat
  • Looking for indications of excessive tearing, discharge, redness, cloudiness, or problems with the eyelids in your pet
  • Checking your pet’s teeth for any signs of periodontal disease, injury, or decay
  • Looking for a few issues on your pet’s skin, such as parasites, dryness, lumps, and pimples (especially in skin folds)
  • Checking for indicators of pain and examining the internal organs of your companion’s belly by palpating it
  • Checking for indications of sickness such as edema, lameness (such as a reduced range of motion), and discomfort by palpating your cat or dog’s body
  • Examining your companion’s coat for dandruff, irregular hair loss, and general health
  • Looking at your pet’s nails and feet for damage or indications of a more serious health issue
  • Searching for bacterial infection, ear mites, wax buildup, or polyps in your pet’s ears

Exams and inspections check for health issues and determine a pet’s mood, as they cannot communicate what they are experiencing.

Keeping Vaccines Up to Date

Vaccines protect pets against common, infectious, and potentially fatal infections. Core vaccinations are recommended for all pets, while lifestyle vaccines are often recommended for pets interacting with other animals. Adult pets need booster injections regularly, usually once every year or every three years. Their veterinarian will inform you when a pet needs a booster cat or dog shots.

Preventing Parasitic Conditions & Diseases

Your veterinarian will advise strategies to stop parasites from infiltrating your animal buddy since ticks and mosquitoes transmit parasites that can enter your pet’s body and cause potentially fatal diseases. Understanding that some parasites may transmit from pets to people is crucial!

Preventing parasites might help to safeguard your cat or dog from issues like:

  • Anaplasmosis
  • Babesiosis
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Fleas
  • Heartworm
  • Hookworms
  • Lyme Disease
  • Roundworms
  • Tapeworms
  • Whipworm

What Happens Once the Exam Is Finished?

Your veterinarian will review any findings after the checkup, and your pet has gotten its annual vaccinations. If your pet exhibits any symptoms of disease or injury, your veterinarian will take the time to talk with you about further testing or the range of potential treatments.

If your dog or cat receives a clean bill of health, your veterinarian could give advice or suggestions about your pet’s food, exercise program, dental health, or effective parasite control.