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Wellness Examinations

Why does your pet need wellness examinations? Mostly because your veterinarian needs the change to evaluate your pet's overall health and to detect problems before they turn into serious illnesses. Since your pet can't tell you how he feels, your vet must rely on a thorough physical examination and your observations of your pet to determine if your pet is truly healthy.

As part of the wellness examination, routine laboratory testing are recommended for all pets that are considered to be in their senior years.

Your pet should receive a wellness examination at least once per year, and more frequently when your pet gets older.

Be sure to mention to your veterinarian any unusual behavior. Some examples are:

• Excessive urination
• Excessive drinking of water
• Excessive panting
• Eating much more than usual
• Eating much less than usual
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive scratching
• Coughing
• Weight gain
• Weight loss
• Behavior patterns that are changing

Your veterinarian will check your pet's temperature. pulse, respiration rate and body weight. Your vet may check his ears, gums, teeth, palate, dental abnormalities, and will use a stethoscope to listen to your pet's heart and lungs.

Your vet will check your pet's skin condition, and will feel the abdomen to detect any irregularities such as enlarged organs, masses or areas that are painful.

Your pet may receive vaccinations during their wellness visit. Check with your veterinarian's office staff to review your pet's immunization status.

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