Bringing your companion in for regular appointments is a crucial part of their veterinary care. Here, our vets talk about the importance of routine pet checkups and when you should bring your cat or dog in for wellness exams in Stroudsburg.
The Importance of Routine Pet Wellness Exams
Ideally, your pet should be seen for a routine physical exam by your veterinarian once or twice a year, even if the animal seems perfectly healthy. Regular wellness checkups are important and help you and your vet team support your pet's good health and happiness.
By regularly attending wellness checks even when your pet seems healthy, you allow your veterinarian the opportunity to assess your pet's general health and test for diseases, illnesses, and conditions that can be hard to spot early on (including cancers and parasites).
Early detection and treatment of potentially serious medical conditions is beneficial. During the checkup, your veterinarian has two objectives: to prevent health conditions from developing where possible and to detect early signs of disease so that they can be treated before they progress to more serious problems.
How Often Your Pet Should Have Wellness Exams
There are a few factors that will affect the frequency with which you take your pet to a wellness checkup, including their age and medical history.
If your pet has a history of illness but is currently healthy, we recommend scheduling a twice-yearly wellness check with your vet to ensure your pet stays as healthy as possible. Your vet can examine your pet and tell you how often they should come in for a physical exam.
Since your puppy or kitten's immune system is still developing, young pets can be more susceptible to some illnesses that adult pets are easily able to overcome. To provide your young pet with the care they need during their formative months, your vet might recommend booking a monthly checkup for the first few months.
An adult dog or cat with no history of illness should typically have a veterinary checkup once per year. Senior dogs, cats, and giant breed dogs are at a higher risk of developing additional conditions and should see a veterinarian more frequently to monitor for early symptoms of illness. In these cases, it's a good idea to take your pet in for a twice-yearly cat or dog checkup.
Preparing for Your Dog or Cat's Checkup in Stroudsburg
During your pet's first wellness checkup, we will ask for any information that may help us to better understand their health and any issues that they may be having. Some of the notes that you should bring include:
- Recent travel history
- Past medical records
- Eating and drinking habits
- Current medications (names & doses)
- Vaccine history
- Tick bite history
- Food (type & amount)
- Waste elimination habits
What will be done during a routine pet checkup?
When the checkup begins, the vet will go over your pet's medical history to get a better understanding of their overall health and any previous issues. You will also have the opportunity to express any concerns you may have. The veterinarian will ask additional questions about your pet's diet, exercise routine, thirst level, bowel movements, urination, and other aspects of their lifestyle and behavior.
Occasionally, your vet may request that you collect a fresh stool sample from your pet and bring it with you to the appointment. This will allow your vet to perform a fecal exam. These diagnostic tests can help to identify whether problematic intestinal parasites are present which may be otherwise difficult to detect.
At this time the physical examination will begin. While this is not an exhaustive list, these are some of the steps in a routine veterinary exam of your pet:
- Measuring their gait, stance, and weight
- Listening to your pet’s lungs and heart with a stethoscope
- Checking the eyelids for any issues, in addition to examining their eyes for signs of cloudiness, discharge, excessive tearing, cloudiness, or redness
- Assessing your pet for any signs of illness such as limited motion or signs of swelling or pain by palpating (feeling along) their body.
- Feeling the abdomen to check internal organ function and to check for signs of pain or discomfort
- Examining your pet's nails and feet for signs of health issues or conditions
- Checking inside your pet’s ears for signs of wax buildup, polyps, ear mites, or bacterial infection
- Inspecting their teeth for signs of decay, damage, or periodontal disease
- Examining your pet's fur, skin, and/or coat to assess overall condition, as well as look for signs of abnormal hair loss, dandruff, unusual lumps, or bumps
For healthy, adult cats and dogs this exam should only take a short time. You may even be able to discuss the exam with the vet as it happens. If an issue is identified, your vet will explain what they have noticed and recommend the next steps or potential treatments for your pet.
Annual vaccinations are also administered during a cat or dog checkup, based on your animal’s appropriate schedule.
Additional Tests
During this routine visit, your veterinarian may request that your dog or cat undergo additional diagnostic testing. Remember that, in most cases, early detection and treatment of serious diseases is less expensive, less invasive, and less stressful for your pet than treating the condition after it has progressed.
Tests for blood count, thyroid hormone testing, and a urinalysis may be done in addition to diagnostic testing like X-rays and imaging.
Once the Examination is Complete
Once the examination, diagnostics, and preventive care are complete, your vet will sit down with you to discuss any findings and if necessary, the next steps for your pet's care.
If your vet has found signs of injury, illness, or current or potential conditions, they will recommend more detailed diagnostics or potential treatment options to help.
For generally healthy pets, this discussion may focus on improving or maintaining their current exercise and diet routines, caring for your pet's oral health, and ensuring that essentials such as appropriate parasite prevention are monitored.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.