In today's post, we delve into the topic of routine wellness exams for pets. We look at why these regularly scheduled physical checkups are important and what happens at a typical routine checkup for dogs and cats.
Proactive Care to Keep Pets Healthy
Preventive care focuses on preserving your pet's good health and providing your beloved dog or cat with proactive care that gives them their best possible shot at living a long and healthy life. A great preventive health plan for pets starts with routine wellness exams either annually or twice yearly depending on the needs of your dog or cat.
These routine exams are vet checkups for your beloved four-legged friend that allow your veterinarian to provide vital preventive care, but also to monitor your pet's overall health and examine your dog or cat for signs of developing conditions that could easily be missed until becoming more severe.
Catching health issues including parasites, ear infections, or gastrointestinal issues early, before obvious symptoms appear, means that treatment can begin early when it is most effective.
The preventive care offered at most routine exams includes vaccines and parasite prevention medications tailored to meet the unique needs of your dog or cat.
How Often Your Pet Should Have a Checkup
Our veterinarians at Belle Forest Animal Hospital in Nashville typically recommend yearly or twice yearly checkups for most adult dogs and cats. However, each pet is different and has unique needs - especially as they age. This is why the frequency of your furry friend's checkups will depend on a combination of factors, including their age, breed and medical history.
Puppies and kittens can be susceptible to health conditions that are easily resisted by adult pets. This is likewise true for senior or geriatric pets. You should bring your puppy/kitten in for a checkup much more frequently to give them the very best start in life, (every month for puppies and kittens under a year old). For geriatric pets, twice a year or more, if needed, is recommended.
What Cat & Dog Checkups Involve
When you bring your dog or cat to Belle Forest Animal Hospital for their routine exam, our vets will review their medical history and ask you about any specific concerns you might have.
In some instances, we will have requested that you bring in a sample of your pet's stool to do a fecal exam. We will take that sample and examine it for a range of parasites that would otherwise be very difficult to detect.
After these initial steps, your vet will perform a physical checkup of your pet which may include any or all of the following:
- Listening to your pet's heart and lungs
- Checking your animal's weight, stance, and gait
- Checking your pet's eyes for signs of redness, cloudiness, eyelid issues, excessive tearing, or discharge
- Inspecting the pet's coat for overall condition, dandruff, or abnormal hair loss
- Looking at your pet's feet and nails for damage or signs of more serious health concerns
- Looking at your pet's ears for signs of bacterial infection, ear mites, wax build-up, or polyps
- Examining the condition of your pet's teeth for any indications of periodontal disease, damage or decay
- Examining your dog or cat's skin for a range of issues from dryness to parasites to lumps and bumps (particularly in skin folds)
- Palpate your pet's abdomen to assess whether the internal organs appear to be normal and to check for signs of discomfort
- Feeling along your pet's body (palpating) for any signs of illness such as swelling, evidence of lameness such as limited range of motion, and signs of pain
All of these tests are meant to detect signs of any health problems your pet may be experiencing. Since our dogs and cats can't tell us when they are uncomfortable, these tests and checks help to determine how your furry friend is generally feeling.
Vaccines
Vaccines are designed to protect your dog or cat against common, contagious, and potentially life-threatening diseases. The vaccines recommended for your dog or cat will be based on where you live and your pet's lifestyle.
Core vaccines for dogs and cats are recommended for all pets, whereas lifestyle vaccines are most often recommended for pets that are regularly in contact with other animals. To learn more about the vaccines recommended for your pet check out our vaccine schedule.
Adult pets will need to be provided with 'booster shots' on a regular basis in order to maintain their protection against disease. In most cases, boosters are given annually or once every three years. Your vet will be sure to let you know when your dog or cat's booster shots are due.
Parasite Prevention
Parasites are a real health threat to Nashville pets. Ticks and mosquitoes carry parasites that can invade your pet's body and cause potentially fatal conditions, that's why your vet will recommend ways to prevent parasites from invading your four-legged friend. It's also important to know that some of these parasites can be passed from pets to their loving owners!
Parasite prevention can help to protect your pet from conditions such as:
- Heartworm
- Fleas
- Lyme Disease
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Hookworms
- Roundworms
- Tapeworms
- Whipworm
Cost of Annual Cat & Dog Exams
Compared to treating advanced forms of conditions, disorders or diseases, (especially heartworm) regularly scheduled wellness exams will likely save you money in the long run.
Not only that, but they will make sure your pet experiences a minimal amount of discomfort or pain from any health issues. Preventing illness is always better than treating it, but it is also the case that most conditions are most effectively and quickly treated when detected early. Regular vet exams provide your veterinarian with an opportunity to spot the earliest signs of developing conditions.
Wellness Plans to Make Routine Care More Affordable
Pet Wellness Plans bundle together all of the annual preventive services your vet recommends to help keep your pet healthy - including many of those listed above - into 12 manageable monthly payments. Pet Wellness Plans provide your pet with the very best preventive care while saving you money and making budgeting easier. At Belle Forest Animal Hospital, our Wellness plans for dogs include:
- Twice Yearly Wellness Exams
- Annual Core Vaccinations
- Intestinal Parasite Screenings (Fecal Screening)
- Heartworm & Tick Disease Testing
- Bordetella Vaccinationon
- 12 Month's Supply of Flea & Tick Prevention
- 12 Month Supply of Heartworm Prevention
And our wellness plans for cats include:
- Twice Yearly Wellness Exams
- Annual Core Vaccination
- FeLV and FIV Testing
- Intestinal Parasite Screenings (Fecal Screening)
- 12 Month Supply of Flea, Tick and Heartworm Prevention
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.