Routine Vet Exams: Why They Are So Important

Taking your cat or dog in for routine exams is the best way to prevent and identify a variety of health issues your pet may encounter. Today, our Ruckersville vets discuss how important routine vet exams are for your pet.

The Importance of Routine 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 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 treatment is beneficial for potentially serious medical conditions. During the checkup, your veterinarian has two goals: to prevent health problems where possible and to detect early signs of disease so that they can be treated before they become more serious problems.

How Often Your Pet Should Be Examined

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. 

Because your puppy or kitten's immune system is still developing, young pets may be more susceptible to illnesses that adult pets can easily overcome. To provide your young pet with the care they require during their formative months, your vet may recommend scheduling a monthly checkup for the first few months.

Usually, an adult dog or cat with no history of illness should be taken to a vet checkup every year. Pets like senior dogs and cats and giant breed dogs can face an increased risk of additional conditions and should see a veterinarian more often to monitor for early signs of illness. In these cases, it's a good idea to bring your pet in for twice-yearly cat or dog checkups. 

Preparing for Your Pet's Routine Exam

Your vet needs some basic medical information about your canine or feline companion, especially if this is your pet's first wellness check with us. Bring notes about your pet including their:

You may also want to bring a favorite blanket or toys for comfort. While dogs should be on a leash, cats should be in a carrier.

Elements of Your Pet's Exam

When you bring your pet to the veterinarian, his or her medical history will be reviewed, and your veterinarian will inquire about any concerns you may have. The vet will ask about your pet's diet, exercise routine, thirst level, bowel movements, urination, and other aspects of their lifestyle and general behavior.

In some cases, you’ll be asked to collect and bring along a fresh sample of your pet’s feces (bowel movement) so a fecal exam can be completed. These diagnostic tests can help to identify whether problematic intestinal parasites are present which may be otherwise difficult to detect.

Next, the vet will perform a physical examination of your pet. 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

If your vet finds no cause for concern, the wellness check is usually completed fairly quickly and with few issues. They may even chat with you as they do so. 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 Exam Tests

Your veterinarian might advise additional wellness testing in addition to the basic checkup components we discussed above. Consider the fact that, in most situations, treating serious diseases when they are still in their early stages is less expensive, less invasive, and less demanding on your pet.

Tests for blood count, thyroid hormone testing, and a urinalysis may be done in addition to diagnostic testing like X-rays and imaging.

Following Your Pet's Exam

Once your pet has been physically examined, had any diagnostic tests run on them, and given their annual vaccines, your vet will dedicate time to explaining their findings to you.

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.

If your pet is generally in good health, the focus of this conversation may be on enhancing or maintaining their current exercise and diet regimens, taking care of their oral health, and making sure that necessities like proper parasite prevention are being kept under close observation.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding people or pets. Always follow your doctor's advice regarding asthma or other allergy symptoms.