Pet Wellness Exam
Old adages are often true. One of our favorites is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, precisely because of how true it is. When you take your pet to Costa Mesa Animal Hospital in Costa Mesa, CA for a pet checkup, you are bringing them in for a small ounce of preventative medicine that can go a long way in preventing extensive and expensive medical problems.
The Basics of a Pet Wellness Exam or Pet Check Up
A pet wellness exam is like a general exam for your pet. All pet owners are recommended to bring their pet to their preferred veterinarian office at least once a year for an annual pet wellness exam, but some pet owners may be asked to bring their pet in more often due to their need for more extensive pet care.
A pet wellness exam begins as soon as the vet tech takes your pet back and puts them on the scale. A sign of many health issues is a big fluctuation in weight, both in losing and gaining weight. As the vet tech weighs your pet and updates their chart, they will perform a visual exam and ask you about any issues you have noticed since the last visit to the veterinarian.
Both the vet tech at this time and the veterinarian later will be doing a visual exam of your pet. In addition to weight, they will be looking at:
- Coat and muscular frame
- Eye, ear, and limb symmetry (especially in dogs under two years of age who are still developing)
- How the head is held and how they are holding their overall body weight
- Breathing patterns, as well as eye and ear conditions
- Energy level and general interest
An annual pet wellness exam is also a great time to perform vaccinations, heartworm test, and fecal examinations. Rabies is the big vaccination that should be done either every year or every three years (so long as you have the three-year rabies vaccine administered), but other important annual vaccines include DHPP for dogs and FVRCP for cats.
A heartworm test is necessary as you cannot receive monthly heartworm preventatives without a clear heartworm test every year. Heartworm preventatives are so important because if heartworms enter your pet and start damaging their cardiovascular structures, there is no way to repair them. This can lead to lifelong health issues and an overall shortened lifespan. Finally, a fecal test is done to check for internal parasites, including worms.
Schedule Your Pet's Wellness Exam Today
Help ensure your pet is as healthy as possible and stays that way by scheduling your pet's annual pet care wellness visit with Costa Mesa Animal Hospital in Costa Mesa, CA. Call (949) 548-3794.