When you bring your cat or dog in for routine exams, your vet can prevent and identify a variety of health issues in your four-legged friend. Here, our Doraville vets explain what you can expect when you bring your pet in for a wellness exam.
The Importance of Routine Wellness Exams
Dogs and cats should see a veterinarian for a routine wellness exam once or twice a year, even if your canine or feline friend seems perfectly healthy. Regular wellness checkups help you and your veterinary team support your pet's good health and happiness.
By regularly attending wellness exams even when your pet seems healthy, you'll allow your vet the opportunity to assess your pet's general health and check for illnesses, diseases, and conditions that may be difficult to detect.
Pets with potentially serious medical conditions can benefit from early treatment. During your pet's checkup, your vet has two goals: to prevent health conditions from developing where possible and to detect early signs of diseases that may be difficult to detect.
Getting Ready for Your Pet's Routine Exam
Your vet will need some basic medical information about your dog or cat, particularly if this is your pet's first wellness checkup with us. Bring notes about your pet with you, including their:
- Past medical records
- Current medications (names and doses)
- Vaccine history
- History of tick bites
- Waste elimination habits
- Eating and drinking habits
- Food (type and amount)
- Recent travel history
You might also want to bring a favorite blanket or toys to comfort your pet. While dogs should be leashed, cats should be in a carrier.
What does a cat or dog's wellness exam consist of?
When you take your pet to the veterinarian for an annual exam, your vet will review your cat or dog's medical history and ask whether you have any concerns. The vet will then inquire about your pet's thirst level, bowel movements, urination, diet, exercise routine, and other aspects of their general behavior and lifestyle.
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 identify whether harmful intestinal parasites, which may be difficult to detect otherwise, are present.
The vet will then perform a physical examination of your pet. A typical checkup for dogs or cats may include:
- 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.
How long do vet appointments take?
We understand that even doting pet parents have busy lives and that you may wonder how long a vet checkup takes. We typically recommend scheduling about 30 minutes for your pet's routine annual physical examinations and vaccinations, including signing in and filling out any paperwork that may be required.
How often should I bring my pet in for a wellness exam?
A few factors 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.
Usually, an adult dog or cat with no history of illness should be taken to a vet checkup every year. Pets like senior dogs, 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.
Following Your Pet's Exam
Once your veterinarian has an examined your pet, administered annual vaccines, and run any diagnostic tests that may be required, they will explain their findings to you.
If your vet has discovered any signs of illness, injury, or current or potential conditions, they will recommend further diagnostics or potential treatment options to help.
If your pet is generally healthy, this discussion may focus on improving or maintaining its current exercise and diet routines, caring for its oral health, and monitoring essentials such as appropriate parasite prevention.
What additional tests might my veterinarian recommend for my pet?
Along with the basic checkup items we discussed above, your vet may also recommend additional wellness testing. Remember that in the majority of cases, early detection and treatment of serious diseases are less expensive, less invasive, and less taxing on your pet than having the condition treated once it has become more advanced.
Blood count, thyroid hormone testing, and urinalysis may be performed in addition to diagnostic tests like X-rays and imaging.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. Please visit your vet for an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition.