Wellness & Preventative Care

Wellness exams are performed to prevent disease or sickness and help to ensure your pets continue to stay healthy. These services include vaccinations, parasite control, wellness exams, and even weight management support.

Our doctors will assess your pet’s health with a complete physical exam, medical history and lifestyle report to help create a plan for disease prevention. This also allows us to catch any potential issues as early as possible, and plan the best treatment course for your pet.

An essential part in disease prevention is vaccinations. Vaccinations protect your pet from common infectious diseases, and help reduce the incidence of serious transmissible disease in the pet population as a whole.

A Wellness Exam will not only help flag any potential problems with your pet's health, but they are also important in creating an overall medical history for your pet. By meeting regularly with your pet, your veterinarian is able to become better acquainted with their personal history, and is able to offer more personalized care. For pets who are 7 years and younger, Wellness Exams are recommended annually. Pets age much quicker than humans so for pets over 7 years of age, Wellness Exams are recommended at least twice a year, to screen for any sign of illness or diseases.

A Wellness Exam will include the following:

• A consultation with your veterinarian during which you will discuss your pet's day-to-day routine as well as any health concerns or questions you may have. You might be asked questions about his or her activity level, personality and nutrition.
• A hands-on examination performed by your veterinarian, which will assess your pet's overall health from nose to tail. Areas examined will include the abdomen, head and neck, eyes, ears, mouth and skin. In addition, the doctor will also evaluate your pet’s musculoskeletal system, as well as listen to their heart and lungs.

Other, additional annual preventive care is typically performed at the time of a Wellness Exam include:

• Vaccines ̶ your veterinarian will update any necessary vaccines.
• Intestinal Parasite Exam ̶ a stool sample will be sent off to the lab to check for any worms or other intestinal parasites
• Additional Diagnostic Testing ̶ any additional diagnostic testing pertinent to your pet's life stage. This could include blood tests, urinalysis, or radiographs as needed.
  

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