A wellness exam is a routine veterinary visit to thoroughly assess your pet's overall health and well-being. These regular preventive care exams are absolutely crucial for detecting potential issues early before they become major problems. Wellness visits allow your veterinarian to optimize your pet's health and quality of life at every stage.
During an annual or bi-annual wellness exam, your vet will perform a comprehensive nose-to-tail physical examination to evaluate your pet's eyes, ears, mouth, skin and coat, heart, lungs, abdomen, joints, neurological function, weight, and body condition. Your vet will also ask you about any changes in your pet's appetite, water intake, urine and bowel habits, activity levels, and behavior since the last visit. Discussing your pet's lifestyle helps identify any concerning trends that may affect health and wellness.
Based on your pet’s risk factors, medical history, and exam findings, your vet may recommend or perform additional preventive diagnostic tests as part of the wellness exam. These can include bloodwork, urinalysis, fecal tests for intestinal parasites, dental evaluations, heartworm tests, tick screens, and vaccine antibody titer tests.
You will also discuss updating your pet’s parasite prevention, go over any medication or supplement needs, and administer core vaccines as needed to ensure your pet's immunity stays strong. Guidance on optimal nutrition, weight, dental care, activity levels, and behavioral enrichment can also be provided to support total mind and body health.
Wellness exams provide early disease detection to diagnose conditions before symptoms worsen. This allows for earlier treatment when outcomes are more favorable. Exams also establish health baselines to compare against over time.
Preventive care minimizes infectious disease risk and keeps vaccinations current. Discussing lifestyle identifies areas impacting your pet’s wellness, like nutrition, weight, dental health, activity levels, behavior, and more. Our guidance helps optimize every aspect of your pet’s health.
Wellness exams strengthen the human-animal bond through care based on specific needs. Increased vet interaction reduces stress during future exams or when illness occurs. Overall, wellness exams lead to improved quality of life and longevity.
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