What to expect at an Appointment at a Wellness Vet?

History

It’s important that pet parents give the veterinary professionals a history on their pet to do a successful physical exam. Some of the questions that can be kept in mind are the following:

• Have they been vomiting?
• Have you noticed a difference in behavior?
• Have they lost appetite?
• Have you noticed any bumps or changes on their skin?

Pet parents should be as descriptive as possible to the veterinary professionals about their observations.

Body condition

Is your your dog on an ideal weight? If not, we will notify the pet parent and come up with a diet plan to achieve the ideal body condition for our patient.

Abnormalities

The veterinary professionals will observe your pet starting from their eyes, nose and ears. They are looking for any signs of discharge, atrophy and redness. This will be followed by the coat and skin. Is the coat dull? Is there loss of hair? Are there any parasites present on the skin or coat? Then they will listen to the heart and lungs. This practice can help identify different conditions and diseases found on the cardiovascular system. Finally, they will palpate the abdomen, lymph nodes and joints to look for any sign of pain or discomfort if any.

Age

In younger dogs veterinary professionals are mainly looking for hernias and compromised immune systems. In older dogs, we look to monitor their physiological processes. This is why it’s recommended to do blood work on dogs that are 7 years or older. This also depends on the findings on the physical exam and the veterinary professional.

How often should you bring your pet to a wellness exam?

Veterinary professionals recommend annual wellness exams. For older dogs or pets that have been diagnosed with an underlying disease should visit their veterinarian every 6 months. The timeframe also depends on the treatment they may be going through but the rule of thumb for wellness exams should be every 6-12 months.