Early Detection
Receiving regular checkups is just as important for pets as it is for people. Being proactive with your pet’s health can help detect diseases in their early stages when treatment is both cheaper and more effective. Even if your pet seems healthy many conditions do not show outward physical symptoms until the issue has reached a more advanced, critical stage.
Checkup Frequency
Puppies and kittens under 1: Every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks old
Adults: (1-7 years old) Once a year
Seniors 7-10+ years old: Twice a year if necessary
What To Expect
During your pet’s checkup we will take their weight, temperature, respiratory rate and capillary refill time, examine the skin, coat, eyes, ears, mouth, lymph nodes and gait, and listen to the heart and lungs. We will also ask you questions about your pet’s eating and digestive habits, as well as activity levels and any unusual behavioral issues. If need be we will discuss blood, urine or feces testing.
First Checkup
For a new puppy or kitten, the initial physical exam to look for any signs of illness or disorder is imperative to make sure that they are starting off on the right foot. Conducting pre-anesthetic blood work before a routine spay or neuter is the best time to establish baseline laboratory values. These baseline lab values will especially become invaluable later in your pet’s life as we search for any deviations that may detect early developing disease. If certain clinical signs are detected, we will discuss the possibility of using imaging technology such as x-rays and/or ultrasounds to gain a more accurate picture of what is happening within the body. These tools are crucial for making an early diagnosis of conditions like heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.