What Happens During a Pet Wellness Exam?

Pets often need annual wellness exams to ensure their health is at its best. They can happen once or twice a year, depending on whether your pet has any preexisting conditions. Your pet may look like they are in perfect health, but preventative care is paramount. Some conditions take a while to present symptoms, so diagnosing them early allows for better management.
 

The vet will run several examinations to help them determine if there is any issue. The tests they run are often noninvasive unless they find any peculiar matters. 

Pet Wellness Exam

As mentioned above, a pet wellness exam involves a series of tests that a vet performs to determine the pet's health. They will usually start with the pet history. The vet will ask you several questions to give them an idea of how your pet has been behaving. They use this information to gauge if your pet has any conditions.

Next, they will perform a physical examination. The physical exam will include several tests that also help inform the vet of the pet's overall health. 

Here are some things that you may notice happening during the wellness exam.

Procedures in a Pet Wellness Exam

Body Weight Exam

One of the first procedures a vet may perform is checking your pet's body weight. According to a study by the Association of Pet Obesity in 2018, about 59 percent of cats and 56 percent of dogs are overweight. Weight affects the lifespan and health of your pet in numerous ways. The vet must consider it an essential factor before any other tests.

Pet Dental Health

The vet will run a few dental exams on your pet. The mouth is a determining factor in the health of the whole pet's body. Most pets have dental issues that develop early in their lives. 
 

According to a study, most cats have dental health issues by the time they are three years old. Another study in the Journal of the British Veterinary Association found a link between oral problems, disease, and systemic inflammation. 

Vaccinations

Another essential aspect of annual pet wellness exams is ensuring your pet is up-to-date on its vaccinations. Prevention is the best form of care you can give your pet. Depending on where you live, the vet may recommend other vaccines that are not core. They are precautions for any pathogens that are native to your area. Also, your pet's lifestyle may influence the need for these noncore vaccines. 

Parasite Tests

The vet will run tests to check if your pet has parasites in its body. Some parasites like heartworm are hazardous to your pet, so preventing them is vital. Treating heartworm takes a long time, and it can become costly. But preventing it is much cheaper, effective, and relatively easy. 

Bloodwork and Diagnostics

This is probably the most invasive part of the pet wellness exam. The vet will need to take a blood sample from your pet to check for any internal health issues. Some internal health issues do not present symptoms physically until it is too late. One of these is heartworm. It can incubate in a dog for years and only present symptoms in its advanced stage.

For more on what happens during a pet wellness exam, visit Dr. Mike's Affordable Vet Care at our office in Arlington, Texas. Call (817) 663-8160 to book an appointment today.