Routine wellness exams can help to provide your pet with their very best chance at a long and healthy life, but what does the vet do during a routine pet checkup? Our Harlingen vets explain what happens when you bring your pet in for a routine exam.
Your Pet's Physical Checkup
When you bring your dog or cat into our Harlingen veterinary clinic for a vet checkup, your vet will review your pet's medical history and ask you about any specific concerns you might have.
After these initial steps, your veterinarian will perform a physical checkup of your pet which will usually include any or all of the following:
- Listening to your pet's heart and lungs
- Checking your animal's weight, stance, and gait
- Checking your pet's eyes for signs of redness, cloudiness, eyelid issues, excessive tearing, or discharge
- Inspecting the pet's coat for overall condition, dandruff, or abnormal hair loss
- Looking at your pet's feet and nails for damage or signs of more serious health concerns
- Looking at your pet's ears for signs of bacterial infection, ear mites, wax build-up, or polyps
- Examining the condition of your pet's teeth for any indications of periodontal disease, damage, or decay
- Examining your dog or cat's skin for a range of issues from dryness to parasites to lumps and bumps (particularly in skin folds)
- Palpate your pet's abdomen to access whether the internal organs appear to be normal and to check for signs of discomfort
- Feeling along your pet's body (palpating) for any signs of illness such as swelling, evidence of lameness such as limited range of motion, and signs of pain
All of these tests are meant to detect signs of any health problems your pet may be experiencing. Since our dogs and cats can't tell us when they are uncomfortable, these tests and checks help to determine how your furry friend is generally feeling.
Keeping Vaccines Current
Vaccines are designed to protect your four-legged friend against common, contagious, and potentially life-threatening diseases. The vaccines recommended for your dog or cat will be based on where you live and your pet's lifestyle.
Core vaccines for dogs and cats are recommended for all pets, whereas lifestyle vaccines are most often recommended for pets that are regularly in contact with other animals. To find out more about the vaccines recommended for your pet check out our vaccine schedule.
Adult pets will need to be provided with 'booster shots regularly to maintain their protection against disease. In most cases, boosters are given annually or once every three years. Your vet will be sure to let you know when your dog or cat's booster shots are due.
Preventing Parasitic Diseases & Conditions
Parasites are a serious health threat to Harlingen pets. Ticks and mosquitos carry parasites that can invade your pet's body and cause potentially fatal conditions, that's why your vet will recommend ways to prevent parasites from invading your four-legged friend. It's also important to know that some of these parasites can be passed from pets to their loving owners!
You may have been asked to bring in a sample of your pet's stool for us to perform a fecal exam. Fecals allow our vet to examine your dog's stool for signs of common intestinal parasites which would be very difficult to detect otherwise.
Heartworm testing may also be a part of your pet's annual checkup. This test allows your vet to examine your animal's blood for the earliest signs of heartworm disease. Detecting heartworm as early as possible provides your pet with the best possible chance of a good treatment outcome if they have contracted this serious parasitic condition.
Parasite prevention can help to protect your dog or cat from conditions such as:
- Heartworm
- Fleas
- Lyme Disease
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Hookworms
- Roundworms
- Tapeworms
- Whipworm
Weighing Up The Cost Of Routine Checkups
At Altas Palmas Animal Clinic our team understands that bringing your pet in to see us when they seem perfectly healthy may seem like an unnecessary expense but routine checkups help your pet's veterinarian to detect signs of disease in the earliest stages when many conditions are easiest to treat, and also to provide your pet with the very best in preventive care - from vaccines to parasite prevention medications. When compared to treating advanced forms of conditions, disorders, or diseases, (especially heartworm) regularly scheduled checkups will save you money.
Not only that, but they will make sure your pet experiences a minimal amount of discomfort or pain from any health issues they are experiencing. The sooner a medical issue is detected, the sooner it can be diagnosed and treated.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.