A physical examination is done any time your pet visits our veterinarian.  A physical exam is a nose-to-tail check of your pet.  The veterinarian will check everything including your pet's:

Weight:  This is one of the most important parts of a physical exam, as it looks for major weight gain or loss which may indicate disease or weight problems.

Nose, ears, and eyes: Examining for discharge or any other abnormalities.

The paws and nails:  The doctor looks for any cuts, and clips overgrown nails which may cause future issues.

Condition of the fur and skin:  Checking for rashes, wounds, cuts, lumps and growths, etc.

The heart:  A stethoscope may discover various heart conditions, or heart disease.

Internal organs:  The doctor palpates your pet's tummy to feel for any enlargements on the major organs, and the intestines.
   
Rear end:  Checking for any visible parasites, signs of diarrhea, anal gland problems, and any other abnormalities.

General condition of joints and bones:  The veterinarian checks your pet's stride and flexes/rotates joins in the hips, shoulders, neck, and legs.  Stiffness or pain can indicate various  problems.

Wellness Testing:  We may run a blood screen to check your pets overall internal health.  Wellness testing costs extra, but is very affordable.  Testing will vary with the age of your pet.

A Physical Examination helps us determine your pet's overall well being.  Since we don't see your pet every day, we may find something that you might have easily missed at home.

It is recommended that adults cats and dogs (under the age of 7 years) visit a veterinarian every 12 months to have a physical examination performed.  Senior pets (7 years and older) should have a physical examination performed every 6 months as they are more likely to develop serious health problems faster due to age.  The key is to detect illness and disease sooner than later to aid in more effective treatment of a discovered health problem. 

An Examination due to a health concern may include other diagnostics such as radiology, additional blood screening, anaesthetics, etc. If you would like more information on additional diagnostics, see our Diagnostics Section.