Pet Care Tips
Annual Exams — Who Needs Them?
A regular physical exam is one of the most important things you can do for your beloved pets. Performing a physical exam allows us to detect and prevent health problems early. Findings during the exam may cause us to recommend laboratory tests such as blood chemistry, complete blood count, urinalysis, or microscopic exams of ear or skin swabs. We may discuss parasite control, dental health, nutrition or any number of other topics based on your pet's lifestyle, age,and exam findings.
We will take this time to assess your pet's risk factors and recommend appropriate vaccinations based on these. We truly believe that prevention is the best medicine and annual exams are a vital part of this. In addition, catching disease processes early usually leads to a better long-term prognosis and easier treatment of disease. This, in turn, means less expense for you in the log run. “But my dog/cat seems healthy.” We hear this all the time. Underlying diseases such as heart disease, kidney insufficiency, or liver disease, to name a few, may cause no outward signs at all. Once symptoms of disease occurs, the process is well underway, and treatment may be extensive and expensive. Not to mention the fact that, if a disease process is caught early, we can, in many cases, extend the life of a pet. Giving you more time with your four-legged family member. Prevention and early detection of disease, your pet will thank you!
