Why does my pet need annual examinations?

Annual examinations are the best preventative care for your pet. Some pets may even need an annual exam twice a year depending on the pets’ health. When you come in for your pets’ annual exam and vaccines, the veterinarian will do a complete exam to make sure that your pet is healthy. On occasion there will be a pet that needs to be treated for something the owners may not have noticed. This is why it is important for you as a pet owner to bring in your furry friend for his annual checkup!

What does the vet do in an examination?

Your veterinarian will do a good thorough exam which should include the following:

  • Looking at the skin and coat
  • Looking at their body weight by feeling their ribs and looking for an abdominal tuck and waist back behind the
    rib cage
  • Listen to the pets heart and lungs
  • Look at their teeth to determine the grade of dental disease (if any)!
  • Look in both ears to make sure there is no infection or anything painful (like a foxtail) hiding down in the ear canal!
  • Look in both eyes
  • Take a temperature
  • They will move all of their limbs to make sure there is nothing abnormal when they are walking around. Also checks for arthritis! They feel all of their lymph nodes to make sure that they all feel normal.

Ask your veterinarian about vaccines, monthly de-wormers, and other preventatives again disease!

  • Vaccines provide protection again many diseases that are common throughout the world in pets. One easy way to protect your pet from getting potentially deadly diseases is to VACCINATE
    • In dogs, there are several vaccines that you can talk to your veterinarian about. 1. Rabies 2. Parvo Distemper/Adenovirus/Hepatitis 3. Bordatella 4. Lepto 5. Lyme 6. Influenza. Talk to your veterinarian and see what they recommend you vaccinate for depending on your dog’s health and living circumstances.
    • In cats, there are three vaccines that you can talk to your veterinarian about. 1. Rabies 2. Feline Leukemia 3. CVR/CVR-C. Talk to your veterinarian and see what they recommend you vaccinate for, depending on your cat’s health and living circumstances.
  • Deworming provides protection against the dangerous worms that your pet can receive. De-worming your pet monthly will help to prevent those nasty things from making your pets uncomfortable, and unhealthy. There are a few different ways that you can do to prevent them:
  • Strongid: This is a yellow paste that is injected into the pet’s mouth with a syringe, once a month. This is a very simple way to get rid of round-worms and hook-worms.
  • Drontal: This is a pill that is given once a month to protect against roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and heartworm.
  • Pro-heart Injection: This is an injection that goes under the skin behind the neck. This injection lasts 6 months and protects your pet from roundworm and heartworm. With this injection there is a heartworm test that needs to be performed in order to properly know if his is safe to give to your pet.
  • Interceptor: This is a chewable tablet that you give to your pet once a month to protect against roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and heartworm. With this pill there is a heartworm test that needs to be performed in order to properly  know if this is safe to give to your pet.