Wellness Exams: The Cornerstone of Your Pet's Lifelong Health
At Hamilton Crossing Animal Hospital, we believe that preventive care is the best medicine. A Wellness Exam is the single most important service we provide to ensure your beloved companion lives a long, healthy, and happy life.
What is a Wellness Exam?
A wellness exam is a comprehensive physical and medical check-up performed when your pet appears healthy. For most adult pets, these exams are conducted annually (once a year).
Think of it as the pet equivalent of your annual physical. Since pets age much faster than humans—often aging several years in a single calendar year—a yearly check-up is essential to catching subtle changes before they become serious or life-threatening.
Why Is An Annual Exam So Important?
A wellness exam is the foundation of preventive medicine. Our goal is to find and treat health issues early, which is often easier on your pet, results in better outcomes, and is typically less expensive than treating advanced disease.
During your pet's annual visit, we focus on:
Early Detection: Many conditions, such as dental disease, kidney issues, heart problems, or even slow-growing tumors, are easily hidden from owners. Our thorough exam and recommended diagnostics help us detect these silent illnesses before outward symptoms even appear.
Establishing a Baseline: The information gathered during a wellness exam (including weight, heart rate, and blood work, if performed) creates a baseline for your pet's normal health. This data is critical for our veterinarians to quickly identify when something is wrong in the future.
Preventative Tailoring: We review your pet's lifestyle (indoor vs. outdoor, travel, diet) and risk factors to create a personalized prevention plan for parasites and disease.
What Does the Wellness Exam Entail?
During your visit, our veterinarian will perform a thorough "nose-to-tail" physical examination, review your pet's medical history, and discuss your observations from home.
1. The Full Physical Assessment
Our veterinarians meticulously examine every major body system. We will:
Listen to the Heart and Lungs: To check for heart murmurs, abnormal rhythms, or evidence of respiratory disease.
Evaluate the Eyes and Ears: Checking for signs of infection, inflammation, or vision/hearing deficits.
Check the Mouth and Teeth: Evaluating for tartar buildup, fractured teeth, and periodontal disease, which can lead to serious health issues if left untreated.
Inspect the Skin and Coat: Looking for hair loss, parasites (fleas, ticks), skin infections, or suspicious lumps and bumps.
Palpate the Abdomen and Lymph Nodes: Gently feeling internal organs (kidneys, liver, spleen) and major lymph nodes to check for abnormal size or tenderness.
Assess Mobility and Body Condition: Checking joints for signs of pain or arthritis, and assessing your pet’s weight to discuss optimal nutrition and exercise.
2. Vaccines and Preventative Care
Wellness exams are the ideal time to ensure your pet is protected against preventable diseases.
If your pet is due for vaccinations, we will administer the appropriate core and lifestyle vaccines based on their individual risk assessment. We will also discuss and recommend year-round protection against parasites, including heartworms, fleas, and ticks.
3. Screening and Diagnostics
Depending on your pet's age and the exam findings, we may recommend wellness screening tests, such as:
Fecal Exams: To check for intestinal parasites.
Heartworm Testing: Crucial for dogs in our region.
Blood Work (CBC and Chemistry): Especially vital for senior pets (over age 7), these tests check for hidden issues like early kidney, liver, or thyroid disease, allowing for immediate intervention.
We look forward to partnering with you to keep your pet happy and healthy for years to come. Please call Hamilton Crossing Animal Hospital today to schedule your pet’s next annual wellness exam!