Pet Health Exam
A pet health exam is a thorough physical examination and diagnostic testing to ensure your pet is in good health. It includes extensive blood work, checking stool samples for parasites and also a urinalysis test among others. Besides detecting early symptoms of a disease, the annual exam can also be a way to catch up with vaccinations. Here’s what you should expect during your pet’s health exam.
Common Tests
The wellness test will depend on the health, age, and specific breed of your pet. Your vet can request that you come with your pet’s medical history or fill out preliminary checklists. The checklists typically ask about problems that you suspect your pets could have, like if you have seen that your pet has lost weight. Ensure you fill in the correct details in those forms so that your vet can perform texts to assist in ruling out certain diseases with those symptoms. Also, this is a great time to ask any questions you may have.
Here are the common tests:
• CBC test to evaluate your pet’s blood to see whether they have an inflammation or infection
• Blood chemistry test to provide data about the state of your pet’s kidneys, liver, hydration, and blood sugar
• Urinalysis to identify inflammation or infection in the urinary tract
• Fecal test identify worm infection in the intestines
• Thyroid function examination to ensure that thyroid gland’s functioning properly
The health exam also includes a physical evaluation to check for abnormalities. The vet uses special equipment like a stethoscope, otoscope, and ophthalmoscope to test various parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, ears, and eyes. The vet also feels the pet’s body to look for bumps and lumps, before finally recording your pet’s weight and vital signs, like temperature, respiration, and pulse rate.
Depending on the current medical status, previous medical history, and age, your vet may also recommend extra tests during the annual exam.
Why take your Pet to a Health Exam?
The pet health exam is a critical part of a comprehensive preventive healthcare strategy for pets across every stage in their lives, from kittens and puppies to the senior pets. When your pet is healthy and young, the health exam is an excellent method of detecting any changes like weight loss or gain, dental problems or any other small changes that you cannot see at home.
In senior pets, the health exam is essential for early detection of disease. The early diagnosis of various diseases like heart disease and diabetes can help with effective treatment and ensuring better chances of maintaining overall well-being and health of your pets.
References: Pet health network, Petmd, Vet street
