Overview

We follow your pet through the many phases of their lives. From specialized and preventative care during their younger years to regular wellness checks as they age, we seek to prevent and detect problems before they arise. We know your pet is important to you, that's why we work hard to ensure they are given only the best in care through all the years of their lives.

The American Animal Hospital Association recommends that your pet have a wellness exam at least once every year. As your pet ages, they recommend having even more. We believe strongly in preventive care and have developed wellness protocols for every stage of the life of your pet. Depending on your pet’s life stage, vaccines may be administered, as well as disease screenings.

Why are wellness exams important?

Wellness exams give us a chance to evaluate the overall health of your pet while also giving us a baseline for their own unique bodies and tendencies. They also allow us to detect potential problems before they become serious, and even make your pet more familiar with our veterinary hospital, making future visits easier on them and you.

When should my pet visit the vet?

We believe in preventative medicine as the best approach to keeping our patients healthy. This includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations on a one- or three-year basis, external and internal parasite prevention, and dietary management. Our doctors will help determine what vaccinations are appropriate according to you and your pet’s needs. We will discuss in detail what your options are to help you make the best possible health decisions for your pet.

Wellness Exam Process

During your pet’s wellness exam, we’ll take a look at their overall health from top to bottom and inside out. Our veterinarians generally suggest having a urinalysis performed to check on bladder and kidney health, as well as a fecal test to rule out the intestinal parasites that are so common in animals. They’ll check your pet’s heartbeat for irregularities, peek in their ears to see signs of illness, and look at the nose and eyes for unusual discharge. In addition to these steps, they’ll also want to talk with you about your animal’s behavior, such as their eating habits and energy levels. If your animal is overweight, we may suggest different foods or changing how you feed them. If you have any questions, we’ve found that it’s a good idea to write them down in advance so that you remember to ask the veterinarian during the wellness exam.