Well Exam
The Routine Physical Exam
The routine physical exam is one of the most important aspects of your pet's care, because it gives the doctor a baseline level of information about what's normal for your pet. This information is critical for everything from making sure we don't vaccinate your pet when he's sick, to being able to spot the early warning signs of serious illness, like cancer or hyperthyroidism. And yes, even cats that spend their entire lives indoors need to be seen by a veterinarian yearly.
We recommend a Well Exam
- When you first bring a new pet home, regardless of the pet's age or health
- Every four weeks for puppies and kittens, until they are sixteen weeks of age
- Once a year for healthy young adults - up to age 8 for cats, age 7 for most dogs, and age 5 for giant breed dogs
- Twice a year for older pets
- Before any anesthetic procedure, such as a dental cleaning or surgery
New clients often ask us our fee for an "office visit" - we'll respond by finding out a little more about their pet, and then telling them the appropriate price for the sort of exam their pet needs.
But technically, there is no "office visit" fee - you're not being charged for walking through the door. When you pay for an exam, you're not just paying for the doctor's time, but for an actual service - for the examination of your pet by a knowledgeable professional. And if your pet doesn't need an exam - for example, if we just examined him two weeks ago and he needs a booster vaccine - you won't be charged for one, only for the service provided.
What should you expect when you come in for your pet's well visit?
A physical exam for a well pet may include:
A physical exam for a well pet may include:
Weighing Your Pet
Weight gain or loss can be one of the first indicators of a change in your pet's health.
Taking a History
This is the part where we ask all about your pet, what you're feeding her, whether you have any concerns, etc. While of course we care about your pet and want to know how you're both doing, this is more than just making conversation; we can't observe things like your pet's eating habits or a change in his behavior while you're here in the room, but these bits of information can be very important. Answer as thoroughly as you can, and never feel silly for mentioning something small or asking a question. Little details can make a big difference.
Checking a Temperature
Dogs' and cats' normal temperature is higher than a human's (up to 102.5 is normal for a dog), but they can still develop a fever - which can indicate illness in a pet who isn't yet showing any other symptoms. However, while we'd definitely like to get a temperature on every animal, if your pet is very stressed we may skip the temperature check. This isn't just to avoid further annoying your pet; a stressed animal may have an elevated temperature even though he's well.
Listening to Your Pet's Heart and Lungs
This is probably the most obviously important and familiar part of the exam: when the doctor places a stethoscope on your pet's chest and listens. What is she listening for? Any irregularities in your pet's heart rhythm, any unusual sounds from the lungs - pretty much just anything out of the ordinary.
Palpating (feeling) Your Pet's Neck, Abdomen, and Limbs
This is the part you may not even notice, because the doctor is going to do her best to make it a calm, casual experience for your pet. She may talk to you while checking your pet by touch. For a healthy pet, this should be a totally pain-free experience, but some cats and dogs don't like their bellies touched or their legs moved, so the less drama, the better. If things go well, this part of the exam will be over before your pet realizes it's anything other than a rather extensive petting - but it allows the doctor to note joint problems, lumps, large changes in the size or position of the organs in the abdomen, changes to the skin or coat, and any area of the body that's painful.
Looking in Your Pet's Eyes, Ears, and Mouth
Eyes and ears aren't usually a problem, but we do the best we can when it comes to mouths. Some pets let us have a really good look; for others, it's all we can do to lift a little bit of lip. That's one of the reasons dental cleanings are important - but that's another topic!
For a well pet, that's usually it - if you have concerns, or there have been changes in your pet's habits at home, the doctor will spend time talking with you and making recommendations. If we find something worrisome in the course of the exam, we might recommend more diagnostics or ask more questions. Most of the time, however, the well exam goes by quickly and smoothly and then it's on to any vaccines or routine testing that is needed.
