Pet Exam in El Paso Texas

A wellness examination is a standard medical check of a dog who appears to be healthy rather than a medical examination of a dog who appears to be sick. A wellness exam is sometimes known as a 'check-up' or a 'physical examination.' The goal of a wellness screening is to keep your health at its best.

How often should my dog be examined for health?

Your dog's age and current health situation will determine the answer to this inquiry. Monthly wellness checkups are recommended throughout puppyhood, annual wellness examinations are the standard for adult dogs, and semi-annual examinations are recommended for middle-aged, senior, and geriatric dogs. "It's a common myth that a dog's life span is seven years in a calendar year."

Pets mature more quickly than humans. It's a common fallacy that one calendar year equals seven years in the life of a dog. In reality, a dog can age the equivalent of four to fifteen years in a human's life in a single calendar year. Because puppies mature quickly and are effectively teenagers or young adults by the time they become one year old, they are believed to be the equivalent of a 15-year-old by the time they reach their first birthday. The rate of aging slows down a little in the second year, and by their second birthday, the average dog is the equal of a 24-25 year old. After that, depending on the size and breed, the pace of aging is predicted to be 4-5 dog years every calendar year. Furthermore, huge breed dogs age faster than small breed canines. Your dog will be middle-aged (if a small or medium breed dog) or senior by the time he reaches his sixth birthday (if a large breed dog). When a dog lives longer than the typical breed life expectancy, it is labeled geriatric.

Based on your dog's breed, health status, and lifestyle, your veterinarian can prescribe how often your dog should receive a wellness examination.

During a wellness exam, what will my veterinarian look for?

Your veterinarian will ask you questions about your dog's diet, exercise, thirst, breathing, behavior, habits, elimination patterns (i.e., bowel motions and urination), lifestyle, and general health during a routine wellness examination. Your dog will also have a physical examination by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will then make recommendations for specific preventive medicine treatments based on your pet's history and physical examination, such as vaccination, parasite control (including preventive treatments for fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites, and heartworm), nutrition, skin and coat care, joint health, weight management, or dental care. Your veterinarian will also discuss your dog's specific circumstances and determine whether any further life-stage or lifestyle recommendations are warranted.

A physical examination entails looking at your dog's overall appearance, listening to their chest using a stethoscope (auscultation), and feeling certain body parts (palpation).

Your veterinarian will look at or inspect the following:

• The manner in which your dog walks and stands.
• Whether or not your dog is alert and bright.
• Your dog's overall health - whether or not your pet is of a healthy weight and condition (neither too fat nor too thin).
• Check your dog's muscle condition for any signs of muscle wasting.
• Excessive dryness, excessive oiliness, dandruff, excessive shedding, or abnormal hair loss should all be looked for on the haircoat.
• Look for oiliness, dryness, dandruff, lumps or bumps, areas of abnormal thickening, and so on on the skin.
• Redness, discharge, evidence of excessive tearing, abnormal lumps or bumps on the eyelids, how well the eyelids close, cloudiness, or any other abnormalities should all be looked for.
• Look for discharges, thickening, hair loss, or any other indicators of trouble in the ears.
• Look for symmetry, discharges, how well your dog breathes, and any difficulties with skin folds or other visible disorders in the nose and face.
• Tartar build-up, periodontal disease, retained baby teeth, fractured teeth, excessive salivation, staining around the lips, ulcers in or around the mouth, and so on are all things to watch for in the mouth and teeth. Your veterinarian will listen for the following sounds:
• Listen for irregular heart rates, irregular heart rhythm ("skipped beats" or "additional beats"), or heart murmurs.
• Listen for evidence of increased or decreased breath sounds in the lungs. Your veterinarian will palpate the following areas:
• Your veterinarian may listen to the chest and palpate the pulse in the hind legs at the same time, depending on the results of auscultation.
• Looking for swelling or soreness in the lymph nodes of the head, neck, and rear legs.
• The legs - checking for signs of lameness, muscular difficulties, nerve problems, paw or toenail problems, and so on.
• Feeling the bladder, kidneys, liver, intestines, spleen, and stomach to see if they appear normal or abnormal, and if there is any faint evidence of discomfort.

In other circumstances, you may not even be aware that your veterinarian is performing some aspects of a typical physical examination, especially if no abnormalities are found.

What else could be examined during a wellness exam?

Prior to the wellness assessment, your veterinarian will propose collecting a fresh sample of your dog's excrement (bowel movement). This sample will be processed and examined under a microscope for parasite eggs. Because many puppies have intestinal parasites, regular fecal exams are critical in puppies. Your veterinarian will also suggest that you have your dog tested for heartworms on a regular basis, depending on where you live in the country.

Your veterinarian will frequently recommend wellness screening tests as part of a thorough health review. A complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry profile, urine, and thyroid hormone assays are the four primary forms of wellness testing advised for dogs. Your veterinarian will advise you on the scope of each category's testing. Simple testing may be sufficient in younger dogs with no evident health concerns. More thorough testing is indicated for middle-aged, senior, or geriatric dogs. Chest or abdominal radiographs (X-rays) to check the size and appearance of internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver, as well as skeletal radiographs to assess degenerative changes in bones and joints, may be used as additional wellness screening tests for older dogs.

What are the benefits of these extra tests?

Because dogs are unable to express their emotions, sickness may be present before you are aware of it. To make matters even more complicated, most dogs will hide early signs of disease as part of their survival instincts. This means that a health problem in your dog could progress to a point where it is no longer detectable. During the physical examination, your veterinarian may notice certain early no longer detectable. During the physical examination, your veterinarian may notice certain early warning signs or identify subtle changes that point to underlying concerns, prompting a suggestion for additional testing as mentioned above.

If a disease or condition can be diagnosed before your dog exhibits symptoms of illness, steps can often be done to control or treat the problem before permanent damage occurs, enhancing the chances of a successful outcome. Furthermore, early detection and treatment is frequently less expensive than waiting until a sickness or illness has progressed to the point where it is affecting your dog's quality of life.

Wellness checkups and testing are especially critical in elderly and geriatric dogs, because there is a higher risk of underlying disease. This is why it is advised that senior dogs have semi-annual checkups.

Is there anything I can do to get my dog ready for a wellness exam?

When scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian, inquire about whether your dog should be fasted before to the visit. You should also inquire about whether new urine or feces samples should be brought in.

Prepare yourself with some basic information, such as your dog's favorite brand and type of food, whether your family feeds table scraps, whether you give your dog any supplements, and whether anyone in the family has observed any issues. This is also the moment to record any concerns you may have and inquire about the best health maintenance techniques for your pet.