Animals of all kinds need consistent, regular professional medical attention throughout their lives. Veterinary wellness checkups enable you to help ensure that your pet receives the proper diagnostic, examination and preventative treatments necessary to ensure optimal health on a daily basis. Preventing illness and early detection is always better than treating advanced or serious medical issues.
Annual Wellness Checkups
When your pet gets their annual wellness checkup, here’s what you can expect. First, your pet will be checked over in a general way that starts with a physical examination. This is done to help catch any potential obvious problems such as deformities, growths, areas of pain or discomfort, or motility issues.
During the visit, you’ll discuss your pet’s health at home, and you’ll have the opportunity to convey anything that may be concerning you, such as changes in behavior or appetite, or anything else that’s changed since the last visit. Your vet will also ask you specific questions in order to highlight common potential issues, as well as to get a better sense of the animal’s lifestyle at home.
Next, your pet’s file will be carefully reviewed, with an eye toward ensuring that all preventative treatments and any local government mandated animal treatments are brought up to date during the annual wellness checkup. These may include things like:
- Vaccinations
- Parasite control treatments
- Treatments/Surgeries
Wellness Services
Annual wellness checkups provide the chance for your pet to receive needed diagnostic procedures and treatment in a wide range of service areas. Additional services that may be conducted during your pet’s annual veterinary check up include items such as:
- microchipping
- dental examination and treatment
- spaying/neutering
- blood testing for early detection of illness or contagious disease
- heartworm testing/treatment
- external parasite control
- virus testing
- and more
Wellness Checkups for Special Situations
Consistent wellness checkups are also crucial for pets that fall into special categories, such as aging pets and relatively newborns, like puppies and kittens.
Senior Pet Care
Older pets often develop a range of age-related issues, such as loss of appetite, mobility challenges and failing eyesight. Veterinary wellness checkups support the health aging of your beloved pet to help ensure quality of life for as long as possible.
Puppy and Kitten Care
At a minimum, you should strive to have your new puppy or kitten get a visit when they are about eight weeks of age. Early wellness checkup can reveal health conditions you should be aware of, as well as to build a baseline of health that can be used throughout your new pet’s life. In addition, if you’re a new pet owner, you can receive valuable advice and tips on caring for your young pet, such as tooth brushing techniques and parasite control.
These are just some of the many services and treatment options available during routine veterinary wellness checkups at Animal Medical Center of McAllen/Pet Doctor 911. We are dedicated to providing the most advanced care for your pet in the Rio Grande Valley, and we can’t wait to be a part of your pet's whole life health!