Comprehensive Physical Examination for Pets

Comprehensive Physical Examination

Your pet trip to the veterinarian is almost as much about educating you as checking out your pet. Besides your many questions and concerns, you need to bring two things with your pet to the exam. The first is whatever health information you have whether from your own observations or from other veterinary hospitals. The second is a fresh stool, which is examined for the presence of parasites.

While answering your questions, your veterinarian will likely do the following:

Weigh your pet and check her temperature — 100 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit is normal — as well as her pulse and breathing rate.
Listen for heart and lung abnormalities and examine other internal organs by palpating, or feeling them.
Give your pet's ears a going-over to ensure they not only look right but also smell right — no infections or parasites.
Check the pet's genitals to ensure there's no sign of discharge or infection in females.
Go over eyes, nose, skin, and the anal region carefully to check for discharge or other signs of disease or parasites.
Open the pet's mouth to see that teeth and gums look as they should.

We recommend a complete physical exam for your pet on a yearly basis. Lots of changes can occur from year to year, especially as your pet gets older. Preventative health care recommendations are made based on examination findings and your pet’s individual needs and situation, which you help us to determine. This may include blood, urine, or fecal tests, vaccinations, dietary or exercise advice, and life-style changes.

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An examination is one of the best parts of a veterinarian's job, and your veterinarian will work to keep it as non-stressful as possible. Your doctor wants to set up a relationship where your pet accommodates being handled without fear or aggression.