You go to see your own doctor for routine wellness exams—your pet deserves the same comprehensive attention to care. Pets cannot tell us exactly how they feel, which is why scheduling them regular wellness exams is important. Our vets at Shores Animal Hospital will use a wellness exam to form an idea of your pet’s overall health, as well as spot potential issues.
As your partner in supporting your pet’s health, Shores Animal Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, encourages questions about diet, preventive and daily care, exercise habits and daily care. No question is too little or too unreasonable. It is our pleasure to address your concerns. We want you to be informed and feel comfortable in helping your pet live a longer, healthier and better life.
We recommend a thorough physical examination at least annually, although wellness exams every 6 months are encouraged. This is equivalent to going to the doctor every 2-4 years for a human, so you can see how important regular exams are!
Administer vaccines.
Consult with you on your pet’s behavior, appetite, exercise habits, and regular activities at home.
Provide nutritional counseling.
Discuss heartworm, flea, tick and parasite control.
Listen to your pet's heart - Heart murmurs, arrhythmias and signs of heart disease can be detected with a stethoscope.
Listen to your pet's lungs - By listening to your pet's lungs with a stethoscope, we can detect infections and diseases and assess the overall pulmonary health of your pet.
Examine your pet's teeth and mouth – Dental disease is the most common disease in pets. Examining your pet's teeth and mouth allows us to determine the level of infection or impaction. Puppies and kittens also need to be checked to ensure their teeth are developing properly.
Evaluate your pet's eyes - Ocular conditions can be prevented by regular care and screenings. We look for dry eyes, cataracts, corneal ulcers, and glaucoma.
Look into your pet's ears – We check for ear mites, redness, odor or discharge or other indications of ear infections. Allergies and outdoor activities may be a cause for irritation.
Feel the skin, lymph nodes and abdomen – We feel for lumps, bumps, swellings, skin discolorations, lesions or patterns of hair loss or thinning. These may be signs of systemic problems or metabolic diseases.
Feel joints and muscles – By moving and feeling the joints and limbs, we can identify swollen joints, reduced muscle tone and changes in muscle size. In young pets, we will look for developmental issues, and in our older friends, we detect signs of arthritis.
Perform blood & lab tests - A complete annual physical exam should include a heartworm, blood and urine tests. These simple tests give us a baseline archive of your pet’s overall health and may point to underlying diseases.
Screen for parasites – A recommended fecal examination allows us to check for parasites or worms.
Scheduling a wellness exam for your pet is simple. Give us a call at Shores Animal Hospital in Gainesville, Florida to speak to our staff about scheduling an appointment today!
