Philosophy

The Annual Exam: Why does my pet Need an Annual exam?

We strongly advise annual examinations for all our patients. In the life of a dog or a cat, a year is the equivalent of 7 to 10 years as they age faster than humans. During the annual physical exam your pets overall health is reviewed. Any abnormal findings are assessed and discussed with you and optional workups are recommended. 71% of routine annual exams reveal problems that owners did not know about. The most frequent problems we see are ear infections, skin problems, eye problems, dental disease, metabolic/organ problems and even obesity/weight management concerns.
Vaccinations are recommended after a complete examination and lifestyle assessment according to established protocols and are done only in healthy animals. Vaccinations are recommended according to your pets “lifestyle.” For example, the “outdoor enthusiast” that goes hiking, swimming and traveling with their owner needs vaccinations against viruses, bacterial diseases, and even rattlesnakes, as well as protection from fleas and ticks and internal as well as external parasites. On the other extreme, the strictly indoor pet has other lifestyle factors that impact their well-being. We assess and recommend protocols for individual pets and do not adhere to a “one size fits all pets” philosophy. The annual exam helps us to assess and reassess your pets individual needs as they grow, mature and eventually age.
For non-breeding pets we recommend neutering and spaying.
Dogs and cats are considered geriatric at about 8 years of age depending on the breed. Geriatric animals my need to be seen more often than once a year in order to catch small changes which may signify big changes in a pets health status.

What is Wellness?

Wellness medicine is maintaining good health. In order to maintain good health we need to see our patients regularly. As pets age faster than humans an annual exam is every 7 years in a dogs life and every 4 years in a cat’s life. During the physical exam the veterinarian checks the ears, eyes, nose, throat, lymph nodes, lungs, heart, musculo-skeletal system, neurological system, skin, teeth and asks the owner about the elimination and eating habits of the pet. From the information discovered further tests may be recommended. If all is well and vaccinations updates are due these can be done.