Your Pet's Annual Physical

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Also, you can use your nose to snoop for foul-smelling odors that indicate infection. Get right down to the inner flap and take a good whiff. After a couple of ears, normal and infected, you'll easily be able to tell the difference. You get the idea. Use your senses—sight, smell and touch—on a routine basis to determine if your pet's normal. If any evidence of disease seems to be present, it's time to visit the vet. Speaking of time, this kind of homestead physical should be done more often than once a year—once a month, at the least, or, better yet, weekly.

The In-Depth Holistic Physical

OK, you might ask, so if I'm giving my pet a weekly physical exam, do I really need to pay a veterinarian for an annual physical? Yes; absolutely. A professionally trained eye can see more than yours, although you'll get pretty good at the exam yourself with time. What's more, the annual physical is an opportunity to update vaccinations and conduct other important routine procedures, such as the check for heart worm.

But be sure the vet gives you your money's worth. You should expect more from your vet than just a quick once-over. Your pet should get a complete examination. That means that the vet should, at the least, spend time to look into the pet's ears with an otoscope, check its eyes with an ophthalmoscope and listen to the heart with a stethoscope. Here's a list of other things I believe should be part and parcel of an annual physical.

1. All routine screening tests, including those for internal parasites, for heartworm (in dogs) and for feline leukemia virus. (Hint: Bring a fresh fecal sample with you. The fecal exam is quick and inexpensive, and the only way to determine the presence of internal parasites.)

2. An in-depth discussion of your pet's diet and nutrition, including suggestions for changes or supplements if the vet deems them necessary.

3. A discussion or questionnaire to determine stress levels in the pet's household. Stress is a killer, and you or your lifestyle may be contributing an inordinate amount of stress to your pet. Your vet should also be concerned with the amount of love and attention your pet gets daily. . . . any glaring abnormalities?

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print