The Annual Pet Exam and Alternative Pet Health

By Randy Kidd and D.V.M.
Published on November 1, 1988
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ILLUSTRATION: ROBBIE MARANTZ
The easy part of a routine exam is the trip from the tip of the tail to the point of the nose (or vice versa) over the pet's body.

The annual pet exam can be an in-office physical or a chance to use alternative pet medicine, including home methods, in-depth holistic physicals and information on physicals for older pets.

The Annual Pet Exam and Alternative Pet Health

ON ONE LEVEL, CONDUCTING AN Annual physical is the easiest of all veterinary procedures. Really getting it right, though, may be one of the most difficult tasks facing the professional animal health expert.

The “Routine” Pet Physical

The easy part of a routine exam is the trip from the tip of the tail to the point of the nose (or vice versa) over the pet’s body. In its shortest form, that’s all an animal physical involves. A practiced eye, with the help of trained hands and a sensitive nose, can quickly move over a critter’s body from one end to the other and spot any glaring abnormalities. All one needs is a good idea of what “normal” looks, smells and feels like. Piece of cake. You don’t need years of training to give such an exam, so why pay good money to have a vet do it? Instead, take the time to learn how to do it yourself.

Once you know what normal is, you can spot anything abnormal that needs fixing. For example, how do healthy teeth look? Well, they should be a glistening white, there should be no areas coated with brownish or greyish calculus, and the gums should be a uniform pink with no dark red inflamed areas. When you check your pet’s teeth, learn how to peel the upper and lower lip away from the teeth so you can see the molars that lie far to the rear of the mouth. Also learn how to open your pet’s mouth so you can see the inside surfaces of all the teeth, including those way in the back.

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