We’ll weigh your pet to determine if they’re at a normal weight and body condition. Nutritional counseling and exercise recommendations may be provided at this time if we notice any weight issues.

After your pet has been weighed, a veterinary technician or assistant will obtain your pets vitals. This includes your pet’s temperature, heart rate and breathing.

Our veterinarians will then check your dog or cat’s skin and coat. These are two great indicators of an animal’s overall health. When examining their eyes, your veterinarian will look for irregular responses to light, discharge, redness or irritation, and examine the structure in the back of the eye. In older pets, they often look for signs of developing cataracts, which may lead to clouded vision and could lead to blindness if left untreated.

We’ll examine the ear flap and deep ear canals to check for abnormal smells, redness, infection, parasites, growths or tumors.

Your pet’s nose will be checked for any abnormal appearance or irregular discharge. After the sniffer check, we’ll look in their mouth to examine dental health for any abnormal smells, swelling, or masses. We’ll also check for plaque and tartar build up and for any missing or injured teeth. This helps to detect signs of periodontal disease. Since dental health is an important contributor to a health pet, regular brushings can greatly improve your pet’s dental health and overall quality of life. Based on the veterinarian’s findings, we can provide important recommendations to improve your pet’s dental health.

By manipulating and feeling your pet’s legs, joints, and abdomen, we can check for unusual reactions, appearance of pain, or abnormal lumps. If a stoop sample is available, we’ll also perform tests to check for intestinal parasites.

Using a stethoscope, we’ll listen to your pet’s heart and lungs to check for heart murmurs and abnormal lung sounds.

If you’re bringing your pet in for a special reason like limping on a certain paw, we’ll provide recommendations for any further diagnostics your pet may need.

If your pet is visiting our hospital for an annual examination, it’s common for us to provide vaccines, take home medications, and anything else your pet may need at that time.