What is routine care and why is it important? This is a common question, usually from new pet owners but we get it from experienced pet owners who realize that advances in veterinary care change over time just like human medicine and want to be sure they are up providing the most optimal care. For the next few days we will post the basics of routine care so that you and your pet will be ready for the new year. Lets start with the most basic, a physical exam. This is the most important part of an annual wellness visit, Since pets can’t tell us when they don’t feel well it is important they get to visit their veterinarians at least once a year and for seniors who are experiencing changes faster, twice a year. We may be able to alter the course of a disease if we catch it early enough, and help you help your pet to a longer, better quality life with your family. During a physical exam, a veterinarian will do a head-to-toe examination of the pet, but to an inexperienced pet owner it may look like the vet is just petting and making friends with their pet. Veterinarians generally start at the the pet’s head and works their way back to the tail. He/She checks the pet’s mouth for broken teeth or gingivitis, the eyes for swelling, redness, cataracts or glaucoma, the ears for evidence of infection or parasites, and the neck for the pet’s lymph nodes and thyroid gland. They may then listen to the pet’s chest for a heart murmur or irregular beat (which are signs of heart disease) and then listens to the lungs for unusual sounds like snap, crackles or pops. OR they may continue to pet your pet, but actually be feeling the abdomen for irregularities in the abdominal organs; checking the hips and elbows for swollen or painful joints and the hind end for hernias, abnormal growths, or anal gland problems and go back to listen to heart and lungs. During this whole time, starting as soon as they walk into the room they are watching and observing your pet as they move around the room for signs of pain or neurological issues. Here at Oakview, our doctors try to keep up a running monologue as they examine your pet so that you are more aware that they are performing an exam and also, to inform you of findings immediately If they are not talking out loud, please feel free to ask.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 18:00:01 +0000
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