Pet wellness exams are routine veterinary examinations to ensure pets are healthy and disease-free. Similar to a human checkup, a dog care plan or cat wellness program is vital to detecting illnesses in their earliest stages so that your vet can begin treatment immediately. How often you should take your pet for a wellness exam depends on the animal’s age and health status. Your Bluestar Pet Hospital & Grooming vets in St. Johns & Jacksonville, FL, are happy to recommend an appropriate wellness exam schedule for your pet. Our team is passionate about keeping pets in St Johns and Jacksonville areas, feeling their best.
What does a veterinarian check during a cat or dog pet exam?
Before beginning the exam, your vet asks about your pet’s lifestyle, diet, behavior, and level of physical activity. Vets are also interested in what kind of parasite prevention products owners use on their pets, such as collars, dips, and chewables. During a dog or cat exam, veterinarians evaluate the following physical and mental points:
- How the animal walks and stands (abnormal stance or gait could indicate joint or muscle problems).
- How alert the pet is to audible and visual stimuli.
- Overall condition of the animal’s body. Is the pet’s weight and fat distribution appropriate for size and age?
- Coat condition – vets look for signs of hair loss, excessive dryness, dandruff, and coat roughness.
- Skin condition, checking for lumps, inflamed patches, oiliness, areas of abnormal skin, or thickening.
- Eye health – evidence of discharge, excessive tearing, eyelid bumps, or cloudiness.
- Ear health – redness, inflammation, discharge, or thickened skin.
- Oral health – tartar/plaque buildup at the gum line; broken, decayed, or missing teeth; mouth ulcers.
- Vets also listen to a pet’s heart and lungs for signs of abnormalities such as arrhythmia, heart murmurs, and difficulty breathing.
- Palpation of your pet’s abdomen can reveal indications of possible kidney, spleen, bladder, and liver disorders, especially if this type of handling causes discomfort to the animal.
Laboratory tests as part of pet exams
The vet may ask you to bring in a sample of the pet’s feces to check for roundworm or tapeworm infestation. Dogs and cats can have these parasites but present only mild symptoms like occasional diarrhea or vomiting. Heartworm testing may be recommended if the vet considers your pet at risk for heartworm infection. Depending on the results of your pet’s examination, the doctor might order blood tests to determine if a suspected infection or disease exists. Veterinary blood tests detect diabetes, thyroid disease, autoimmune disorders, and other chronic diseases affecting dogs and cats.
Dr. Venkat Gutta
Bluestar Pet Hospital & Grooming
At Blue Star Pet Hospital and Grooming, Dr. Venkat Gutta provides high-quality and modern veterinary services to all your furry friends! At Bluestar, Dr. Gutta and his team are committed to providing your pets with both a full-service Veterinary Hospital and a modern grooming salon (St. Johns location only) for dogs and cats. Our primary commitment is to provide your companion animals with the highest quality medical care. Dr. Gutta strongly believes in treating your four-legged companions as family members and providing them with excellent yet affordable veterinary care. At Bluestar, we also think that it is important to educate you, as a pet owner, and ensure that the unique needs of you and your pet are met at all times. Through Bluestar, Dr. Gutta and his team serve clients in Durbin Crossing, Jacksonville, St Augustine, St Johns, CR 210, and other areas. Whether it is pet vaccinations, surgery, techniques, advanced diagnostic testing, or even flea and tick control products, we give you access to the best and most cutting-edge treatments and technologies. At Bluestar, we believe that your pet is the STAR!
Keep your pets happy and healthy with our veterinary wellness plans
To schedule a dog or cat exam with Dr. Venkat Gutta or Dr. Sri in St. Johns, call (904) 720-4275, or (904) 720-4272 to see Dr. Amar in Jacksonville. Remember – Bluestar Animal Hospital offers affordable wellness plans for dogs and cats.
