Whether you have a young or senior pet, an annual wellness exam is an important part of maintaining their health.

When you bring your pet in for their yearly check-up, the doctor will do a complete physical exam. This includes visual inspection of their eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, and gums; as well as their hair coat and skin, looking for external parasites, hair loss, and scaly skin. The doctor will palpate your pet’s lymph nodes to check for swelling and listen to their heart and lungs for abnormalities. The physical exam will end with the doctor palpating your pet’s bones and abdomen.

We suggest that when you bring your pet in for their exam, you also bring a fresh fecal sample. Having an annual fecal exam is a sure way to ensure your pet stays free of intestinal parasites. The most common intestinal parasite in cats and dogs is the roundworm, which is transmissible to humans. While we do carry Iverhart Max (a heartworm preventative for dogs that also treats and controls roundworm, hookworm, and tapeworm infections when given monthly all year around) we do not have a similar medication for cats.