Comprehensive Exams
Why does my dog or cat need an exam?
A comprehensive physical exam provides the doctor with invaluable information about your pet's health. We conduct a physical examination prior to immunizing and before an anesthetic procedure. An exam can also shed light on any concerns you may have regarding your pet.
We recommend an annual comprehensive exam to help you stay on top of your pet's ongoing preventative care.
What’s included in a comprehensive exam?
History: This is where we collect previous medical conditions, immunization dates and review current therapies.
General Appearance: Visual evaluation of the condition of your pet's coat, skin and temperament.
Heart Rate: To determine cardiac function, palpation of chest wall or pulse. Canine normal 70-180 beats/min. Feline normal 110-220 beats/min
Respiration: Reflects proper oxygenation of the body's tissues and ability to eliminated carbon dioxide from the blood. Canine normal 10-30 breaths/min. Feline normal 25-40 breaths/min
Mucous Membranes: To determine if there is blood loss, anemia and poor perfusion. Normal is pink, abnormal is pale.
Capillary Refill Time: Reflects the perfusion of tissues with blood. Normal is 1-2 seconds, abnormal if over 2 seconds.
Temperature: A reflection of circulation. Canine normal 101-102.5 F, Feline normal 100.5 - 102.5 F
Weight: To determine if your pet's weight is appropriate. The doctor can provide guidance on proper diet and exercise level for weight management.
Oral Cavity: Assessment of the teeth and gums. Preventing periodontal disease (which is caused by the accumulation of plaque on the teeth) is important for the overall health of your pet.
Eyes & Ears: Checked for any irregularities or abnormal responses.
Full Body Review: Our doctors will palpate the body to determine if lymph nodes are of normal size, and also check for any lumps that might be present on the body.