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If you own a young pet between 16 weeks and 7 years of age, the
time to achieve and maintain "wellness" (i.e. great health) is now.
Dogs and cats age up to seven times the rate that we do. Even
if you bring your pet to the vet once per year, that is analogous
to you or I only going to see our physician every seven years.
It is during these years that proper diet, exercise and habits,
will play the greatest role in preventing future illness. We
have several broad goals in seeing you and your pet once per year:
- To do a physical exam to detect signs of illness before they
become severe. Some of the most common things your
veterinarian looks for includes underlying ear (otitis) and eye
disease, skin lumps and haircoat abnormalities,
dental tartar and
gingivitis, body conditioning (overweight or underweight), heart
murmurs/arrhythmias, abnormal chest sounds, lymph node
enlargements, abdominal organ enlargements, and skeletal diseases
such as
arthritis.
- To provide diagnostics and treatments that promote wellness.
Examples of diagnostics include heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia testing
in dogs, leukemia/AIDS testing in cats,
stool sample and
baseline
blood/urine testing in both cats and dogs. Examples of
treatments include vaccinations, dewormings,
heartworm and
flea/tick prevention,
dental care, and diets/supplements.
- To educate and guide you in
developing habits to promote wellness in your pet. This may
be our most important role: to pass along to you the most recent
knowledge and medical advances that can help your pet lead a long
and healthy life. The amount of material we need to cover
during a routine annual exam can seem overwhelming. So
please hold onto your seat because it is information you need to
know in order to make educated decisions regarding your pet's
well-being.
Keep in mind that ultimately, your
veterinarian can only give advice and make recommendations. As
that pet's guardian, it is up to you to decide how best to use that
advice.
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