Pets should have at least one annual health check. For older animals, we recommend check-ups every six months. Pets taking medication for an extended period of time or with specific illnesses may require checkups every three months. To schedule your pet’s next health check, please contact us at
416-775-0101.
What can I expect during my pet’s veterinary exam?
This checkup can often pick up problems early so treatment can be started before a condition becomes severe. We’ll also give your pet any vaccines they need. The major part of the appointment is the physical exam and diagnostic test. The physical exam is a thorough assessment of your pet’s health, including:
- Obtaining vital signs: We check their heart rate and pulse, respiratory rate, temperature, weight, and blood pressure
- Assessing pertinent history: This could be very brief or extensive depending on your concerns and our team’s preliminary observation of your pet’s general appearance.
- Head and neck exam: We evaluate their teeth, gums, eyes, ears, nose, salivary glands, and local lymph nodes
- Lung exam: It is important to detect crackles, wheezes, or decreased breath sounds. These and other sounds are clues to the presence of heart or lung disease (asthma, pulmonary hypertension, heartworms, pneumonia, etc.)
- Heart exam: It is essential to identify two main issues: abnormal heart sounds (heart murmurs) and irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmias)
- Abdominal exam – this identifies changes in the size and shape of the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, the bladder, and the small intestines. Our doctors can also identify the presence of abdominal fluid and tenderness (pancreatitis, gastrointestinal foreign bodies, peritonitis)
- Extremities exam: Pets cannot talk and sometimes, abnormalities are noted only through these series of motions. The doctor can determine if your pet’s inactivity is due to pain in the articulations, bones, or ligaments.
