Getting a General Consultation Or Healthcheck

A health check is a standard practice in medicine. It is the same for pets. Prevention is better than the cure, people like to say, and for a reason. It’s much better to visit our clinic regularly just to bring your pet for a check-up than come once when you have to. We are here to make sure that everything is okay with your pet, so just give us a call and schedule your regular check-up.

Some Key Steps For An Animal Health Check

  • Eyes
    A healthy dogs eyes are clear with minimal sleep or none at all. Your vet will look for signs of clouding, and making sure they are clear or if there is something that warrants further investigation.

  • Teeth
    Like people, pets should have clean teeth with no or little tartar build up. Tatar can cause dental disease such as periodontal disease which can lead to bigger issues or other health problems. Gums should be salmon pink. When you press on your pets gums the colour should flow back quickly. Darkening of gums can indicate a problem, as can pale gums.

  • Ears
    A pets ears can have issues without showing an issues until examine closely. Especially dogs which have hairy inner ears. This can reduce air flow, creating bacterial build up and infection. MItes can also reside in a pets ears creating issues. These can be hard to diagnose without special magnifier equipment. If your dog is scratching their ears or you should get this checked.
  • Anal Glands
    Has you pet been gnawing on their back legs or scooting along the ground. This may because of an anal gland issue and your dog is trying to alleviate the discomfort. A vet will check if these glands have become impacted and can clear them, or for more serious cases treat the animal with antibiotics.
  • Skin
    Your vet will examine the pets body looking got parasites and other conditions. Often changes in the pets coat can indicate issues such as ringworm or fleas.
  • Paws
    We examine paws, including the dew claw on dogs. Especially with dogs, who dont have the benefit of retracting claws, if these grow too long it can create bad posture and lead to future issues.

So even if your pet is the picture of health, we recommend to have an annual check to make sure there are no lurking issues and keep your friend in the best shape possible.