Preventative Medicine: Physical examinations

Most of you know that vaccination of your pets is very important. But more important than vaccination is a physical examination. Your medical doctor will recommend annual examinations. Your dentist will recommend an examination every six months. Dogs and cats have a much higher metabolic rate than humans do. We strongly recommend a minimum of an annual exam for pets under 5 years and twice annually for pets older than 5 years. Ideally twice-annual exams should be performed on all pets. Here at the Orange Villa Veterinary Hospital, we include a wellness examination with all of our vaccinations. This does increase the price of vaccination, but it is the exam, which is most important. Vaccination clinics do not perform examinations.

What can you do to keep your pets healthy?

Watch for early warning signs of disease: vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, increases in thirst nd urination, weight loss or gain, lameness, and pain. You can feel your pets for skin masses. If any of these things occur, make an appointment. Make sure your pet is on a good quality dog food, gets plenty of exercise, and is not overweight.