Physical Exams Dog

We all know how important regular checkups are for us as we age, well, this is no different for our dogs. As a matter of fact, when you consider how much faster our dogs age, these checkups are even more critical and should be even more frequent. A pet's body goes through many changes as he or she ages, and many of their systems can begin to breakdown as well. We can be much more effective in helping them deal with these changes if we catch them early on. It's often much easier to prevent the big problems than it is to treat them.

A very important component of a senior physical exam is to get a thorough history. How's your old timer been doing lately? How have his or her appetite, activity, or bathroom habits been? Have there been any changes or have you had any concerns?

Part of this complete physical is to evaluate the mouth to make sure the teeth and gums are in good shape and that dental work isn't necessary. We'll also want to check for signs of possible arthritis or changes along the spine. Make sure to keep your senior pets lean since overweight senior pets don't do nearly as well as the lean ones!

To help answer these questions and to determine what kind of shape your senior pet is in, we perform what we like to call our complete senior physical exam. We'll take some blood and urine for evaluation, take some x-rays to check out his chest, abdomen, spine and joints, do an ecg screen and check out his mouth, eyes, ears, lymph nodes, and his skin and coat as well. These tests and procedures are non-invasive, and can be done in just a few hours.

What's even better is that most of the results will be ready the same day, while some of the lab work may take a few days.

Once we have an idea of how your dog's insides look, we may suggest some modifications in diet and exercise schedule, and may even recommend some supplements to help him age even more gracefully and to relieve some of his muscle and joint aches and pains.

If your pet is approaching his or her "golden years," there's a lot you can do to keep them comfortable for many years to come. Remember, age is not a disease-it's just a natural process which we need to deal with and plan for.