As a full-service animal hospital, our team at World of Animals at Bethayres, Inc. provides the full range of healthcare services to our patients, from surgery to dental care. However, the complete physical examination may be the most crucial of these services because of the importance of preventative care.

These examinations at once allow us to identify risks for future health problems and health problems that already exist. If your pet has some health issue, whether, with disease, injury, or any other condition, it will only worsen with time. Therefore, it is critical to find problems before they have a chance to fulfill this progression.

Our team recommends that your pet receive a comprehensive physical examination on their first visit with us. To establish a standard by which to measure all changes in his or her health and identify any problems which could be present. During this exam, the doctor evaluates the entire pet, which includes:

• Looking the animal over from head-to-tail. Feeling for lumps and bumps both inside and outside of the body.
• An eye exam using an ophthalmoscope
• An ear exam using an otoscope
• A heart and lung exam using a stethoscope
• Other points evaluated include teeth, skin, coat, vital signs, body condition, and joints. Doctors also use their hands to palpate the abdominal contents.

Afterward, we recommend following up with continued examinations on an annual basis so that your pet’s health can be monitored and any issues can be found and stopped early. For older pets, and those with certain medical conditions, more than one check-up per year may be necessary.

A comprehensive examination entails that one of our veterinarians at World of Animals inspects your pet from head to tail. The doctor will also observe the animal’s general condition and manner of behavior. Including your pet’s awareness of his or her surroundings and his or her patterns of breathing and walking, as these observations can give clues to your pet’s health. Physical exams are variable in length; depending on the nature of any issues identified, and the animal’s overall health, they can take only a few minutes, or far longer.

Although a comprehensive exam is imperative, it may not tell the whole story. Monitoring lab parameters, such as blood analysis and urinalysis each year, alerts us of potentially threatening trends of the internal organs and helps identify internal disease at the earliest stage possible.

Our hospital offers thorough diagnostic and treatment capabilities to care for your pet’s health care needs. Internal medicine deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disease inside the body. Common examples include:

• Pancreatitis
• Kidney/Urinary Disease
• Internal Infections
• Cancer
• Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder, Endocrine System (e.g., Diabetes, Adrenal, Thyroid, etc.) and heart disease

Another important aspect of wellness care during the examination process is educating clients. Together as partners, we can ensure that your pets receive all they need to live long and healthy lives.

Feel free to ask us any questions. And of course, we take it upon ourselves to keep you in the know.

We also offer annual blood screenings for all of our patients. If done routinely, these screenings will help our doctors detect potential diseases before they become a serious issue. If caught early, many common diseases can be managed through dietary modifications. Since pets usually don’t exhibit symptoms of many serious diseases, such as kidney or liver disease, until the disease is in its advanced stages, early detection leads to early treatment and can prolong your pet’s life.