Quality wellness and preventive care supports your pet’s health, wellbeing, and quality of life, which every pet owner wants for their best furry friend. Your pet’s unique wellness journey starts the day they are born and continues into their senior years, with each life stage requiring different care according to the pet’s age, breed, lifestyle, and health history. At Sixes Animal Hospital at Bridgemill, you are a member of a team dedicated to providing your pet with gold-standard care. Learn why regular wellness exams and preventive care are the best gifts you can give your pet to help ensure they live their best life.

Wellness exams provide the foundation for your pet’s health

Adding a new puppy or kitten to your family is a special time, as you look forward to many exciting years of companionship, fun, and love. During your pet’s first year, teaching healthy habits is most important, and regular wellness exams are one of the healthiest habits of all. You should schedule your puppy or kitten’s first wellness exam shortly after you bring them home, and follow up with three or four more visits during their critical development period between 8 and 16 weeks of age. Your veterinarian will get to know your pet during those visits, and will establish health and temperament baselines that they will use to create a custom health plan as your pet matures.

At your pet’s initial wellness exams, our veterinary team will discuss essential topics, such as vaccinations, nutrition, spaying and neutering, training, and socialization, answer your questions, provide resources, and empower you as you embark on your pet’s health and wellness journey. Starting your pet’s wellness exams when they are young familiarizes them with our hospital and our team, which will make future visits less stressful. 

Wellness exams can prevent and detect disease

Continuing to have wellness exams throughout your pet’s life is important, especially for preventing disease. Don’t rely on your pet to know when they are ill, because pets are masters of disguise for showing discomfort or pain, and often won’t exhibit disease signs until their condition is advanced. Instead, take a proactive approach with regular yearly or twice-yearly wellness screenings. When our veterinarian knows your pet’s health history, the information, along with a head-to-tail physical exam and any required diagnostic testing, can indicate illness signs to look for, and they can then customize a care plan for your pet. Annual wellness exams for adult pets may include:

  • Blood testing — Annual blood work provides important information about your pet’s health, such as small changes to critical organs. 
  • Parasite testing — Testing during your pet’s annual wellness exam can reveal that dangerous parasites, such as heartworms, fleas, and ticks, are present. Your veterinarian will discuss parasite identification, signs and symptoms, treatment options should your pet become infected, and—most importantly—parasite prevention. 
  • Vaccinations — Vaccines strengthen your pet’s immune system and protect them against common life-threatening pet diseases. Your veterinarian will help you determine your pet’s individual risks and the appropriate vaccinations. 

Wellness exams save pet owners time and money

While regular wellness exams may seem like an extra expense, disease prevention and early detection provides many financial benefits. While the goal is to keep your pet disease-free, early detection drastically improves your pet’s prognosis, and allows treatment to begin before the disease progresses, saving your pet from more serious conditions that require more complex—and more expensive—treatment. 

Wellness exams improve the quality of life for senior pets

Older pets are commonly diagnosed with age-related conditions, such as osteoarthritis, but since they are still experts at hiding signs of a problem, biannual wellness check-ups and blood testing are essential for monitoring their health. Senior pet wellness exams include thorough diagnostic blood and urine testing, including a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, urinalysis, and thyroid assessment. During your pet’s exam, you and your veterinarian can discuss changes in your pet’s mobility, eating habits, or behavior, to ensure your pet is comfortable and healthy and continues to enjoy a good quality of life. 

We know that your pet is considered a family member, and we want you to enjoy many years of quality time together. Contact our Sixes Animal Hospital at Bridgemill team to schedule your pet’s next wellness exam, and let’s work together to give your pet the long, happy, healthy  life they deserve.