Your pet should come in at least once a year for an annual wellness check-up. The exam includes a 16 point physical exam, during which our doctors will check the health of your pet from head to tail.Bring in any medical history you have of your pet when you come to our vet clinic. It’s best to keep a journal of your pet’s health throughout his or her life, including behavioral shifts. If you have something like this, share it with our team. If not, let us know everything that you think will be important. Our doctors can still work with whatever information you have.
In some circumstances, our doctors may refer you to a specialist who has advanced expertise in areas such as internal medicine or surgery.
The Physical Examination
- Medical history
- Eye, ear, nose, tongue, and throat examinations
- Temperature, pulse patterns, and respirations
- Cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs) evaluation
- Abdominal palpation
- Lymph node palpation
- Dental examination
- Dermatological (skin) examination
- Testing for external and internal parasites
- Nutritional counseling
After the initial comprehensive examination, we analyze your pet’s medical record and determine any treatments, level of vaccination or titer testing, spaying or neutering, heartworm prevention, parasite control and dietary changes.
We focus on WELLNESS. We use the American Animal Hospital Association vaccination protocols, which limit vaccines to only what the pet needs based on individual lifestyle, in addition to using 3-year duration vaccines whenever possible. We never recommend vaccines that the pet does not need! Likewise, we do our best to limit the number of vaccinations given at any one time. If a doctor chooses to defer a vaccine due to health or the number already being administered, there will be no fee for the future technician appointment. To ensure effectiveness some vaccines require initial boostering 3-4 weeks later, which will be subject to a technician exam fee. The doctors at LPWC will always advise the best plan of action for your individual pet, but we will always respect the client’s wishes.
LPWC also recommends titer testingwhen possible, especially for senior pets or those with underlying health issues. Although proper vaccinations are an important part to companion animal health, we recognize that some vaccines may be risky for pets depending on the vaccine and the pet’s health and history. Titers offer a safe alternative, by checking antibody levels from previous inoculations through testing a blood sample. If the titer indicates that antibody levels are protective, no boostering is done, and the titer will last for the same duration that the corresponding vaccine would. If the antibody levels are low, we will vaccinate at no additional cost to you.Another important aspect to wellness involves regular diagnostic testing of blood samples to evaluate internal health and treatment. We have several options for wellness bloodwork that vary in extensiveness and cost, and we will work to find an option that fits your pet’s needs.
