Veterinary Wellness Exams in Capitola
Annual vet checkups are critical to ensuring your beloved pet's health. Wellness exams prevent disease and promote the animal’s overall well-being. These routine checkups can help catch any potential issues with your pet early, significantly boosting the chances of successful treatment. They also take preventive measures to protect pets from common ailments and diseases and ensure all vitals are working in proper order.
Contact our office today to book a veterinary wellness exam in Capitola for your pet.
Why Choose Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital for Your Pets Wellness Exams
Our highly-trained veterinarians understand the importance of regular health exams. Our team combines years of experience with deep empathy and knowledge of pets to deliver a safe, thorough exam. We utilize the latest in modern diagnostic equipment such as radiography, endoscopy, ultrasound equipment, detailed blood testing, and urinalysis and fecal exams to provide the best possible care for your animal.
We realize that pet care, and chiropractic care especially, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our vets practice a personalized approach to ensure each pet receives the best possible care. Each animal’s unique anatomy, condition, and health history plays a key role in what types of treatment our team recommends and performs.
The Importance of Regular Wellness Exams
Regular wellness checkups are essential for early disease detection, so any issues can be treated before they become life-threatening for your pet. Some typical actions performed by a vet during a checkup include:
Checking vital signs such as weight, temperature, and heart rate.
Thoroughly inspecting an animal’s ears, eyes, mouth, and skin.
Ensuring the pet is up to date on all required vaccinations.
Checking for signs of common ailments such as heartworm or dental disease.
Discussion of any behavioral changes or issues you are having with your pet.
Checking blood and stool for any signs of worms or other parasites.
What's Covered in your Pet's Wellness Exam?
At Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital, we offer a variety of services during routine vet checkups, including checks of your pet’s overall physical condition, careful inspection of the coat and nails, diagnostic analysis of the internal health, and examination of the eyes, nose, and ears.
Overall Health
Our vets check each pet’s heart carefully for any abnormalities including murmurs or irregular heartbeat rhythm that could indicate more serious issues such as heart disease or high blood pressure. The vet will also examine the pet’s lungs for even, steady breathing.
Additionally, our team ensures the pet is operating at a normal temperature (between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit for dogs and cats), and that it has not undergone any significant weight gains or losses that could indicate obesity, malnutrition, or underlying concerns such as hypothyroidism or diabetes.Coat & Nails
Our team will also inspect your pet’s coat, nails, and skin for any signs of irritation, infection, or pet allergies. Additionally, vets check the coat and nails to be sure they are short and not interfering with the pet's comfort and ability to walk, as well as checking the coat for lustre to be sure the pet is receiving a proper diet.
Internal Health
Internal diagnostic exams are some of the most important parts of a routine checkup. During these exams, our experienced team may take blood, urine, or stool samples from your pet, and check for any internal health or parasite issues.We recommend bringing in a fresh fecal sample from your pet to the appointment to ensure proper testing can be done.
Blood tests can help assess a pet’s organ function and can also detect any infections, signs of diabetes, or underlying conditions such as kidney or liver disease.
Urinalysis is effective for testing liver and bladder health, and can also help detect early signs of diabetes or kidney disease.
Fecal examinations check for life-threatening viruses or parasites such as heartworms. Checking a pet’s fecal matter can also ensure its immune system is working properly and that there are no digestion issues.
Eyes, Nose, Ears
In the exam room, a veterinary professional will also carefully examine your pet’s eyes, nose, and ears. Among the symptoms vets check for during pet eye exams include excess redness, discharge, cataracts, abnormal pupil response, and cloudiness.
During nose checks, a vet looks out for the overall respiratory health of the animal and listens for any breathing issues. Discharge, crusting, or difficulty when breathing could be a sign of infection, allergies, or respiratory disease.
When looking at a pet’s ears, a vet keeps a close eye out for any irritation, mites, or parasites. Redness, wax buildup, or extreme odor could also be a sign of an infection.
Wellness Exams for Puppies and Kittens
Bringing home a brand new puppy or kitten is an exciting time for the whole family. While you may get caught up in playing with, cuddling, and training your new pet friend, it’s also important not to put off bringing them in for an examination as soon as possible. Here’s what to expect during your first visit with a new puppy or kitten.
Puppies should come in for their first appointment at around six weeks of age, while kittens should be brought in at about eight weeks. A puppy or kitten’s first visit includes a comprehensive physical examination to detect any potential congenital defects or external parasites.
Wellness Exams for Elderly Pets
Like new puppies and kittens, regular exams for elderly pets are also extremely important. The older a pet gets, the more it’s at risk of diseases like cancer, liver disease, and heart disease, as well as physical deterrents such as blindness, joint pain, and bone disease. Because of these advancing health issues, our vets recommend bi-annual wellness exams for senior pets.
Wellness exams for old dogs and cats can help them maintain a high quality of life even as they enter their geriatric years. Even if your older pet appears healthy, you should still keep regularly scheduled exams to catch and treat any potential underlying issues as early as possible.
Payment Options for Wellness Exams at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital
At Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital, we offer flexible financing and insurance options for Wellness Exams. Sign up today with any of our payment plan partners or contact us for specific questions about insurance coverage. Read more about our financing options here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Wellness Exams
While it may change depending on the age of your pet or their physical condition, it’s typically best to see a vet for a full exam of your pet at least once per year.
The exact vaccines administered will depend on the species, age, and lifestyle of each animal, but some typical vaccines include those for rabies, distemper, parvovirus, Bordetella, and Lyme disease.
Your veterinarian will discuss the next step with you should an issue be detected during a routine check-up. This may include further diagnostic testing, prescribing medications, scheduling follow-up appointments or procedures, and suggesting diet or lifestyle changes.
Book an Appointment at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital
New pets are always welcome at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital. Our friendly veterinary staff looks forward to providing our neighbors in Citrus Heights and surrounding communities with the veterinary care they need.
