Saddle Creek Veterinary Hospital

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Exams

Exams

Your Pet’s Key to Wellness

There’s no denying that pets need lots of attention and monitoring throughout their lives — not just in the form of daily care, exercise and love, but also veterinary services. Even the healthiest animals can benefit from annual (or even more frequent) pet exams to confirm that good health or detect any anomalies that might call for immediate treatment. Here at Saddle Creek Veterinary Hospital in Lakeland, we can provide these all-important exams.

Why That Annual Pet Exam Matters So Much

If your pet seems happy and healthy, with no major changes in his appearance or behavior, it’s easy just to assume that all is well. But just as many human ailments can lurk undetected, diseases and disorders that afflict pets can develop without showing obvious symptoms — and pets, especially cats, tend to instinctually hide signs of pain and illness. Your pet may also develop certain risk factors for diseases and disorders based on age or breed. For example, a pet that packs on too many pounds (whether you notice the change in weight or not) is at risk for obesity, which in turn places him at risk for hypertension, cancer, diabetes, liver or kidney disease and heart failure. Or an internal cancer might grow and metastasize long before your pet suffers obvious symptoms. An annual pet exam gives us a chance to detect these and many other potential dangers as early as possible.

Helping Your Pet Through the Stages of Life

A pet’s needs change greatly as he or she moves through various stages of life. For puppies and kittens, some of the gravest dangers include internal parasites and deadly microorganisms. That’s why your puppy or kitten may need several pet exams in his first year, along with wellness measures such as vaccinations and de-worming. Annual pet exams are sufficient for most generally-healthy adult pets. Senior pets need at least two exams per year because they’re more prone to specific ailments such as cancer, diabetes and organ failure.

A typical pet exam covers your pet’s health and wellness quite literally from head to tail. We administer external evaluations of your pet’s skin, coat, ears, eyes, mouth, stance, gait and behavior. Your pet will also be weighed as a precaution against obesity. Blood, urine, and fecal testing can reveal a variety of internal disorders that might require care. Of course, we also take your pet’s vital signs and answer any questions you may have about your pet’s health.

Schedule a Pet Exam at Saddle Creek Veterinary Hospital

Saddle Creek Veterinary Hospital is ready to serve as your pet’s Lakeland wellness headquarters. Call (863) 665-5033 to schedule an exam!