Pet wellness exams
A full head-to-tail examination of a pet who seems perfectly well. Most pets have one a year, and puppies, kittens and older pets are seen more often.
Your pet can be eating well, playing normally, and still have a heart murmur, a broken tooth at the back of the mouth, or a lump you have not felt yet. A wellness exam is the appointment that goes looking for those.
What the exam covers
We do a thorough exam from your pet’s head down to their tail. We also ask what you have noticed at home, including how they have been eating and drinking, how their energy has been, and anything that seems different. Weight is compared against the last visit, because a slow loss is easy to miss but can be meaningful.
Vaccines that are due are given at the same appointment. If the exam reveals something that needs bloodwork, an X-ray or a dental cleaning, we go through the cost and what to expect before anything is done.
What a wellness exam costs
A wellness exam is $85. Anything additional that is recommended during the visit, such as vaccines or bloodwork, is discussed with you before it happens.
Ready when you are
If something specific is worrying you, please mention it when you book.
Wellness exams — common questions
How often does my pet need a wellness exam?
At least once a year for a healthy adult pet, and more often when there is a reason to, like an older pet or a condition being managed. Puppies and kittens are seen several times over their first months, until their vaccine series is finished.
What should I bring to my pet's first wellness exam?
Any medical records you have, and a list of everything your pet is taking. Prescriptions, supplements, and flea, tick and heartworm preventives all count.
Is a wellness exam the same as an annual vaccine visit?
In practice they are the same appointment. Vaccines that are due are given at the wellness exam. However, a pet who is not due for a single vaccine still benefits from a thorough yearly exam.
My pet seems healthy. Do we really need to come in?
Yes. A year is a long time for a pet, and something that started a month after the last visit has had eleven months to get worse. There is also a practical reason: prescription refills and heartworm, flea and tick prevention need a current exam on file.
Do you screen for valley fever during a wellness exam?
Not routinely, but we are happy to run it if you would like a baseline. The valley fever titer is a send-out blood test. A low positive titer in a healthy dog living in the Sonoran Desert is common, and on its own does not mean the dog needs treating. The exam is also where the reasons to test show up: a cough that has been going for a few weeks, a limp that moves from one leg to another, weight loss, a fever. If we find one, we draw the sample the same day.
Related
Book online, or call and speak to someone in the clinic
20801 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 101 · Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-585-3512