Wellness Exams

Because pets can't tell us how they feel, we recommend a complete physical examination at least once a year, although exams every 6 months are encouraged, especially for senior pets age 7 & over.

A veterinary exam allows us to form a picture of your pet's overall health, as well as spot potential issues. As your partner in maintaining your pet’s health, Nippers Corner Pet Medical Center welcomes questions about diet, preventive and daily care, exercise habits and daily care. No question is too small or too silly. It is our pleasure to address your concerns. We want you to be informed and feel comfortable in helping your pet live a longer, healthier and happier life.

During your pet's exam our veterinarians and staff will:

• Listen to your pet's heart for heart murmurs, abnormal heart beat pattern (arrhythmias) and signs of heart disease can be heard through a stethoscope.

• Listen to your pet's lungs - By listening to your pet's lungs with a stethoscope, we can detect infections, diseases or other problems and assess the overall pulmonary health of your pet.

• Examine your pet's teeth and mouth - Dental disease is the most common disease we see. Examining your pet's teeth and mouth allows us to determine level of infection and impaction, plaque and tartar so recommend needed dental cleanings. Puppies and kittens also need to be checked to ensure they are developing properly.

• Evaluate your pet's eyes - Ocular conditions can be prevented through regular care and screenings. We will look for dry eyes, cataracts, corneal ulcers and glaucoma.

• Look into your pet's ears - Check for ear mites, redness, odor or discharge or other signs of ear infections. Allergies and outdoor activities can irritate your pet's ears.

• Feel the skin, lymph nodes and abdomen - We visually look and physically feel for lumps, bumps, or swellings and skin discolorations, lesions or patterns of hair loss or thinning. These can indicate the presence systemic problems or metabolic diseases.

• Feel joints and muscles - By feeling and moving the joints and limbs, we look for swollen joints, decreased muscle tone and variations in muscle size and will observe your pet's gait. Depending on your pet's age, we will look for developmental problems in young pets such as hip or elbow problems, or signs of arthritis in our older friends.

• Administer vaccinations (additional vaccine charges apply).

• Consult on your pet's behavior, appetite, exercise habits, and regualr activities at home and provide nutritional counseling.

• Discuss heartworm, flea and tick and parasite control.

• Recommend blood and lab tests - A complete physical exam should include a heartworm test as well as blood and urine tests each year. Not only can these tests identify the presence of underlying disease, they create a baseline should your pet become ill. A few simple tests give us so many results about your pet's kidneys, liver, pancreas, blood sugar, white and red blood cells and platelet counts.

• Screen for parasites - A recommended fecal examination allows us to check for parasites or worms in your pet (additional charge).