Twice Yearly for Life

Pets age at a faster rate than people. It is a popular misconception that one calendar year equates to seven years in a dog's life. In actual fact, in one calendar year a dog may age the equivalent of four to fifteen years in a human's life. The reason for this dramatic difference is that puppies reach maturity very quickly, and are essentially adolescents or young adults by a year of age - thus they are considered to be the equivalent of a 15 year old by their first birthday. During the second year, the rate of aging slows down a little so that the average dog is considered to be the equivalent of a 24-25 year old by their second birthday. After that, the rate of aging is estimated to be 4-5 dog years per calendar year, depending on the size and breed. Large breed dogs age relatively more quickly than small breed dogs. By the time your dog reaches its 6^th birthday, it will be either middle-aged (if a small or medium breed dog) or geriatric (if a large breed dog). 

Your veterinarian is in the best position to recommend how often your dog should have a wellness examination, based on its specific breed, health status and lifestyle. During your four legged kiddos comprehensive wellness exam we will assess your animal for general appearances of health including, temperature, weight, gait, skeletal and muscular build and behavior. During this exam the Veterinarian will discuss with you the specific breed of your animal as well as their age and if it correlates with any predispositions of health. The veterinarian will also perform a thorough nose to tail examination of your animal. They will exam mouth, and discuss oral hygiene and techniques for home dental care. The veterinarian will then examine the eyes, ears, nose with a scope to make sure they appear normal and healthy. They will palpate your animal’s body to make sure the prescapular, popliteal, inguinal, submandibular lymph nodes are of normal size and shape. Next the veterinarian will examine your pets coat to make sure the skin is healthy, smooth, and normally flexible with no scabs, scales, growths, parasites, or irritated areas. The veterinarian will also listen to your pet’s heart to make sure the heart is strong and healthy, and each valve sounds normal. While listening to the heart the veterinarian is checking for heart murmurs, and pulse rate, rhythm, and strength. The veterinarian will also listen to the lungs to make sure they are clear and healthy; then they check your dog’s nose to make sure it is cool and moist. The veterinarian will then palpate your pet checking the internal organs, including the urinary tract, bladder, and genitals.