At Modern Vet, proactive preventative healthcare lays the foundation for your pet’s long and happy life. From standard blood tests to urinalysis or fecal exams, our wellness exams allow your pet to be assessed from head to tail, enabling us to identify, manage & prevent many types of medical conditions before they become a problem. Be they a rambunctious puppy, an adult with plenty of energy, or a beloved senior whom you think deserves all the luxuries of life, regular wellness exams can help keep your furry friend healthy and happy.
Common Signs Your Pet May Be Due For A Wellness Exam:
Weight Gain Or Loss
Vomiting Or Diarrhea
Changes In Appetite Or Thirst
Coughing Or Breathing Changes
Lethargy Or Decreased Activity
Difficulty Moving Or Stiffness
Bad Breath Or Dental Issues
Lumps, Bumps, Or Skin Growths
Skin Or Coat Changes
Frequent Scratching Or Licking
Ear Scratching Or Head Shaking
Behavioral Changes Or Anxiety

What Is a Wellness Exam?
A wellness exam is a complete check-up that evaluates your pet’s physical condition, organ function, and well-being. Wellness exams differ from visits for illness or injury because they are scheduled when your pet appears healthy, but the goal is to detect hidden or early-stage problems that may not be apparent in a home setting.
At Modern Vet, our vets conduct a top-to-bottom wellness exam, checking for signs of disease, discomfort, or areas of concern for growth. Such an approach enables early intervention, ensuring that minor inconveniences do not develop into serious health problems.
What Does a Wellness Exam Include?
Although our wellness exams are customized to your pet’s age, breed, lifestyle, and medical history, they generally include:
Comprehensive Physical Examination
We perform a comprehensive assessment of each organ system and body part, including:
● Oral Health: Check for dental disease, tartar, gingivitis, or loose teeth. Dental infections can affect the heart, kidneys, and other vital organs, making dental health a crucial aspect of overall well-being.
● Body Weight and Condition: Check for overweight or slimness. Obesity can cause diabetes, arthritis, and reduced lifespan.
● We are looking for infection, inflammation, parasites, or allergy. Ear and skin problems that persist cause continuous trouble.
● Heart and Lungs: Auscultating for heart murmurs, arrhythmias, or abnormal lung sounds. Heart disease, if detected early, can save lives.
● Vision test for cataracts or other cloudiness or other vision problems. We often do not know about eye problems until it is too late.
● Joints and Muscles: Assess for pain, swelling, or limitation of motion, especially in older pets. Joint inflammation suggests arthritis or injury.
● Abdomen: checking softly for organ enlargement, masses, or tenderness.
● Skin and Coat: Your pet’s skin and coat will be assessed for lumps or suspicious tumors, flea and tick infestations, and the overall health of its coat.
Parasite Screening
● Fleas, Ticks, and Mites: An external parasite evaluation, including visual inspection, along with skin scrapings, if necessary, to diagnose external parasites.
● Intestinal Parasites: Testing for internal parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and other internal parasites that can affect your pet — and sometimes your family, too, through feces.
Lab Screening and Diagnostics
● Further laboratory tests may be recommended after the physical examination, depending on the findings, your pet’s age, breed, and lifestyle. These may include:
● Blood Tests: To evaluate organ function (liver, kidney), diabetes, anemia, and various infections.
● Urinalysis: A test for urinary tract infections, kidney disease, or diabetes.
● Check stool sample: Testing for gut parasites.
● Thyroid Testing is essential for senior pets or any pet with a change in weight or other unexplained conditions.
● Heartworm Testing: This step is critical for dogs and cats in heartworm-endemic areas.
Lab screens provide a more comprehensive view of your pet from the inside out, often highlighting issues that are not yet apparent on the exterior.
Lifestyle and Behavioral Assessment
Your veterinarian will go over your pet’s:
● Diet and Nutrition: Suggests advice about the best feed, supplements, or weight management.
● Exercise and Activity: Recommendations for suitable activity levels, enrichment, and mobility assistance
● Vaccination Status: Ensure your pet has received all or most core and lifestyle vaccines.
● Medication consultation involves checking for interactions or side effects if your pet takes medication.
● Behavior Problems: Help with anxiety, aggression, house soiling, or changes in activity. Since health problems often lead to behavioral issues, wellness exams provide a great opportunity to address them.
Why Early Detection Matters?
Most of the conditions we screen for during a wellness exam, such as dental disease, heart murmurs, skin tumors, cataracts, and parasite infestations, can be painful or even life-threatening if not addressed. Yet, most of these problems are treatable if not curable when caught in their initial stages. This often translates to less invasive treatment options, a lower cost, and a much more positive outcome for your furry friend.

The Wellness Exam Experience at Modern Vet
We want to make each trip here a no-stress experience for you and your pet. Here’s what you can expect:
● Friendly Reception: We welcome you and your furry friend in a way that allows you to feel comfortable and relaxed.
● Full History: We gather information regarding your pet’s lifestyle, habits, consumption amount, and any other noticeable changes that you’ve seen recently.
● Complete Physical Exam: The vet comprehensively examines and discusses any findings in real time with you.
● Lab Work (if required): We gather samples for any recommended lab tests and provide information on the purpose of each test.
● Customized Recommendations: Based on the exam and test results, we make specific recommendations regarding nutrition, exercise, preventive care, and behavioral support.
Services Offered During A Pet Wellness Exam Include:
Comprehensive Physical Health Check
Annual Vaccination Review & Updates
Full Dental Health Assessment
Bloodwork & Organ Function Testing
Weight & Nutrition Evaluation
Urinalysis & Stool Parasite Testing
Eye, Ear, & Skin Health Screening
Joint & Mobility Health Screening
Heart & Lung Function Monitoring
Behavioural & Lifestyle Consultations
Parasite Screening (Fleas, Ticks, Worms)
Tailored Preventive Care Plans

How Often Should Wellness Exams Be Scheduled?
Puppies and Kittens:
● Regular visits are usually suggested every 3–4 weeks in the initial few months to inspect weight growth and finish inoculation programs.
Adult Pets (Under 7 Years):
● Once a year (annual wellness exam) is generally recommended for healthy adult dogs and cats.
Senior Pets (7 Years and Older):
● Twice a year (semi-annual wellness exams) are advised, as older pets are more prone to developing health issues that benefit from early detection.
Pets with Chronic or Serious Health Conditions:
● As your veterinarian recommends, exams may be required more frequently to monitor ongoing conditions or treatments.
High-Risk Breeds or Special Cases:
● Pets with particular risk factors (certain breeds or other needs) may require more individualized exam schedules.
Regular wellness exams help ensure the early detection and prevention of health problems, supporting your pet’s longer, healthier life.
The Benefits of Regular Wellness Exams
Your pets should have regular exams to help maintain their well-being and health. These checks can identify health issues early, often well before the symptoms are apparent, when they are usually more easily treated. In turn, this assists with overall health concerns at Modern Vet.
● Early Disease Detection: Most diseases take time and do not happen overnight. Scheduled exams enable your veterinarian to detect conditions such as dental disease, heart murmurs, infections, and parasites early, allowing for more effective treatment and prevention of progression.
● Preventive Care: Wellness Exams Help You Stay Up To Date On Vaccinations, Parasite Prevention, and other essential parts of pet health care. These steps ensure that your dog is free from serious infectious diseases, such as rabies, parvovirus, and heartworm, among others, providing your pet with a safe and healthy life.
● Comprehensive Physical and Dental Check: All exams allow for a thorough physical exam, including the teeth and gums. Dental health is essential, as most dental diseases are preventable and can cause pain and systemic infections that may affect multiple organs.
● Weight Control and Nutrition: Maintaining our proper weight is significant. If we are obese, we are prone to obesity-associated diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Veterinary professionals evaluate a pet’s body condition score (BCS) and provide customized diet and exercise recommendations.
● Behavioral and lifestyle counseling: Wellness visits provide a venue for discussing changes in behavior or lifestyle. Many behavioral problems are often associated with underlying health issues, so addressing them correctly will prevent your pet from suffering and improve its quality of life.
● Proactive Health Tracking: Regular exams help you create a baseline of good health to identify better and track changes that occur with age and tailor care plans accordingly.
● Save Money: Preventive exams can help avoid expensive emergency treatments.
Regular wellness exams at Modern Vet give you confidence that your pet is a healthy, happy, and long-living companion you need.
Schedule Your Pet’s Wellness Exam at Modern Vet
Prevention is the best gift you can give your pet! At Modern Vet, our caring team supports your pet every step of the way. Call us today to schedule a complete exam and give your pet the gift of wellness!
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