Pet Wellness Awareness: Putting Pets First

Since October month is National Pet Wellness Month, I'll be taking a look at commonly asked questions and answering them to help pet owners like yourselves who want to ensure that your pets stay happy, healthy and vibrant!

1. What does a wellness check entail for both cats and dogs?

A general wellness check involves the physical examination of your pet by a trained and licensed veterinarian.  From the moment your pet walks in the door, they are being evaluated.  Your veterinarian will observe posture, coordination, and attitude, all prior to actually handling the animal.  The hands-on examination involves listening to heart/lungs; close inspection of eyes, nose and ears; palpation of peripheral lymph nodes; and a temperature check.  Your veterinarian may then perform more physical testing including nerve checks, range of motion, or specific palpations to assess possible areas of pain based on their basic overview evaluation if warranted.  It is also recommended that routine bloodwork be run for your pet to establish a baseline and allow for an “internal wellness exam” yearly to monitor any early, subtle issues that might need to be addressed before they become overtly clinical.

2. How often should my dog or cat have a wellness check?

We recommend that all pets have a wellness performed yearly to help ensure the health of your pet.  Animals display discomfort and/or illness differently than humans do, and it is easy to miss the subtle early signs of a problem during typical daily interactions at home with your pet.

3. What is the benefit of frequent wellness exams?

Frequent wellness exams allow for earlier detection of problems which lead to earlier intervention, keeping your pet happy and healthier for longer.

4. Is there a connection between pet aging and pet health?

As with any species, as you get older, your body starts to function less efficiently than before and “your genetic weak spot” will impact other systems of the body, causing discomfort, increased likelihood of illness, and disease.

5. Why is monitoring and controlling the weight of my pet important? Is weight gain in pets associated with any illness or disease?

Weight control in pets is extremely important as carrying around extra weight impacts all other areas of the body.  Fat does not only store on the outside, but the inside as well.  Obesity in pets makes them predisposed to diabetes, constipation, fatty liver disease, infertility, heat stroke, and early onset arthritis, just to name a few conditions.

6. Since grooming is important, how often should I bathe my pet?

How often you need to bathe your pet will depend on what pet you have and the needs of each breed’s skin/coat requirements.  For example, poodles and poodle crosses will need to be bathed and groomed/shaved down typically every 4-6 weeks depending on how cleanly you like to keep your home.  

Hairless breeds such as Sphynx cats and Mexican hairless dogs should be bathed with an appropriate shampoo (we recommend Hylyt) monthly with regular ear cleaning and skin oiling as well.  

Your typical, domestic short-haired or long-haired cat does not need to be bathed on a regular basis as they usually do a good job of self-grooming. If your cat is obese and unable to self-groom effectively, you will have to bathe and brush them weekly or have your pet shaved 2-3 times a year.  

Your typical short-haired mutt from a shelter should only be bathed once or twice a year to help them shed out faster and keep their skin healthy. However, depending on how cleanly you like to keep your home, you may want to bathe them more frequently.  We do not recommend bathing any animal more than once a week for regular maintenance.   

As always, if you have any questions, you can reach us by phone at (330) 627-4898 or send us an email at hospital@carrolltonanimal.com.