Medical Exams

Animals age at a faster rate than humans, so a lot can change with your pet’s health in short period of time. Regular medical exams help ensure early disease detection and offer the best opportunity for successful treatment.

What will my pet’s medical exam include?

Your Veterinarian will perform a full systemic exam:

• How your dog walks and stands
• Whether your dog is bright and alert
• Your dog’s general body condition – whether your pet has an appropriate body weight and body condition (neither too fat nor too thin)
• The haircoat – looking for excessive dryness, excessive oiliness, evidence of dandruff, excessive shedding, or abnormal hair loss
• The skin – looking for oiliness, dryness, dandruff, lumps or bumps, areas of abnormal thickening, etc.
• The eyes – looking for redness, discharge, evidence of excessive tearing, abnormal lumps or bumps on the eyelids, how well the eyelids close, cloudiness, or any other abnormalities.
• The ears – looking for discharges, thickening, hair loss, or any other signs of problems.
• The head – looking for symmetry, discharges, how well the pet breathes, whether there are any problems related to skin folds or other apparent problems.
• Mouth and teeth – looking for tartar build-up, periodontal disease, retained baby teeth, broken teeth, excessive salivation, staining around the lips, ulcers in or around the mouth, etc.
• The heart – listening for abnormalities of heart rate, heart rhythm (“skipped beats” or “extra beats”), or heart murmurs
• The lungs – listening for evidence of increased or decreased or abnormal breath sounds
• The pulse – depending on the results of auscultation, your veterinarian may simultaneously listen to the chest and palpate the pulse in the hind legs
• The lymph nodes in the region of the head, neck and hind legs – looking for swelling or pain
• The legs – looking for evidence of lameness, muscle problems, nerve problems, problems with the paws or toenails, etc.
• The abdomen – feeling in the areas of the bladder, kidneys, liver, intestines, spleen and stomach in order to assess whether these organs appear to be normal or abnormal, and whether there is any subtle evidence of discomfort

Common medical conditions treated at the Vegreville Veterinary Clinic:

• Endocrine disease
• Dermatological disease
• Gastrointestinal disease
• Neurological disease
• Behavioural
• Urogenital
• Ocular
• Aural
• Dental