Comprehensive Physicals

A lot of health problems are more responsive to treatment if they’re caught early. That’s as true for animals as it is for people, which is why we at Deshon Animal Hospital encourages our clients to bring their pets in for regular comprehensive physicals. Some of an animal’s issues may not be recognizable even to a loving owner, and some may have unexpected causes, but our combination of hi-tech imaging and expert tactile inspections will help us identify any problems.

Checking a dog or cat’s skin is vital to determining whether there are external parasites such as fleas and ticks. But the texture and sheen of an animal’s fur is also a major indicator of whether they’re getting the right nutrition. Dr. Toler and his assistants will need our pet owners to be able to describe what their animal is eating. Many dogs and cats suffer from brittle fur as a result of not getting enough meat. Skin inflammation can also be a sign of allergies (animals get them, too) which could require medications to treat. Symptoms of allergies may also be found inside an animal’s ears, so we’ll want to examine them with an otoscope.

Another important aspect of a physical is checking the animal’s eyes and eyelids. Bumps on the eyelids and difficulty blinking could indicate a blocked gland, as could red, watery eyes. Cloudiness could be a sign of cataracts, and small tumors might be visible under a bright light. We’ll look into an animal’s nose for physical barriers or discharge from infections and examine its mouth for signs of gum disease, dry mouth, or lesions, as well as broken or infected teeth.

These examinations are largely done visually, but we’ll want to do a tactile examination to determine whether an animal’s joints are in working order. We’ll also want to know whether their lymph nodes are swollen, since that could be a sign of infection or leukemia. Listening to an animal’s heart and lungs will give us a clue about the functioning of their internal organs, and oddities can be further examined with ultrasounds, an electrocardiogram, or a xray.

We’ll ask the pet owner about their animal’s general disposition and habits. We are able to conduct blood tests in house, and pet owners will be informed ahead of time if we will need to examine an animal’s stools for parasites. But it is important for pet owners to keep regular appointments, which may mean monthly for puppies and kittens,  and binannually yearly for adult animals.

Jamal Toler, DVM, runs Deshon Animal Hospital and Laser Surgery at 884 South Deshon Road, Lithonia, Georgia, 30058. To schedule an appointment, call 770-482-7816 or visit Deshon Animal and fill out a contact form.