What is Pet Wellness?

Pet wellness is a holistic, proactive approach to maintaining a pet’s health and happiness, focusing on preventing disease rather than just treating illness. It encompasses regular veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, parasite control, proper nutrition, dental care, and mental/physical stimulation to improve quality of life and increase lifespan.

pet wellness

Pet Wellness Exams

At Whitworth Animal Clinic, we offer pet wellness services for Madison, Alabama and the surrounding communities so that your pet isn’t just healthy but has a high quality of life, as well. Preventative health measures such as twice a year wellness exams, vaccinations, veterinary allergy tests, flea and parasite control, proper nutrition and pet grooming keep your pet healthy and quality of life high.

Not only will our physical examination give our staff a chance to evaluate your pet, but these exams also provide Dr. Whitworth an opportunity to explain any animal or breed specific health issues that you should be monitoring going forward. Because studies show that dogs and cats age seven times faster than people, major health changes can occur in a short amount of time. Thus, we strongly believe that physical exams should be done every six months. These exams allow Dr. Whitworth an opportunity to evaluate your pet and explain any animal or breed specific health issues that you should be monitoring going forward.

What Happens At A Pet Wellness Exam?

      • Medical History Review & Consultation: Dr. Whitworth will ask about diet, water intake, energy levels, behavior, lifestyle, and bathroom habits to assess daily health.
      • Routine Veterinary Exams:Annual or bi-annual “nose-to-tail” exams to establish a health baseline and detect early warning signs of illness.
      • Vital Signs:Measuring weight, heart rate, and body temperature.
      • Thorough physical assessment: eyes, ears, mouth, skin, joints.
    • Preventative Care:Vaccinations, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, and routine screening tests (blood work, fecal exams) to catch issues before they become serious.
    • Nutrition and Weight Management:Proper, balanced diets and maintaining a healthy weight to prevent chronic conditions.
    • Dental Health:Regular teeth cleaning to avoid periodontal disease.
    • Parasite Screening:Fecal exams for internal worms, along with heartworm and flea/tick screenings.

Blood Screening: No matter how thorough, physical exams are not able to define the overall health of your pet’s internal organs and their performance. However, that information can be determined with annual blood screening. This panel allows Dr. Whitworth to check for any abnormal enzyme levels, as well as anemia, diabetes, and infections. Withe this test we can establish a normal baseline. We recommend this screening for all pets beginning at two years of age. For pets that are seven years or older, a more in-depth screening is performed to include thyroid testing and urinalysis.

dog and cat wellnes exam

Other Pet Wellness Services

In addition to exams and blood tests, there are some other concerns we discuss with our patient’s owners.

If you have any questions about your pet’s health or our pet wellness services, please feel free to contact our office. We are located in Madison, Alabama, and are convenient to Decatur and Huntsville.  We will work to keep you informed and your pet healthy.