Exams & Vaccines

Care suggestions based on your pet’s age

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Exams & Vaccines Annual wellness exams focus on preventive care to keep your pet healthy year-round. These routine visits monitor overall health, catch potential issues early, and create a personalized care plan based on your pet’s age, breed, and lifestyle. Preventive services may include vaccinations, parasite prevention, routine bloodwork, and nutrition guidance. Senior pets often benefit from bi-annual wellness visits starting around age 7 to maintain comfort and long-term health.

Exams are recommended whenever a pet parent notices a change in behavior, appetite, mobility, or other health concerns. These visits focus on evaluating specific issues, providing targeted diagnostics, and recommending treatment or follow-up care as needed. While exams may include elements of preventive care, their main purpose is to identify and manage an existing concern quickly.

Benefits of Annual Wellness and Exams
  • Detect subtle health issues early
  • Provide personalized care based on your pet’s needs
  • Reduce the risk of emergency visits
  • Support comfort, mobility, and quality of life
Merck Vaccine Information:
Parasite Information:
Book an Appointment Nikki, one of our veterinary assistants, with a feline patient during an annual examination A young girl sits at an open doorway, hugging a small black dog as they gaze out toward a bright picket fence and garden—capturing a quiet moment that could be seen in any caring veterinarian’s home. The softly lit floor gleams in the foreground. A smiling vet wearing glasses and gray scrubs with the name "Nikki" gently examines an orange tabby cat on a blue table in a pet clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most pets should have a wellness exam once a year; senior pets or pets with chronic conditions may benefit from bi-annual visits.

Schedule an exam anytime you notice changes in behavior, appetite, mobility, or other signs of concern. Early evaluation helps catch issues before they become serious.

Vaccines are recommended based on your pet’s age, lifestyle, and health history. Not every exam requires vaccines.

Yes — even pets that seem perfectly fine can hide early signs of health problems, because animals often don’t show obvious symptoms until an issue is more advanced. Regular annual wellness visits allow a veterinarian to detect subtle changes early and adjust a preventive care plan before serious issues develop.

In addition, veterinarians are required by professional standards and state law to have a Veterinary‑Client‑Patient Relationship (VCPR) in order to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for your pet. A valid VCPR means the veterinarian has examined your animal recently and knows enough about their health to make medical judgments — which is why a physical exam is needed before many treatments or prescriptions can be provided.

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