What do vets check puppies for?

During your puppy or kitten’s consultation, one of our experienced vets will check their eyes, ears, skin, coat, teeth, paws and claws. Using a stethoscope, the vet will then listen to their heart and lungs and will finish the check by feeling their tummy for any lumps and bumps. This is to ensure that your best friend’s health is in top condition, as well as giving the vet an opportunity to identify any abnormalities that could potentially cause a problem in the future. At Abbey Vets we recommend that all puppies and kittens are brought in to see a member of our team once a month until they’re 6 months old. This is simply so our experienced team can monitor your pet’s development as they grow and make sure there are no signs of any problems.

Puppy's initial vaccinations including infectious tracheobronchitis and a health check with your vet. Puppy's first booster vaccinations including infectious tracheobronchitis and a health check with your vet. Year round, vet prescribed protection against fleas, lungworm and intestinal worms, plus ticks if required. Two additional consultations with your vet. Three consultations with a nurse, including weight checks and routine nail clips. A microchip if required. Annual basic urine screen. Our Health Plans make your pet's preventative health care simple, understandable and part of a routine. They reduce the potential for missed treatments and ensures your pet is as well protected as possible against the most common preventable conditions. Complete Care Junior has been created for puppies and kittens nine months old or under and covers the specific veterinary care they need throughout their junior stage.

When your pet has a full health examination – we would typically look at the following: body temperature heart rate, rhythm and evaluation for heart murmurs weight and body condition score eye examination - including ocular reflexes, cataract assessment, retinal and corneal examination ear examination mouth/dental examination - including dental and gingivitis scoring skin/fur examination palpation of lymph nodes and lumps/growths joints/movement and gait evaluation palpation of the abdomen neurological reflexes. We would also check for signs of parasites, such as fleas and worms and provide authorisation for prescription flea/worm treatment to cover the next 12 months, if required. The health check is carried out by one of our experienced veterinary surgeons. One of our final year veterinary students may discuss your pet and perform an initial examination as this is an important part of their training, but this will always be repeated by the supervising veterinary surgeon. Yes – not only do we have a team of experienced small animal vets who focus on cats and dogs, we also have a dedicated exotics team who can provide health checks for more unusual pets including birds, rodents and reptiles. All pets should have a full health check once per year. We recommend that older pets are checked every six months as they can be prone to developing age related health conditions.

During your puppy’s first consultation, the vet will go through a general wellbeing checklist which may include: Looking at their skin and coat Weighing them Examining their teeth Listening to their heartbeat through a stethoscope Taking their temperature. You might also talk about feeding and what you should be checking for during your regular grooming sessions, along with any breed or type health issues you should be keeping an eye on. You can have a chat about common problems such as worms and fleas, including how to treat and prevent them and you can have the chance to ask any questions you have about puppy health. At your puppy’s first vet check, there are a few things your vet will go through with you.