What is a full health check for a dog?
Rigoberto Zboncak
2025-09-16 21:35:37
Count answers
: 10
A health check for a dog is a comprehensive physical examination.
We will check your dog’s weight, teeth, ears, eyes, heart, lungs, abdomen, coat, and nails.
In some cases, blood and urine may also be examined.
This makes it possible to detect underlying illnesses, such as a heart murmur, early kidney disease, or dental problems, at an early stage.
The sooner a problem is known, the better it can be treated and the less discomfort it will cause your dog.
Regular check-ups can prevent serious diseases.
A health check for a senior dog is even more comprehensive and focused on disease that come with age.
It takes 30 minutes.
We call this the senior check.
Cynthia Gerhold
2025-09-16 21:33:32
Count answers
: 16
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.
We are also happy to discuss general pet well-being matters such as nutrition, behaviour, senility and exercise/mental stimulation.
A standard pet health check takes 15 – 20 minutes.
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.
All pets should have a full health check once per year (usually at the time of their annual vaccination).
We recommend that older pets (cats over ten years, dogs over eight years old) are checked every six months as they can be prone to developing age related health conditions
Read also
- Is senior bloodwork for dogs worth it?
- Does my senior dog still need vaccinations?
- How to tell if your senior dog is healthy?
- How much does a senior dog blood panel cost?
- How often should a senior dog get bloodwork?
- At what age should you stop vaccinating your dog?
- Do I need to vaccinate my 10 year old dog?
- What is the average life expectancy of a dog?
- How much does a dog health check cost in the UK?
- Does a 13 year old dog need vaccinations?
- What is the most common cause of death in senior dogs?
- How often does a dog need a health check?
- At what age should I stop vaccinating my dog?
- How much does geriatric blood work cost for dogs?