WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM?

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM? 

I can tell you my personal pet story to help answer this question. I have a 3 year old cat that I rescued about 2 years ago. She was examined and vaccinated when I first adopted her and found to be healthy. About 6 months later I brought her in for a dental cleaning.  At that time she was found to be healthy and blood work was all normal. Six months after that it was time for her yearly annual.  When I brought her in, she all of a sudden had a very serious heart murmur that was not present in the 2 exams prior. 

Early detection has allowed me to keep a close eye on her murmur and be proactive in her cardiac health. All of the papers I read on her condition said that after diagnosis, most pets will live for about 1 year. It has been over a year now and she is still doing great. We make sure to monitor her closely. If it was not for her physical exam we would have never found out that she has this cardiac condition. 

I hope this helps answer the question as to why annual physical exams are needed to maintain pet health. 

Thank you for listening to my story,

Sarah K. (PVAH team member)