A yearly exam of your pet assesses her health by looking, feeling and listening. All parts of your animal are evaluated to ascertain their overall health. During the visit your veterinarian will do a tip of the nose to the tip of the tail exam. While your pet may be acting fine she could be hiding problems or the problem may not yet be affecting her. A veterinarian is trained to detect changes and issues that can indicate disease.

So what is the veterinarian looking for?

These are usually the most obvious indicators of how a pet is doing. Her coat should be shiny and her skin should be clean. Problems with the skin and coat can indicate problems with her diet or an underlying issue such as infection or pain. Allergies or endocrine disease are other common causes of skin and coat issues.

Her eyes should be bright and clear. There should be no sign of discharge, cloudiness or irritation. Problems within the eye can also indicate systemic issues such as high blood pressure or infections.

The gums, teeth, tongue and roof of the mouth are checked. The doctor is looking for dental issues such as tartar buildup, fractures, loose teeth and infections. The color of your pet's lips can also indicate that she may have anemia. Problems in her mouth can lead to problems with her heart and other organs.

Her eyes should be bright and clear. There should be no sign of discharge, cloudiness or irritation. Problems within the eye can also indicate systemic issues such as high blood pressure or infections.

While an owner can see what is going on in the outer part of the ear (red, irritated, itchy), the veterinarian is also going to look down into the ear canal and look for infection, irritation, infestation and polyps. Catching these early will keep her feeling fine.

The doctor will listen to her heart and lungs, checking for heart murmurs, abnormal heart rhythms and lung sounds. These can be early indicators of cardiac or respiratory problems.

Some of her inner workings can be felt from the outside. The doctor is looking for unusual sizes and shapes of organs, hard spots or painful spots. Often this is the earliest way to find abnormalities.

These are the body's filtering system. If they are enlarged, tender or oddly shaped it can indicate the body is fighting an infection.

The veterinarian examines your pet's urogenital areas for discharge, color, swelling or growths.

The Veterinarian will watch your pet move and ask questions about how she is moving such as, "Has there been any limping or stiffness?" The gait can indicate issues such as arthritis.

How your pet moves and how she responds to stimuli can be used to determine if there are any concerns regarding her nervous system.

As part of the exam your pet will be weighed, and her pulse, respiration rate and temperature will be taken. All pets should have a fecal exam for intestinal parasites such as tapeworms and roundworms, every year. We recommend a yearly Heartworm, Lyme disease, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia test for adult dogs. As a pet ages or if there are other indications from the physical exam the veterinarian will recommend blood panels to check for indications of disease that simply can't be determined by physical exam, such as kidney and liver values, or glucose levels.

Your veterinarian will ask you questions about her behavior, what she eats, her appetite, how much water she drinks. He'll also want to know about her lifestyle- how much exercise does she get, what is the chance of exposure to parasites, how often is she with other animals? All of this information is used to tailor your animal's care. It will help determine if your cat needs a Feline Leukemia vaccination or if your dog needs a Lyme disease vaccination. You can discuss the following questions with your veterinarian: Should your pet be on tick prevention or regular intestinal parasite control? Should you consider a nutriceutical for skin and coat or joint health, or would your pet benefit from a special diet?

Depending on the discussion you and the veterinarian have (and local laws) your pet may be vaccinated at her annual exam. A parasite prevention plan may be set up for the year. A weight control plan may be made. The physical exam is the best way to prevent and find issues before they become seriously advanced. It is the best way to make her life longer, healthier and happier.