By Dr. Johnathan Pierce
The importance of the physical exam.
Have you ever wondered why you have to pay for an exam for your pet when going to the vet and just what the heck is it? Physical exams are the cornerstone of veterinary medicine and medicine in general. Our pets cannot communication where a problem is or where there is pain and therefore it is our job to look or examine.
There is variability as to which systems your veterinarian will start and the order in which they are inspected, however in general a thorough exam starts at the head looking at the nose, eyes, ears mouth, teeth, and examine as far back into the oral cavity as the pet will let us. This will typically lead us to the neck where we will palpate for enlarged lymph nodes or areas of swelling. Generally, the five major lymph node regions will be palpated checking for abnormalities.
We then turn back to the chest and will listen to the heart and lungs listening for heart murmurs and abnormal breath sounds. Then we move to the abdomen or belly and feel for any changes to the major organs, palpate for masses, and check for pain. Then we check the “undercarriage” and make sure that the patients’ male and female parts appear normal as well as the anal region. A general palpation of the skin and the extremities is then performed to complete the exam.
Generally, this doesn’t take very long, however we can detect many possible abnormalities such as masses, heart murmurs, fluid in and/or around the lungs, fluid in the belly, enlargement of organs, congenital and hereditary abnormalities. Often, we can detect issues before the pet even shows signs that an issue is developing.
Exams can become more involved depending on whether the patient is experiencing issues. Orthopedic check for bone and joint issues and neurological exams check for issues with the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Physical exams, unless recently performed or the visit is for a recheck or simply for a technician appointment/ administration of chronic medications, should always be comprehensive. Detection of issue from the minor to the major is critically important for the overall health of your pet.
Island Life Animal Hospital
Dr. Danielle Gallo & Dr. Johnathan Pierce
5901 Sun Blvd., Suite 107
Saint Petersburg, FL 33715
727-289-3776 • islandlifeanimalhospital.vet