Hi. I’m Dr. Fiona Caldwell; I’m a veterinarian at Idaho Veterinary Hospital. Today, I’m answering some questions from the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page. This question comes from Donald, who asks: How do you assess the health of my pet?

This is a great question. I think it really allows me to explain what your veterinarian is doing when you have those annual exams, and why are they important.

There’s basically two big ways that we can assess the health of a pet:

-One is with a physical exam, and

-Another is with regular blood work

On a physical exam, specifically the things I’m looking for is your pet’s body condition. Is it overweight? Is it too thin? I’m looking for lumps, bumps, and masses. I look for oral health; it’s a huge issue in pets. Dental disease can be a source of infection, so we want to make sure your pet’s mouth looks really good.

Is it an older pet with some cognitive issues or arthritis? Are they limping? Is she/he well-groomed and clean? Are there any infections? These are all external things that can add up to a healthy pet. Regular blood work, especially for a senior pet, is a great way to screen for internal health. Basically, blood work looks for organ function, and healthier pets should have values that fall within the reference range of the lab work.

If you guys have questions for me, feel free to post them below in the comments or on the Pets Best Facebook page.