The physical exam is an essential part of any veterinary visit. A good physical examination can detect minor abnormalities before they become serious problems as well as identify if any further testing should be performed. Checking body weight and body condition are important as well. We want to ensure puppies and kittens are gaining at a good rate, making sure pets aren’t gaining unwanted pounds or losing weight unexpectedly. Even subtle changes such as 1/2lb of weight loss in a 10lb cat, for example, can be one of the first clues that something isn’t right. Whether your “fur-family” is in for a specific medical issue, routine health review, surgery or vaccinations, our doctors will examine them from head to tail. Sitara Animal Hospital believes every pet deserves a thorough physical exam. Part of how we provide this is allowing adequate time in an appointment; 30 minutes is our standard examination time. Anything less is insufficient and equivalent to general human medicine. For all of our patients, our goal is to keep them as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. By having a thorough physical examination performed on your pet each year, we have our best chance of catching problems before they become apparent to you as the owner.