Wellness exams help detect health changes, guide preventive care, and give you time to ask questions about your pet’s daily needs. Blue Mountain Animal Clinic provides cat and dog wellness exams for Sequim, WA pets at every life stage, from their first checkup through their senior years.
Whether your dog joins you on Olympic Peninsula adventures or your cat prefers a sunny windowsill, we tailor recommendations to their age, lifestyle, and health history.
To make sure your dog or cat is staying healthy, call us at (360) 457-3842 or click below to schedule their next wellness appointment!
How Often Does My Pet Need a Wellness Exam?
We recommend yearly wellness exams for dogs and cats younger than 7 and checkups every six months for pets age 7 and older. Puppies, kittens, senior pets, and pets with ongoing health conditions may need additional visits.
A lot can change between birthdays. Regular exams help us get to know what’s normal for your pet, making it easier to recognize when something needs a closer look. And when your pet’s needs change, we can adjust their care together.
What Happens During a Cat & Dog Wellness Visit?
A wellness appointment starts with the expert on your pet’s everyday life: you. Have they become pickier about breakfast? Slowed down on walks? Started waking you up at night? Those details help us see the bigger picture.
From there, your pet’s visit may include:
- A physical examination: We check their eyes, ears, mouth, skin, heart, lungs, abdomen, and movement for signs of health concerns or discomfort.
- A weight and body condition assessment: We look beyond the number on the scale and talk about food, portions, treats, and activity.
- Recommended screening tests: Bloodwork and other tests can help us investigate concerns and track changes that an examination alone may not reveal.
- A preventive care review: We discuss vaccinations and parasite prevention based on your pet’s needs.
- A conversation about what comes next: We explain our findings, answer your questions, and recommend any follow-up care.
Why Does My Pet Need an Exam If They Seem Healthy?
Wellness care gives us a chance to check on your pet before an obvious problem brings you through the door. Dogs and cats can hide discomfort, and some conditions develop gradually enough that changes are easy to miss at home.
An examination might uncover a sore tooth, a new lump, or stiffness your pet has quietly worked around. Screening tests can add another piece to the picture by helping us evaluate organ function and compare results over time.
Finding a concern early may give us more options for managing it. If something needs further attention, we’ll explain what we found and whether additional diagnostic testing would help.
How Does Wellness Care Change With My Pet?
Your puppy’s first checkup and your older dog’s next visit have different goals. We shape each appointment around the pet in front of us.
Puppies & Kittens
We monitor growth, check for health concerns, plan vaccinations, and help you sort through questions about feeding, training, socialization, and spay or neuter timing. There’s plenty to learn when someone new joins the household.
Adult Pets
From weekend trail walks to indoor play sessions, your pet’s routine helps guide our recommendations. We monitor weight, dental health, and physical condition while talking through any changes you’ve noticed.
Senior Pets
Taking the stairs more slowly or skipping a favorite perch can signal discomfort. More frequent visits help us assess mobility, appetite, behavior, and other changes so we can support your pet’s comfort as they age.
Whether you have a new kitten with a growing list of firsts or an older dog whose routine you know by heart, we’d love to help you care for them through the years. Give us a call at (360) 457-3842 or book an appointment online.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cat & Dog Wellness Exams
Yes, even a cat whose biggest adventure is exploring a cardboard box needs routine veterinary care. Wellness exams help us monitor teeth, weight, mobility, and other health concerns that can affect indoor cats, including kidney disease and diabetes.
Not necessarily. We recommend testing based on your pet’s age, medical history, and examination findings. Bloodwork can help establish a baseline, investigate a concern, or monitor an existing condition. We’ll explain why we recommend a test and what it can tell us.
They can be. We review your pet’s records and recommend vaccines when they’re due, so your pet won’t necessarily receive the same vaccinations at every checkup. Their age, lifestyle, and previous vaccinations help guide the plan.
Bring any available medical records, a list of medications and supplements, and your questions. A short video can help us see a behavior or movement that your pet may not repeat during the visit. Ask our team whether you should bring a stool sample or follow any instructions before testing.
The total depends on the exam and any additional services, such as vaccinations or laboratory testing. Call (360) 457-3842 for current exam pricing and help planning for your pet’s visit.