Friendship Hospital for Animals recommends semi-annual examinations for all pets who have reached their "Golden Years".  Depending on their breed, this can be anywhere from 7-10 years of age for dogs and cats.  
As pets age, health problems often arise at a more rapid rate than when they were young.  By performing twice-yearly examinations, we are able to catch any health concerns early on, and also ensure that good preventive care keeps your older pet in tip-top shape!

At your pet's geriatric examination, we will:

• Speak to you at length about your pet's health history and take note of any special concerns.  We schedule annual examinations for 30 minutes rather than the traditional 15, so that we have plenty of time to discuss all aspects of your pet's health.

• Any behavioral concerns that you may have about your pet will be noted and our staff will discuss a plan to help address the concern.

• Examine your entire pet thoroughly, including the eyes, ears, nose, teeth, lymph nodes, skin, heart, lungs, digestive and urinary system, bones and joints, muscles, spine, and nervous system.

• Specialized examinations may be performed as needed of the musculoskeletal, nervous, digestive or reproductive organs.  We also have many specialized examination techniques for the eye and skin and can also evaluate many skin masses in-house to look for cancer.

• Often, routine screening blood and urine analyses are recommended to help spot signs of disease in the liver, kidneys, and other organs, often before outward signs of disease are detected. Learn more about routine pet bloodwork here.

• Your pet will be assessed for any signs or sources of pain and you will be provided with diagnostic and therapeutic options for these conditions.

• Preventive health care will be discussed, including oral health, vaccine recommendations, parasite prevention,  exercise, and diet.

• Most importantly, we will treat your family member like one of our own!