--- title: "Preventive Care: The Importance of the Wellness Exam" description: "Why comprehensive physical exams every six to twelve months are the foundation of proactive preventive health care for cats." date: "2016-08-12T05:44:45Z" author: "Just Cats Clinic" image: "/img/5d7fd6cf" canonical: "/preventive-care-the-importance-of-the-wellness-exam/" --- # Preventive Care: The Importance of the Wellness Exam Preventive care and regular wellness checks at your veterinarian are an important part of helping your cat live beyond nine lives. In addition to keeping your feline friend’s vaccinations up to date, wellness care also gives your vet an opportunity to catch any disease processes early before further damage occurs. ![Veterinarian examining a kitten during a wellness check](/img/5d7fd6cf) ## How Often Should You Take Your Cat in for Wellness Exams? While it depends greatly on your cat’s particular needs, the general rule of thumb depends on age. For healthy cats 7 years and under, annual examinations are recommended, even if no vaccinations are needed at that time. Senior cats, ages 8 to 14, need preventative exams once every six months, or twice a year. Geriatric cats, ages 15 and beyond, ideally need exams once every 3 months, or four times a year. Factors that influence the frequency of the visits include your cat’s age, breed, prior medical history, lifestyle, and vaccination history. ![Veterinary team performing a routine examination on an adult cat](/img/8ab7f9fb) ## What Preventive Care Will the Vet Administer During Each Visit? - **Comprehensive physical exam**: The first and arguably most important part of every wellness check is a full visual and physical exam of your cat. The information that your veterinarian collects during this exam will help establish a baseline regarding your cat’s health for use in this and future exams. When your vet does a nose-to-tail exam, they examine the following: - **Body condition score**: Checking your cat’s weight and body condition on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being too thin and 5 being too heavy - **Weight**: Checking for trends of weight loss or gain - **Coat condition**: Checking if your cat’s coat is dry, oily, has any dandruff, and whether your cat is grooming itself regularly - **Eyes**: Checking for any abnormalities and assessing vision - **Ears**: Checking for any debris - **Mouth**: Checking dental health including plaque, tooth decay, gingivitis, and overall gum health. Cats’ teeth can develop problems very easily, so regular dental checkups and cleanings are critical to maintaining good health, especially as your kitty ages. The dental screening often helps prevent mouth pain and infections that, if left untreated, could lead to other illnesses. - **Heart and lungs**: Listening for any abnormalities and assessing any heart murmurs - **Abdomen**: Palpate abdomen, feeling for any abnormalities and checking for changes in size of liver, kidneys, and the large/small intestine - **Pain assessment**: Checking on a scale of 0 to 4 by applying pressure during examination at certain points and watching for reaction, with 4 being very painful and 0 being no sign of pain - **Walk/gait**: Checking for any stiffness or abnormality when walking/jumping; looking for signs of pain or potential joint disease - **Annual labs**: By performing lab work annually, we may be able to spot underlying disease processes and create a treatment plan before symptoms become severe. Even if you have a young cat, annual labs can provide an important baseline for your veterinarian to spot future early disease processes. - **Vaccinations**: Vaccinations are an important (and in some cases, legally required) part of good health maintenance. Keeping them current is the best way to ensure that your kitty does not contract any of a variety of diseases including feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia (FVRCP), rabies, and/or leukemia (if you have an outdoor cat). - **Prevention and treatment of parasites**: Unfortunately, cats are susceptible to a number of internal and external parasitic infections, even when they are always indoors. As a result, regular prevention is critical to ensuring that your cat stays healthy and parasite-free. If your cat is outdoors often, your vet may also recommend a fecal test to check for additional parasites. The most important, even for indoor cats, is heartworm prevention. Medications, either topical or oral, are typically given once every 30 days and should be continued year-round. We are always happy to provide full estimates before we proceed with any treatments or preventive care on your cat. Feel free to call ahead of time if you’d like an estimate prior to your appointment to help with financial planning. Additionally, we offer CareCredit as a flexible payment option in addition to accepting Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and cash. Preventive care and tests will help your cat live a happier and healthier life and potentially save you money in the long run by catching things early. So if you’ve been putting it off or your cat hasn’t been to the vet in a while, call us to schedule a checkup today!