Internal Medicine

At Animal Doctors of North Texas, we believe a thorough physical examination is of the utmost importance for the health and future well- being of your pet. The physical examination includes a doctor's assessment of the ears, eyes, teeth, skin, heart and respiratory functions, muscular and overall body condition of your pet. Alongside labwork, the exam offers insight to possible serious health issues that could be affecting your pet. Caught early, most of these problems can be prevented and/or treated with diet, medications or lifestyle changes. It has been estimated that dogs and cats age 7 times faster than we do. As a result, diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, kidney disease, liver disease and even cancer can develop at a very early age. Oftentimes, these problems cannot be discovered by physical examination alone. With this in mind, we recommend that your pet have a complete blood count, a biochemistry panel, and a urinalysis performed each year during their wellness visit. Blood testing complements the doctor’s exam and allows us to discover illnesses at an early stage before your pet becomes obviously sick. Treatment success is much better when disease processes are caught at an early stage. Yearly wellness blood testing allows this.