Wellness Exams
Dogs and cats hide discomfort well, so the changes that matter often show up on an exam before they show up at home. A wellness visit at our Midlothian clinic, on Steam Avenue off Midlothian Turnpike, is a nose-to-tail check, a vaccine and prevention review, and time to ask everything you've been saving up.
Call (804) 603-9509 or book online. Visits usually take 30 to 45 minutes.
When it's an emergency: A wellness visit isn't the right appointment if your pet is struggling to breathe, collapsed, bleeding heavily, or can't stand. Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital when we're closed. Our Midlothian clinic is open 8 AM to 6 PM, seven days a week, and we don't provide overnight care.
What the Exam Covers
Every visit starts with weight, temperature, and vital signs. Then the doctor works nose to tail:
Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and teeth.
Heart and lungs.
Belly, lymph nodes, skin, and coat.
Joints, muscles, and how your pet moves.
Behavior, appetite, and anything you've noticed.
Based on age and lifestyle, the doctor may recommend vaccines, a heartworm test, or blood, urine, or fecal tests. You hear the reason for each, and the cost, before deciding.
"The vets spend so much time in the examination. I never feel like I don't have their complete attention and compassion."
— Kat W., Petfolk client.
How Often to Come In
Puppies and kittens: several visits in the first months, timed to the vaccine series.
Healthy adults: at least once a year. Petfolk recommends two exams a year so changes are caught sooner.
Seniors: twice a year, often with blood work.
The American Heartworm Society recommends an annual heartworm check-up for dogs, and the wellness visit is the natural time for it.
Wellness Exam or Sick Visit?
A wellness exam is for a pet who seems healthy. If your pet has a specific problem, like vomiting, limping, an ear infection, or a new lump, book a sick visit instead. That appointment is built around the problem, and the doctor has time to work it up.
If something small comes up during a wellness visit, mention it. The doctor will tell you whether it can be handled now or needs its own visit.
When You Don't Need One Yet
If your adult pet had a full exam within the past six months, is healthy, and is current on vaccines and prevention, you don't need another visit just because a reminder arrived. Check what's due and book when it is.
New to Midlothian? Bring the Paper Trail
Midlothian is growing fast, with new neighborhoods and developments along Midlothian Turnpike drawing families from out of state. If you've just moved, the first visit goes better with your pet's history in hand.
Vaccine records, especially the signed rabies certificate. Virginia requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats.
The last heartworm test date and the prevention product you use.
Medications, past diagnoses, and recent lab results.
Your previous clinic's contact information, so records can be requested.
Chesterfield County also licenses dogs, and a current rabies certificate is part of that process, so keep a copy where you can find it.
What a Wellness Exam Costs
A wellness exam is $99, the same for every pet regardless of size or age. With a PetfolkCare membership ($199 a year), exams are included. Vaccines, tests, and preventives are priced separately, and members save 10% on vaccines, lab work, and preventives. You get an estimate before anything is added.
Book the Visit Before There's a Problem
A yearly or twice-yearly exam at our clinic on Steam Avenue is the simplest way to catch changes early. Call (804) 603-9509 or book online.