1 year vet check up

[Gingers Mommy]

Does anyone have any suggestions or guidelines for me as I will be taking Ginger to the vet for her 1 year check up.
Id like them to test her heart (but i dont really know how they do that- do they just listen with a stethascope?)
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[Karlin]

Vets will generally listen to hearts anyway. However they are not great at hearing early murmurs -- it's good idea to have your dog cardiologist tested every year to 18 months or so. A year is pretty young to do this though some folks like to start early. Some suggest age two to 2.5 as a good time to start, as well.

You can generally find very low cost cardiac clinics that pet owners can attend at cavalier club events. It is a lot more expensive to do this as an appointment. Here's a list of health clinics:

http://cavalierhealth.org/health_clinics.htm

But you can also call your local or regional club. You usually need to make an appointment so they know you will be attending.

[Joanne M]

Bring a stool sample, it can be tested for parasites or worms. The vet will bring Ginger up-to-date with her shots, refill scripts for monthly heart-worm pills, flea/tick medication, check her ears, eyes, weight, give a listen to the heart and ask about her diet. As Karlin says my vet listens to Tucker's heart with her stethoscope. If you have any questions, bring a list, between helping hold a squirming dog and answering questions, it's easy to forget any you may have of your own.

[Gingers Mommy]

Thanks guys!
Karlin that link was very helpful, I added it to my favorites and will try to get to one of those clinics in the next 6 months for those specific tests.
Thanks Again!