Senior dogs
What does a senior wellness vet check usually include?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
A senior wellness visit usually covers a full physical exam, weight and body condition scoring, a dental check, joint and muscle assessment, and often bloodwork covering organ function and a complete blood count. Many vets also check blood pressure and ask detailed questions about appetite, thirst, energy, and bathroom habits at home. The whole visit typically runs 20 to 30 minutes, noticeably longer than a routine annual check for a younger dog.
The hands-on exam
Your vet will feel along the spine and limbs for muscle loss or discomfort, check the range of motion in hips, shoulders, and knees, and look closely at the eyes, ears, and mouth. This is also when a body condition score, usually rated 1 to 9, gets assigned, giving a consistent way to track weight changes over time.
Bloodwork and what it looks for
A standard senior panel checks kidney and liver values, blood sugar, thyroid function, and red and white blood cell counts. None of this diagnoses a specific illness on its own, but it builds a baseline your vet can compare future results against, which is often more valuable than any single test result.
Questions you will likely be asked
Expect questions about how much water your dog drinks, whether eating habits have changed, how quickly your dog rises after resting, and whether there have been any accidents in the house. Honest, specific answers here matter more than owners often realize.
It helps to write these answers down beforehand rather than trying to recall them on the spot. A ten minute conversation covers far more ground when you can say your dog has been drinking roughly a third more water over the past month, rather than a vague sense that the water bowl seems to need filling more often.
Key takeaways
- A senior wellness check includes a physical exam, body condition scoring, and dental review.
- Bloodwork typically covers kidney, liver, thyroid, and blood cell values as a baseline.
- Body condition is usually scored on a 1 to 9 scale to track weight over time.
- Specific answers about thirst, appetite, and mobility help the vet more than general impressions.