Routine vet visit - During a routine checkup, your vet may ask general health questions — about diet, thirst, exercise, elimination patterns, and more — to see how your dog is behaving and getting around. This is an opportunity to bring up any concerns you may have. The vet may ask you to bring in a fecal sample to test for intestinal parasites. Your vet may also perform a physical exam from snout to tail during a routine visit, where they’ll check your dog’s vitals, heart and lungs, weight, bone and joint health, dental health, and general physique. As dogs get older, the vet may also check for lumps and growths. Additional testing and visits - Depending on what the vet discovers after a full wellness exam — or if you brought your pet in when they aren’t feeling well — your vet may recommend specific diagnostic or screening tests. These typically fall under the categories of urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC), thyroid hormone testing, and biochemistry profile. Vets may advise more comprehensive blood testing for older adult dogs and senior dogs or additional tests like ultrasounds and X-rays. Depending on the situation, these tests may be done during the same vet visit or scheduled for separate times. Dogs can be good at hiding signs of diseases in the early stages. While the costs of these tests and exams can add up, they could help your vet catch a health issue before it becomes a larger problem. MetLife Pet Insurance policies may cover things like diagnostic testing, exams, X-rays, and ultrasounds. And with optional wellness plans that cover routine vet visits and vaccinations, the care your pet needs doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.