The annual check, at home
The yearly once-over is the highest-value habit in pet care: most serious conditions announce themselves quietly, and early beats late every time. At home, the exam is calmer and often more revealing.
Updated August 2026
What the vet actually checks
Nose to tail, literally: eyes, ears, mouth and teeth; heart and lungs; abdomen; skin and coat; lumps mapped and noted; joints flexed; weight and body condition scored; gait watched. Questions about appetite, thirst, toileting and behaviour fill in what the hands can't feel. Findings drive the extras: a dental estimate, a lump-check plan, blood work for seniors.
Why the home version sees more
A relaxed animal is an examinable animal: heart rates aren't fear-spiked, bellies aren't clenched, and cats aren't pancaked to the table. The vet also sees the environment: the food actually fed, the stairs the arthritic dog climbs, the litter setup. Half of good preventive advice is environmental, and at home the environment is right there.
Want a vet to come to you?
Tell us where you are and what you need. We'll match you with a home visit vet who covers your area and email you their introduction. Reply to it and they'll call you. No obligation.
How often, honestly
Annually for healthy adults, conveniently alongside the yearly vaccination, which includes the exam anyway. Six-monthly from about age seven (senior checks), and for giant breeds from five. Puppies and kittens run their own schedule through the vaccination course.
What it costs
A standard home consult: $139 to $169 all-in in most metro areas, less per pet for households (multi-pet visits). As insurance against the expensive version of late-caught disease, it's the cheapest thing in vet medicine.
Common questions
Is a check worthwhile if my pet seems perfectly healthy?
That's precisely when it's cheapest and most useful: the point is catching the silent early stage of dental disease, heart murmurs, kidney decline and lumps while they're small problems.
Can blood tests be part of a home check?
Yes, samples are taken at home and run at the lab, with results by phone in a day or two. Standard for senior checks.
Due, or overdue?
Most pets are. Book the home version and the vet brings the exam to the couch your pet is already on.