Most pets visit their vet each year for routine vaccinations and an annual health check. However, some pets may go several years without being seen. Ideally, during a yearly health check, your pet leaves with a clean bill of health and you leave reassured and confident that they are thriving. While this is often the case, routine examinations can sometimes uncover underlying conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed. This was exactly what happened with my own cat, Milo.

In December 2025, Milo attended his annual check-up with one of our vets, Gudi. As part of her standard procedure, she conducted a full clinical examination before administering his vaccinations. During this assessment, she detected a grade 2 heart murmur. Milo had been seen annually and had never previously presented with a murmur. At home, he was bright, happy, and showing no clinical signs at all.

Following Gudi’s advice, Milo and I visited our Shepton branch to see Josh, who has a particular interest and expertise in cardiology – holding a post-graduate certificate in Cardiology. To help keep Milo calm and comfortable, he was given a small amount of sedation. Josh then performed an echocardiogram to assess how Milo’s heart was functioning. As suspected, Milo was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common form of heart disease in cats. It is estimated to affect over one third of cats over the age of nine.

Because Milo’s condition was detected early, it is not currently affecting his day-to-day life, and he does not require medication at this stage. For now, he can continue enjoying life as normal, with periodic heart scans to check for any changes. We will reassess his heart health with a follow-up scan in 6–12 months.

Without his routine check-up, this condition may have remained undiagnosed until it progressed to heart failure -something that would have been distressing for both Milo and me.

Routine health checks allow your vet to identify potential concerns before they become serious or life-threatening. They are a vital part of protecting your pet’s long-term health and wellbeing – even when everything appears perfectly normal at home.

If your pet is due for a check-up, we would be delighted to see you.