Vet Visit: Routine Check-up
A pet owner takes their pet to the veterinarian for a routine annual check-up, discussing the pet's general health, vaccinations, and preventive care.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
check-up
A routine medical examination to ensure good health, often used for pets or people. In this dialogue, it refers to Bella's annual visit to the vet.
booster
An additional dose of a vaccine to keep protection strong, like a 'booster shot' for pets against diseases.
rabies
A serious and deadly virus that can affect animals and humans, prevented by vaccines. It's a common concern in pet care.
heartworm
A parasite that lives in the heart and blood vessels of animals like dogs, prevented with monthly medication.
prevention
Actions taken to stop illness or problems before they happen, such as giving medicine to avoid heartworm.
medication
Medicine given to treat or prevent health issues, often in pill form for pets.
fleas
Small jumping insects that live on animals' skin and can cause itching or disease.
ticks
Small arachnids that attach to animal skin and suck blood, potentially spreading diseases.
topical treatment
A medicine applied directly to the skin, like drops or sprays for pets to kill fleas or ticks.
physical exam
A doctor's hands-on check of the body's health, including listening to heart and lungs.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
She's due for her annual check-up.
This sentence uses 'due for' to mean 'it's time for' something scheduled, like a doctor's visit. It's useful for talking about appointments or routine tasks in everyday English.
How has Bella been doing since her last visit?
This is a polite way to ask about someone's or a pet's health over time, using present perfect 'has been doing' for ongoing situations from the past to now. Great for check-up conversations.
No major issues, just her usual playful self.
Here, 'no major issues' means no big problems, and 'playful self' describes normal behavior. This casual phrase reassures others and is common in health discussions.
Has she been on her medication regularly?
This question uses present perfect continuous 'has she been on' to check habitual actions in the past and present. Useful for inquiring about routines like taking medicine.
Absolutely, she gets her heartworm pill every month without fail.
'Absolutely' means 'yes, definitely,' and 'without fail' emphasizes reliability. This sentence shows strong agreement and describes a consistent habit with present simple 'gets.'
We'll do a full physical exam, check her weight, and listen to her heart and lungs.
This uses future 'will' for planned actions and lists steps with 'and' for coordination. It's practical for explaining procedures during a vet or doctor visit.
Should I be concerned about anything specific with her diet?
This is a way to seek advice using 'should I be concerned' for worries, and 'anything specific' means particular things. Helpful for asking questions about health or care.
That's a great question. We can definitely talk about a senior diet plan after the exam.
Starts with praise 'that's a great question' to be polite, then uses 'can definitely' for certainty and 'after' for sequence. Useful in professional talks to build rapport.