Why should I bring my pet to the vet if they seem healthy?
The goal of preventative care is to maintain and protect their good health throughout your dog's lifetime. In doing so, you give your canine companion their very best chance at a long, healthy, and happy life. Preventive care begins with routine exams, scheduled once or twice per year depending on your dog's unique needs.
These routine exams are physical checkups for your pet.
By bringing your dog in to see their veterinarian, even when they appear to be perfectly healthy, you are allowing the vet to monitor your pet's health and check for early signs of health problems. Conditions are often most effectively treated in the early stages, leading to good treatment outcomes.
Routine exams also allow the vet to provide preventive care, such as parasite control and vaccinations, to keep your pup feeling their best.
How often do I need to bring my pet in for preventive care?
Veterinarians normally advise clients to bring their dogs in for yearly routine wellness exams. However, every pup is different and has different needs. Because of this, the frequency will vary based on your dog's age, medical history, lifestyle and more.
Puppies can be vulnerable to health conditions that adult dogs can resist with ease. This is also true for senior dogs. Puppies need to see their veterinarian frequently over their first six months of life in order to receive all the required rounds of essential vaccinations. Elderly dogs should visit their vet about twice a year for optimal care.
What's involved in a routine wellness exam?
When you bring your dog to the veterinarian, they will walk through your dog's medical history and inquire about any specific concerns you might have with your pup's health.
In some cases, you will have been asked to bring in a sample of your pet's stool so that a fecal exam can be done. Your vet will examine the stool sample for signs of common intestinal parasites, which may otherwise be difficult to detect.
After these initial steps, your veterinarian will perform a physical checkup. Most wellness exams include many or all of the following:
- Listening to your dog's heart and lungs
- Checking your dog's weight, stance, and gait
- Inspecting your dog's coat for overall condition, dandruff, or abnormal hair loss
- Looking at your dog's feet and nails for damage or signs of more serious health concerns
- Looking in your dog's ears for signs of bacterial infection, ear mites, wax build-up, or polyps
- Checking your dog's eyes for signs of redness, cloudiness, eyelid issues, excessive tearing, or discharge
- Examining the condition of your dog's teeth for any indications of periodontal disease, damage, or decay
- Feeling your pet's abdomen to assess whether the internal organs appear to be normal, and to check for signs of discomfort
- Checking your dog's skin for issues such as dryness, parasites or lumps and bumps
- Feeling along your dog's body for signs of swelling, evidence of lameness, and indications of pain
Each of these tests is intended to detect signs of health issues your dog may be experiencing. Because our canine companions can't tell us when they are uncomfortable or in pain, these thorough examinations are a great way to check how your pet is generally feeling.
What about getting my pet its shots?
Vaccinations are designed to protect your dog against contagious, common, and possibly even life-threatening diseases. The vaccines for your dog will be based on where you live and what your pet's lifestyle is like.
There are core vaccines recommended for all dogs, and there are "lifestyle vaccines" that are recommended for pets who are often in contact with other animals.
Your adult dog will require booster shots regularly to maintain protection against diseases. In most instances, boosters are given to your pet annually, or once every three years. Vets can let you know when your dog's booster shots are due.
Does my pet really need parasite prevention?
Parasites are a health threat. Mosquitos and ticks carry dangerous parasites, which can invade your pet's body and cause fatal conditions. Because of this, vets will always recommend ways for you to prevent parasites from invading your pup. It's also important to know that some of these parasites can be passed from pets to their owners.
Parasite prevention can help to protect your pet from conditions like:
- Heartworms
- Fleas
- Lyme Disease
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Hookworms
- Roundworms
- Tapeworms
- Whipworm
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Is preventive care expensive?
When compared to the cost of treating an advanced form of a condition, disease, or disorder, routine preventive healthcare for your dog will save you money.
Not only that, but preventative veterinary care will also ensure that your dog experiences a minimum amount of pain or discomfort from any health issues they are experiencing. The sooner a medical issue is detected in your pet, the sooner it can be treated.
What are Pet Wellness Plans?
Pet Wellness Plans bundle all the preventive services your dog needs to stay healthy, including annual checkups, vaccinations, parasite prevention, and more. They offer a discounted rate on all of these to help you stay on budget and spread the cost out over the course of a year. Helping to make your dog's routine veterinary care more affordable. Many times, these plans also offer a significant discount on services not covered directly by the plan.
Pet Wellness Plans are designed to save you money and give your furry family member the benefit of routine preventative care. It's a win-win for you both!
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.