An important part of caring for your dog is to have regular wellness visits with the vet. This is important since your dog can't tell you when something is wrong and by the time symptoms become obvious, it could be too late to treat a medical condition. Your vet may recommend different exams at different stages of your pet's life. Here's an overview of what to expect:
Your Dog Will Have A Thorough Exam
Your dog gets a physical exam during a wellness visit that includes things like listening to the heart, pressing on the abdomen to feel organs, checking the ears, weighing your dog, noting the health of the coat, watching your dog walk and interact, examining the teeth, and listening to the lungs. The veterinarian will probably ask you about appetite, changes in behavior, activity level, and any symptoms your dog may be experiencing.
The Vet May Order Lab Testing
Your vet may order routine lab testing during wellness exams. This may require that you withhold food from your dog overnight for fasting blood work. You may also need to collect a stool sample so the vet can test it for parasites. The results of lab testing can alert your vet to medical conditions in the early stages so treatment can begin before your pet has serious complications.
The Frequency Of Visits May Vary
When your dog is a puppy, the vet may recommend more frequent visits so your puppy can go through the standard vaccination schedule and to monitor for health problems early in life. Once your puppy becomes a healthy adult, your vet visits may get less frequent. If your dog has a health problem, they'll need to see the vet more often for monitoring and treatment.
If your dog is active and healthy, the vet visit frequency may be yearly or as recommended by your vet as long as your dog is seen often enough to stay in compliance with rabies and other important vaccinations. When your dog becomes elderly, the vet visits may become more frequent so your dog can be monitored and treated for conditions that come with advanced age.
A side benefit of having regular wellness exams is that they get your dog comfortable going to the vet, so a visit won't be so traumatic when your dog gets sick and has to see the vet. Wellness visits are an important part of pet care because they can help your dog stay healthy and prevent unnecessary pain or illness because of a medical problem that you aren't aware of.
Share24 October 2019
For years, I wanted to fill my home with happy animals. When I got married, my spouse wanted a pet just as much as I did, and it was great to start looking for pets together. We were able to find a rescue animal who worked well with our budget and our lifestyle, and it was neat to give that sweet animal a home. However, after we brought the pet into our home, we realized that he needed some medical care. We turned to a veterinarian for advice on his medical health, and we worked on getting him completely vaccinated. Check out this blog for more information on finding help early.
