In your journey through pet health as a dog owner, your veterinary doctor is that trusty sidekick or tour guide that knows the terrain and helps you slay monsters every step of the way. They are simply indispensable.
Unlike regular dog owners, vets are trained to examine and spot problems. Dogs can’t communicate their pain or discomfort, but the vet can interpret the signs and their health concerns.
Visits to veterinary clinics are very important for your dog’s health. You don’t have to wait till something is wrong to visit one. The lifespan of pets isn’t as long as that of humans. That is why preventive health care visits make sure your dog lives out their years to the fullest in good shape, making beautiful memories with you.
On the other hand, many owners find it difficult to navigate scheduling trips to the veterinary office. If you’re guilty of the latter, this article will help you understand why vets are important and how often you should pay them a visit from your dog’s infancy till their later years.
Annual Wellness Exam
An annual wellness exam is simply a yearly checkup for dogs. Just like humans, pets need to undergo full-body checks to ensure they are completely healthy and to spot diseases that wouldn’t exhibit outward symptoms in their early stages, like cancer.
These yearly wellness exams focus on disease prevention and early detection, that’s what makes them very important.
They make sure your dog isn’t at the edge of the metaphorical cliff before they get help.
It is recommended your dog gets them at least once a year.
In a wellness exam, you can expect a physical examination, an oral interview, tests, and sometimes, vaccination.
- The physical examination usually includes:
- Weighing your pet.
- Feet and nail examination for signs of health concerns.
- Heart and lungs examination with a stethoscope.
- Checking the dog’s skin for issues.
- Coat inspection.
- Checking eyes and ears for abnormalities.
- Dental examination.
- Palpating your pet’s body and abdomen to check for signs of discomfort.
- In an oral interview, after reviewing your dog’s medical history, your vet usually asks about;
- Your pet’s diet.
- Lifestyle and environment.
- Exercise routine.
- Level of thirst, and urination.
- Behavioral anomalies.
- A stool sample is usually required for a fecal test. You may have to get additional tests if your vet recommends it.
- For younger dogs or puppies, annual vaccines are given. Booster shots are also administered to older pups in order to keep them up and effective.
After all the tests, your vet will be sure to let you know of any abnormalities and suggest possible solutions. There are some sources for Dogs Education where you must guide yourself about dogs before buying them.
Why is the wellness exam important for your dog?
You shouldn’t take the wellness exam lightly.
- Through routine exams, diseases that don’t show symptoms early enough can be detected and swiftly remedied before they get any worse.
- Dogs tend to hide their pain.
It is natural for pets to hide their illness from you. However, they can’t hide it during a wellness exam. Whatever the physical examinations can’t spot will not go past the other tests.
- Your pet’s mental health is also examined.
Apart from their physical health, wellness exams at the vet evaluate their mental states too. A dog could be physically healthy but mentally not-so-great.
Chances are the problems you have with your dog’s behavior are a result of psychological issues. You can only get that diagnosed and treated after a wellness exam.
- Dogs age faster than humans.
Your pet may not live forever, but a regular check-in at the vet will make sure they live as long and healthily as they can.
Puppy Vet Visits
Vet visits are as vital as dog grooming for pups in their first year of life. This is because younger dogs are more susceptible to diseases than older ones as their immune system is still weak. They could be a little bit of a hassle, but those diseases that are life-threatening for your puppy are preventable with just a shot, so they are most definitely worth it for your dog to live a healthy life.
Puppy Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination schedules are not fixed, it is important to know that. They vary from environment to environment, and depending on the risk factor, your puppy might not need to get some.
They are administered in multiple doses usually from two to four weeks apart. According to American Kennel Club, this is the recommended vaccination schedule for puppies in the first year:
- 6 — 8 weeks : DHPP (distemper), parvovirus.
- 10 — 12 weeks: DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus).
- 16 — 18 weeks: DHPP, rabies.
- 12 — 16 months: DHPP, rabies.
Dogs are considered adults after the first year and for adult dogs, the frequency of vaccination depends more on how long their last shot was than it does on their age.
They just need boosters to maintain their immunity level. The intervals are usually;
- Rabies: every three years.
- DHPP (Distemper): every three years.
- Leptospirosis: every year.
- Bordetella: every year.
- Influenza: every year.
- Lyme disease: every year.
When To Go To The Vet Right Away
If your dog starts to show any of these signs, it’s definitely a veterinary emergency and you need to get them to the animal hospital as soon as you can.
- Exposure to dangerous or poisonous substances.
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Extensive vomiting or diarrhea.
- Profuse bleeding or a major injury.
- Severe pain.
- Restlessness, panting, inability to lie down comfortably, unsuccessfully attempting to vomit, and abdominal distention.
- Seizures.
- Collapsing or chronic weakness.
- Struggling to urinate.
- Not eating or drinking.
- Coughing.
- Paralysis of hind legs.
Conclusion
Most dogs don’t like to go to the hospital and you can’t blame them, nobody does. As scary as a trip to the vet might be for your pup, it is important to reassure them by patting them, cuddling them, or giving them treats.
This reassures them of your presence and helps them know that in a room full of probable strangers, they have an ally in you.