If your pet is perfectly healthy, it can seem like an unnecessary waste of time and money to take them to the vet’s office. However, taking the time to attend routine checkups and work with your vet on preventative treatment methods for your animal pal can give them a better chance at a much longer and happier life. It also makes it much less likely that you will have to go through the heartbreak and expense of treating them for a dangerous disease.
Young animals
For young animals, it’s recommended that you get them examined by a vet as soon as possible after you bring them home. This means that the vet can check your pet for any potential health problems and also come up with a vaccination schedule based on their age and which shots they have already had. It’s a good idea to get your pet used to visiting the vet as soon as possible when they aren’t sick, so that it won’t be traumatic for them if they ever have to visit for an injury or illness.
Puppies should usually be vaccinated every two to four weeks between the ages of six and sixteen weeks, with the final set of puppy vaccinations being given no sooner than sixteen weeks.
Kittens should be vaccinated from six to eight weeks old, every three to four weeks until they are sixteen weeks old.
For puppies and kittens, vaccinations are important for protecting them against diseases that could potentially be life threatening. Your vet will also ensure that your pet is treated for fleas and worms, which can not only be unpleasant for your pet, but can impact on you too. Fleas are notorious for getting into furniture and laying their eggs, and worms can be passed to humans.
Adult animals
Most people are aware of the importance of the initial vaccinations and health checks for puppies and kittens, but not quite as sure on the benefits of regular checks for adult animals. The main thing to remember is that animals age more quickly than humans, so an annual check for an animal is like a seven-yearly check for a human!
Vets recommend that you get your animal checked out annually so that they can give booster vaccinations — which ensure that your pet is still protected from disease — and to generally check on your pet’s well-being. This puts your vet in a good position to be able to notice any changes or abnormalities as soon as possible, so that if any problems do arise, they can be dealt with quickly. Your vet is also a wealth of information about diet, exercise, and anything else you might need, and an annual check is a good opportunity to have these conversations.
If you choose your vet wisely then annual checks don’t need to be expensive; for example, veterinarianjohnsoncitytn.com have made routine vet care their focus and don’t offer hospitalization and heavy sedation, which means they can keep the cost of routine care low.
Older animals
Once your pet gets older (generally past the age of seven but this is breed dependent), it’s a good idea to start taking your pet in for six-monthly checks if you can. Your vet will want to run tests more regularly to keep an eye on your pet’s vision, heart, lungs and joints so that if any issues do develop, then they can be addressed and your pet can continue to live happily and healthily.
Tammie~