Four reasons to get regular check-ups for your dog
Having a dog in your life means you have a great, fun addition to your family that everyone can enjoy. You can play together, go on long walks, and experience many other adventures together. Of course, you also have the responsibility of taking care of your precious pet – whether that’s giving them the correct diet, taking them for regular check-ups and grooming them.
Yes, every good boy or girl deserves to be checked over by your local vet every so often. Here’s why it’s important you make sure you take your family’s best friend for a regular veterinary visit.
Healthy dogs are happy dogs
Your dog’s health will affect their overall well-being – which can be great news for you. Investing in regular visits will be a good investment that you and your furry friend will appreciate.
How often you go will depend on the age of your pup. Those under the age of one will need to go fairly frequently to get their shots and to make sure they’re progressing as expected – much like you would with a baby. After that, your dog should only need yearly appointments.
Once your dog is getting old, they may need more monitoring as they may have more health issues. So you may need to visit twice a year from the age of seven, depending on what your vet thinks.
Help prevent illnesses from occurring
Preventative care is important for your pet – you may have regular check-ups with your family physician, so why not your dog as well? Vets at the King of Prussia veterinary center will check that your dog’s vitals are in good shape and everything is going well. They can help to detect and sometimes prevent diseases and other life-threatening conditions, which can then go on to save you money and heartache later on in your pet’s life.
Get early detection for conditions
Dogs don’t always reveal obvious symptoms of illness. Animals in the wild will often hide these signs as a survival tactic, so they don’t get kicked out of the pack. So no matter how well you care for your pet, it won’t guarantee that they will be healthy – so a regular check-up will catch ailments before they’re noticeable.
Your vet may perform a physical exam with checks on their blood and fecal matter; this will be especially important as your dog gets older. Conditions such as diabetes, thyroid, and adrenal diseases, as well as parasites, infections, allergies, heart issues and cancer, may be checked for your pet.
Keep up to date on vaccinations
Every animal is different, so treatments or injections are not always the same. They will need an individual assessment of their health and needs. So speak with your vet to see what treatments – including vaccinations – your furry family member may need. With vaccines, some animals may have an allergic reaction while others will respond to it well.