4 reasons your dog needs a routine vet checkup

As a pet pal or fur parent, you provide your dog with everything to keep them happy, healthy, and, at times, spoiled. Giving them food and water, taking them on walks, buying them toys, dressing them in cute clothes, or simply playing with them can surely make them contented. While all these things make you a wonderful owner, there’s one more thing that you can do to make sure your four-legged furry friend is OK inside out: a routine vet checkup.

These scheduled visits usually happen once a year but maybe more, depending on your dog’s age. Routine vet checkups ensure your canine buddy has a clean bill of health through head-to-paw examinations, vaccines, and various tests. 

Reasons for a routine vet checkup 

People think that routine vet checkups or dog wellness exams are unnecessary and costly, especially if your dog looks healthy. But your mutt can’t talk, and they’re actually good at hiding pain, so you won’t know they’re harboring something unless an expert looks at them. Vet visits, whether online or through vet telemedicine, are the best ways to learn about your pooch’s health. 

Here are a few reasons why you should go to the vet at least once a year or as often as needed.

Protect your dog’s health 

Routine vet visits begin when your puppy is at least six months old and continue until they’re seniors. Vaccines are part of puppy checkups, along with a physical examination of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat. The vet also takes note of your dog’s height and weight and continues to monitor these and other vitals with every visit. 

As your dog grows older, you should continue these wellness visits. You may even need to bring your furry friend twice a year if they’re seven years and above as they’re more prone to illness at this age. 

Once the vet establishes a benchmark for your dog’s health, they can easily tell if something’s off and if your canine buddy needs further tests or some medication. Essentially, routine checkups serve as preventive measures to ensure that your dog is healthy inside and out.

Detect early signs of disease

Another reason why you need a routine vet checkup is so you can address unusual behaviors, which could be telltale signs of illness. Eating less, vomiting, drinking too much water, panting at night, and diarrhea are a cause of concern. These behaviors may be signs of diabetes, heart, lung, or kidney disease. 

The vet can perform a thorough physical exam to check for swelling or pain and order blood, urine, and stool exams to learn about your dog’s condition. These exams can tell you if your dog’s condition is temporary or it could be a more severe condition.

Regular visits may address your dog’s condition before they get worse. The vet can prescribe medication to manage symptoms and may even prescribe lifestyle changes to prevent further complications. 

Prolong your dog’s life

Dogs make good companions for play, exercise, travel, and even for plain hangouts. You enjoy being with them and want to continue making wonderful memories with your beloved furry pal. You can ensure they grow old with you by taking them to scheduled checkups to ensure that they’re well enough.

During these yearly visits, your vet can teach you how you can better care for your mutt. For instance, they can suggest better meal plans to prevent allergies and obesity. They can also advise on how to groom your pets and keep them comfortable despite the season. Your vet can also recommend activities to keep your dog active and alert as a way to keep them healthy. Or, they can also provide you with tips to ensure your dog doesn’t get stressed with transitions, such as moving to a new place or introducing a new pet or family member.  

Routine checkups ensure that your dog can live their life to the fullest. Apart from making sure that they’re free from disease, it also provides you with an opportunity to learn how you can properly care for your beloved friend and make them happy and contented.

Save money 

Routine vet visits can also help save you money in the long run. With regular monitoring, your vet can detect signs of illness and treat them before they result in costly medical emergencies. 

Treating obesity, gum disease, and other serious conditions is often more affordable when they’re detected early rather than in late stages, which can result in thousands of dollars spent to save your dog from suffering and illness.

Aside from long-term savings, wellness visits also save you from the heartbreak of losing your beloved pet from serious illness or sudden death. This is because the vet can recommend how you can care for your dog if they get sick. They can also advise how you can make your ailing dog comfortable and help them recover faster from injury. 

Routine checkups also monitor your mutt’s condition and ensure that it doesn’t result in further complications. These consultations ensure you can be with your pet and help them recover and live longer.  

Conclusion

Routine vet checkups are beneficial to our furry pets in several ways. For instance, they protect our dog’s life through vaccines and physical exams, ensuring they have ideal measurements for their age. Visits also address unusual behaviors and treat them to prevent further disease. Vets also perform additional tests during these visits to detect the first signs of illness and help them recover quickly. 

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