Consistent preventative care, including checkups and vaccinations, can ensure your pet enjoys a long and well-balanced life. The purpose is to determine health problems in their earliest stages, when they may be more manageable. Therefore, routine checkups at the vet are recommended. Being proactive can help you avoid developing certain ailments or diseases in the first place.
When should you take your pet in for a checkup?
Acquiring a pet means being responsible for its well-being throughout its expected lifespan. Also necessary to pet ownership is ensuring regular trips to the animal hospital or vet clinic for checkups and treatment. However, when is the right time to take your pet to the veterinarian? In this article, we’ll examine the various age thresholds at which taking a pet to the vet becomes required.
Newborn
If you want to guarantee your kitten or puppy is well-protected by booster shots, they need to see the vet regularly when they are young. This initial set of pet immunizations is given every three to four weeks, starting at six to eight weeks of age and continuing until the pet is sixteen to twenty weeks old. For the same reasons, vets will recommend frequent examinations for your pet throughout its first year to ensure its organs are regularly developing, it is gaining weight appropriately, and its teeth and bones are growing normally.
This is also the time when your vet will conduct the spay or neuter procedure and deworm your pet to remove any worms in the digestive system. If your young pup needs regular veterinary care to maintain a healthy life, you can search online for “puppy vet check” to get started.
Adult years
When pets get to adult years, your veterinarian will recommend yearly checkups at the minimum. The goals of these consultations are to:
- Examine your pet’s physical condition carefully
- Give your dog vaccinations to ensure it remains protected against dangerous illnesses
- Provide tips for cost-effective pet vaccinations that can help shield your pet against diseases to which it is distinctively vulnerable due to its environment, lifestyle, or other factors
- Keep your pet free of internal parasites, heartworms, and external parasites such as fleas and ticks
- Inspect your pet’s oral cavity and tooth structure, and recommend any necessary dental treatment
- Do an evaluation of your pet’s diet to ensure it’s appropriate for your pet’s breed, age, health, and way of life
- Bring up any questions or issues you have regarding your pet’s behavior
Senior years
Animals, like people, have a greater need for medical attention as they age. This is why veterinarians recommend semiannual exams for senior pets rather than annual. In addition to physical and any required vaccines, senior pets may need additional health evaluations during their visit. The pet may have a series of diagnostic procedures, including an evaluation of its medical history and a physical examination, along with a complete blood count and urine analysis to analyze its internal organ function.
When taking your senior pet in for a medical exam, discuss any changes in your pet’s health or behavior, so they may get the best treatment possible. If your senior pet is in need of a specific prescription to treat a sickness, you can get it from a vet pharmacy clinic in your area.
Conclusion
No matter how old your beloved pet is, you need to be sure they get regular care so you know they’re healthy. Similar to our health, the best way to ensure your pet lives a long and well-balanced life is to keep them from getting sick. You can help your pet by regularly taking it to the veterinarian for checkups. Because, after all, we intend to spend as much time as possible together enjoying life’s pleasures.