A yearly checkup is essential to the health and well-being of your pets.
Almost all pet owners have a good veterinarian they rely on for their dog or cat’s medical concerns: someone to call if the dog eats an entire pot roast or the cat cuts her paw pad. Such a vet probably gave your pet its first shots and performed spay or neuter surgery.
But do you schedule a “well check” visit for your pet every year? Even if your dog or cat does not have an ongoing medical condition and seems perfectly healthy, it is important for the veterinarian to examine your pet regularly.
During a routine visit, a veterinarian typically performs a physical exam in which he or she carefully checks the pet’s body from “nose to tail.” During this exam, the vet will take the pet’s temperature; look closely in the mouth, eyes and ears; and gently feel along the body for signs of any internal issues. He or she might take a blood sample, and if your pet needs them, administer vaccinations.
Such an exam—performed annually—gives the vet a good idea of your pet’s healthy condition. Then, at future visits, any early signs of potential health issues will be easier for your vet to spot. Here are some of the key items your vet will likely appraise at an annual well check:
- Mouth, gums and teeth: The vet looks for signs of gingivitis, periodontal disease and oral cancer. Some of the early symptoms are oral pain, tooth abscesses, tooth loss and infection.
- Eyes and vision: A check here may reveal signs of corneal ulcers, cataracts, dry eyes or glaucoma. Left unchecked, these issues could lead to pain, blindness or even loss of an eye.
- Ears: During an exam, a vet typically checks for evidence of ear mites or infection. Left untreated, these can lead to pain and even hearing loss in your pet.
- Skin: The vet checks your pet’s skin for signs of allergies, fleas, mites, ticks, infection or lumps. Parasites can cause illnesses, and any skin lesions, lumps or hair loss may indicate disease.
- Joints: A gentle manipulation of a pet’s joints can help a vet identify early signs of arthritis, hip dysplasia, degenerative back disease and even cancer. Early detection can help prevent pain, reduced mobility and even paralysis.
Just like with human health, prevention is the key to treating a multitude of conditions that can affect our dogs and cats. By scheduling an annual well check for your cat or dog, you can work with your veterinarian to keep your pet in tip-top shape.
About the author: Stacy N. Hackett is an award-winning writer with more than 25 years’ experience in the pet industry. She is the former editor of Pet Product News International and a former staff editor with Cat Fancy, Cats USA, Critters USA and Ferrets USA. To learn more about her work, visit stacynhackett.vpweb.com.
I just became a cat owner and so I have been wondering what exactly is necessary when it comes to taking care of him. I am definitely planning on taking him to the vet to get fixed and to make sure that he is healthy and so I am glad that you mentioned that such health exams should be done regularly. However, when it comes to vaccinations, which ones should my cat absolutely have and which ones don’t matter too much?
I appreciate your information on exactly how often I should be visiting the vet. My dog definitely doesn’t get to see the vet often enough, but I will do better to prevent issues with all of the things that you listed. Is there a specific time of the year when it is best to take a dog to the vet? Thank you for such a helpful article!
I didn’t realize it is recommended to take your pet to the vet at least once a year. I can see why this would be a good way of avoiding any serious health issues. My sister just got a cat for Christmas. I’ll have to remind her of the importance of regular check ups.
My kids recently rescued a yellow lab, and I am trying to figure out how often to take him to the vet and get checked up on from now on. I’m glad I came across this article because I had no idea that a wellness exam is usually given annually. This seems like a great opportunity to check on the health of your pet and make sure they are happy. Thank you for the helpful information!
My husband has always wanted to get a dog, but I have never had a pet before so I am glad that I found this article. I like that you say getting a wellness examination can help you determine the health of your pet because they look at their teeth to check for dental disease. Also, I like that the vet will help you to come up with a balanced nutrition plan for your pet. This definitely makes me feel more comfortable about getting a dog.
I do like that you talked about how a regular vet visit can help you to make sure that your dog is protected from allergies that can cause illnesses and skin lesions. Our dog at home is prone to allergies, and she has been scratching her skin most of the time. I want to make sure that she will be monitored regularly so she can prevent her allergies to get worse. I’ll be sure to find a pet hospital where I can bring her soon.
It really took a load off my chest when you said that a vet only needs to do some gentle manipulation to identify the early signs of bone problems, like arthritis. That is good to know because that is the illness that I am suspecting my pet to have. My cat is pretty energetic, and now, it’s like she’s having a hard time moving around. Knowing that she will only be touched slightly made me feel at ease as I do not want to see her in pain. Thanks!
Thank you for pointing out that annual visits are necessary in order to give the vet an idea about the condition of the pet and if there are health conditions we need to worry about. I will start taking my pet to the vet next month. This is because I want to make sure that my pet stays strong for a long time. I thought I can care for him myself, but as it turns out, I can’t.
Thanks for pointing out that regular vet visits are important even if they have no sign of any medical condition. I will definitely keep this in mind when I receive my dog next month. I just adopted him from a shelter that I visited three months ago, and, because of that, he might have underlying medical conditions.
Veterinarians who will typically perform a physical exam as you said will really help maintain my dog’s health. I do agree that such an exam gives the vet a good idea of his condition as you said which can help me monitor his health when I finally get him. Prevention is indeed the key as you pointed out to make sure my new dog lives out to his fullest and only a good veterinarian can help me with that.
Thanks for explaining what a veterinarian does on a routine visit, such as performing a physical examination and taking the animal’s temperature. In my opinion, this would be as important as a human physical because you’d be able to catch anything that might be wrong with the animal but not readily visible yet. I will have to look more into going to a veterinarian.
You mentioned that a vet usually performs a physical exam where they check the pet’s body nose to tail. It makes sense that this could help with finding anything out of the ordinary. I’ll look for a vet near me that can help me with checking out my cat. She has been acting weird lately and I don’t know why. A vet can help me answer this question.
I love that you talked about the importance of regularly take your pet to the vet. Personally, I believe that since dogs can’t talk we should take them for a checkup once in a while to make sure they are perfectly healthy. Thanks for letting me now that prevention is the key to treating a multitude of conditions that can affect our dogs and cats.
I liked the point that a veterinarian exam can give a good idea of my pet’s health condition and it helps detect health problems earlier. I have been wanting to make sure my dog has what she needs to live a happy long life. I will have to visit my local veterinarian hospital and talk to my vet about regular check-ups.
I like how you point out the importance of taking pets to the vet regularly, even if they do not appear to be having problems. I just got a dog, and I want to make sure he is healthy and has a long life. I plan on taking him to a vet yearly for this reason.
For Christmas, my neighbor adopted a sweet bulldog for her kids. She is looking for some tips for how often to take him to the vet and how to best keep him healthy. It’s awesome that vets can help spot gingivitis, allergies, ticks, or any other health problems early so that they can treat them. I’ll let her know!