As a caring dog owner, you want to ensure that your furry friend receives the necessary care to live a healthy and long life. In this blog, our veterinarians in Woburn share how frequently you should take your dog to the vet and explain the significance of regular check-ups.
Prevention & Early Detection
Taking your dog to the vet regularly can help prevent serious diseases or catch them in their earliest stages when they are easiest to treat. This is one of the best ways to ensure your dog lives a longer, healthier life.
By doing so, you are giving your veterinarian the opportunity to keep an eye on your dog's overall health, check for the earliest signs of diseases, and provide you with recommendations for the best preventive products for your pup.
We understand that the costs of taking your dog to the vet can be a concern, especially if they appear to be healthy. However, taking a proactive and preventive approach to your furry friend's health can save you money on the fees of more costly treatments in the future.
The bottom line is that investing in your dog's health now can help prevent serious and expensive health problems down the road.
Routine Wellness Exams - Checkups for Dogs
Bringing your dog to the vet for a routine exam is similar to taking them for a physical checkup. As with people, how often your pet should have a physical depends upon your dog's lifestyle, overall health, and age.
Annual wellness exams are typically recommended for healthy adult dogs, but puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with underlying health conditions benefit from more frequent examinations.
Puppies Up to 12 Months Old
If your pup is younger than a year old we recommend taking them to the vet monthly.
During the first year of your dog's life, they are going to require several rounds of vaccinations to help protect them from common infectious diseases such as hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza, corona, parvo, leptospirosis, and rabies. These vaccines will be given to your puppy over 16 weeks and will go a long way towards keeping your puppy healthy.
The timing of your puppy's vaccinations may vary depending on your location and your puppy's overall health.
Our veterinarians suggest having your furry friend spayed or neutered when they are between 14-16 weeks old to prevent diseases, undesirable behavior, and unwanted puppies.
Adult Dogs Up To 7 Years of Age
If you have a healthy and active adult dog between the ages of 1 to 7 years, it is recommended to take them for yearly wellness exams. During these exams, your veterinarian will conduct a thorough checkup of your pet, starting from the head and going all the way down to the tail, to look for any early signs of sickness or other issues like tooth decay, joint pain, or parasites.
Your vet will also administer any necessary vaccines, discuss your dog's diet and nutritional requirements with you, recommend the appropriate parasite protection, and address any training or behavioral challenges you might be experiencing. If your veterinarian finds any indications of developing health problems, they will inform you of their findings and suggest the next steps.
Senior Dogs
Dogs are typically considered geriatric or senior when they reach around 8 years of age, except for giant breeds. However, larger breeds such as Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Mastiffs, and Saint Bernards tend to age more quickly than other breeds and require more frequent preventive care earlier, usually around 5 years of age.
As many canine injuries and diseases are more common in older dogs, we recommend taking your senior dog to the vet every 6 months. These twice-annual wellness checkups for your senior dog will include all the checks and advice mentioned above, as well as a few additional diagnostic tests to gain further insights into the overall health of your furry friend.
A couple of diagnostic tests we recommend for senior dogs can include urinalysis and blood tests to check for early signs of issues such as diabetes or kidney disease.
Geriatric care for dogs also consists of a more proactive approach to keeping your pooch comfortable as age-related problems such as joint pain become more common. If you have a senior dog, ask your vet how often you should bring your pet in for an examination.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.