Annual Wellness Exams for Your Dog

So why is it so important that your dog be seen annually for an exam and vaccinations? Initially, when you bring your dog in as a puppy, you are required to go through a series of vaccinations. These vaccinations are given to prevent the diseases such as Parvo, Distemper and Bordetella. These vaccinations are very important so that your puppy does not come down with either of the diseases. After the series of puppy vaccinations, your dog is only required to have vaccinations given yearly to booster the immunity to the diseases. Many veterinary clinics are now leaning more towards every 3 years having vaccinations given once the dog reaches the age of 5 and older (as long as exposure is minimum).

So why should you still come in annually for wellness exams if everything seems like it is OK with your dog at home? Well, underlying conditions such as renal and liver failure in the early stages may not give off any symptoms. When you do see symptoms, it may be too late and the liver or kidneys may be too damaged to help. Annual exams and blood work profiles are extremely important in ensuring that your pet is healthy.

Other conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, arthritis, ear infections, etc. can be found upon examination and blood testing annually. Again, these may not show symptoms in the early stages but may be caught at the examination/blood testing. Bringing your pet in only if they have problems is not viable for your pet's health. Your veterinarian will overlook the entire body and make proper suggestions to improve your pets health if needed. Obesity is another severe problem that veterinarians commonly deal with. This is a condition that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc. Some pet owners feel that there pets weight is just fine when in reality, the pet is overweight. This may not be pointed out to them until the time of the wellness exam.

So very important to keep bringing your pet in annually for examinations. Even if they are on a decreased vaccination protocol, you should still bring in for annual exams and blood testing. Remember, do not wait until your pet is showing health problems to go into your veterinarians office, it may be too late in some cases.