Pet Health: How Often Your Pet Should Go To The Vet

Everyone knows that the 14th of February is a time to think of love. But for the whole month, and every minute of every day, who are the ones who really love you unconditionally? I would venture to say they are your dog or cat.

The month of February is known as Responsible Pet Owners Month. It’s a time to reflect on what you should be doing for your fur baby to make sure they are healthy and in the best state of health possible for their age.

What does that mean? Well, in this month's blog post I’m going to be talking about how often as well as why your pet should be seeing a vet every 6 months to a year, depending on their age. I’ll also do a quick refresher at the end about the importance of your pet’s dental health because February also happens to be Pet Dental Month.

How often your pet should see the vet

Puppies and kittens may require to visit the vet more frequently. Especially in their first 2 years.

Vaccinations and tests for common diseases are essential for all animals in their first year of life.. Around the four-month mark is probably going to be the time when most kittens and puppies are spayed or neutered.

In addition to these check-ups, your vet may start them on flea medication. It’s important to take your puppy or kitten to the vet regularly in the first year of their life to ensure they’re growing properly and healthy.

For adult dogs and cats, there’s good news! As long as your dog or cat is healthy, they should require fewer vet visits at this stage of their life.

Just keep in mind that doesn’t mean they can go without any wellness check-ups. In general, an adult dog or cat with no pre-existing health conditions or concerns should go to the vet at least once a year.

Why? Annual visits to the vet are a key time to check your dog or cat for any developing health problems. Expect your vet to weigh your fur baby, examine them from top to bottom, and review their medical records.

The vet will make sure your fur baby is within a healthy weight range and up to date on their vaccinations. These annual visits can also monitor your furry family member for signs of common health problems that can affect adult dogs and cats, such as gum disease, heart disease, and cancer.

For senior dogs and cats, it’s recommended that you should have at least two vet visits per year- so every 6 months. Just like we do when we get older, older pets tend to need more health care as they age.

Your fur baby has brought you so much joy and love throughout your life. It's being a responsible pet owner to want to ensure their senior years are as fulfilling and comfortable as possible.

At your senior pet’s 6-month check-up, your vet will assess your fur baby’s overall health- checking for any potential risks or disease. As well as checking for tumors, arthritis, and any signs of pain.

Having regular pet visits can help your pet stay as healthy as possible. I encourage you to keep this information in mind and to ensure your furry family members are getting the best care possible so they can live a long healthy life.

Practice Good Pet Dental Hygiene

Did you know that dental health plays a critical part in your pet’s overall health? It’s true!

Dental problems can cause, or even be caused by other health problems they may have. So it’s good practice to make sure your pet’s pearly whites are kept in good health.

At home, dental care can really go a long way toward helping protect your fur baby against dental disease.

Here are some tips:

• Include regular brushing to your pet’s routine- at least twice a week
• Feed them a healthy diet
• Give them plenty of appropriate chew toys that will help maintain a healthy mouth

And please, ask your vet about how often your pet should have a professional cleaning. Yes, it’s a thing and it’s very important.

I hope this post gave you the information you needed to know about why it’s important to take your pet to the vet on a regular basis. If you want to do some pet health checks at home- take a look at our Smartphone Urinalysis Kit. It lets you check your pets’ health and detect diseases in advance.

It can analyze 10 parameters to detect various health issues such as diabetes, bladder infection and more. Using your own smartphone, you can manage your pets’ health systematically through historical test results. How cool is that?!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out! Pet health is a passion of mine and I am more than happy to point you in the right direction.

And remember: A healthy pet is a happy pet!