Being a caring dog owner means ensuring your furry friend enjoys a long and healthy life. In this blog post, our Monterey Park veterinarians explain how frequently you should visit the vet with your dog and highlight the significance of regular check-ups.
Prevention & Early Detection
To help your dog live longer and healthier, prevent serious diseases or catch them early. Regular vet visits let your vet monitor your dog's health, spot early disease signs, and suggest suitable preventive products.
Although vet costs for healthy-seeming dogs might concern you, being proactive about your pet's health can save you from pricier treatments later on.
Routine Wellness Exams - Check-ups for Dogs
Bringing your dog to the vet for a routine exam is similar to taking them for a physical check-up. As with people, how often your pet should have a physical depends upon your dog's lifestyle, overall health, and age.
Healthy adult dogs usually need yearly wellness check-ups, but puppies, senior dogs, and those with health issues should have more regular exams for better care.
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 exact timing of your young dog's vaccinations will vary depending on your location and your furry friend's overall health.
Our vets recommend having your canine companion spayed or neutered when they are between 14-16 weeks old to help prevent a variety of diseases and undesirable behaviors as well as unwanted puppies.
Adult Dogs Up To 7 Years of Age
If you have a dog aged 1 to 7 years that's healthy and active, it's a good idea to take them for a yearly check-up. During this appointment, the vet will carefully examine your dog from head to tail to catch any signs of sickness or problems like teeth issues, joint discomfort, or parasites.
The vet will also give any necessary shots, talk to you about your dog's diet and what they need to eat, suggest ways to protect them from parasites and address any training or behavior concerns you might have.
If the vet notices any possible health problems, they will talk to you about it and recommend what to do next.
Senior Dogs
As dogs grow older, they are generally considered seniors around 8 years of age, except for large breeds like Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Mastiffs, and Saint Bernards. These larger breeds age faster and need more frequent preventive care, usually starting at around 5 years of age.
Since older dogs are more prone to injuries and diseases, it's recommended to take your senior dog to the vet every 6 months. These twice-yearly check-ups will cover all the mentioned checks and advice, along with a few additional tests to gain insights into your dog's overall health.
Some recommended tests for older dogs include urine and blood tests to catch early signs of issues like diabetes or kidney disease.
Taking care of senior dogs involves a proactive approach, especially as age-related problems like joint pain become more common. If you have an older dog, ask your vet how often you should schedule examinations for your furry friend.
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.