Whether you’re new to having pets or you’ve been a pet parent for many years, you probably already know that taking your pet to the vet regularly is a must.
Taking your pet to the vet can sometimes be a bit of a hassle and can even be quite costly, and for these reasons, many people leave their vet visits until they notice that there is something wrong with their pets.
However, to avoid even costlier vet bills or prevent your pet from getting unwell, having your pet assessed by a vet regularly is the key to keeping them healthy!
Sugarland Animal Hospital has put together a list of the top 5 reasons why you should make your vet visits a regular occurrence. Keep reading to find out.
Pets are like humans and need checkups
Annual health checkups are a good idea for both humans and pets. We often visit doctors as a preventative measure to ensure that health issues don’t creep up on us.
The same goes for your pet. Health assessments from vets can help spot any potential issues that may occur or catch illnesses in their early stages.
Many pets, like cats and dogs, need vaccinations each year to stay healthy, so when they get these done, it’s the perfect time for a quick health check.
For many kinds of pets, it’s recommended that they visit the vet at least once a year to stay on top of their health.
Pets are very good at hiding symptoms of illness and disease
Most animals don’t like showing up when they are unwell. Even when they have been involved in an accident or are quite obviously hurt, in many cases, an animal will do what it can to not show any signs of sickness.
There is an evolutionary reason for this, and it was actually, so they wouldn’t show any signs of weakness to potential predators. So, even though your pet lives safely with you, away from other animals who are hunting it, they still behave like this. It is a survival instinct.
However, when your pet is hiding its symptoms of illness and you can’t see the signs it can lead to them ending up much sicker or even possibly dying from what is making them unwell.
When you get a pet, it is important to spend some time observing their behaviors, like how often they sleep, eat, drink and go to the bathroom. Some signs of illness can be more subtle than others, like they may not be drinking as much water as usual.
Often, by the time we notice that our pets are unwell, they have already been sick for a long time. Besides paying attention to their usual behavioral patterns, an annual check up with a vet can help with ensuring your pet’s health issues are noticed.
A vet is highly trained in understanding pet health and knows many of the less obvious signs of illness in animals, and they may be able to help notice an issue long before you do.
You can learn more about how to care for your pet with regular vet visits
There are many illnesses, diseases, and infections that can affect animals, and over the course of your pet’s life, its health needs and requirements will change.
Ensuring your pet has annual check ups can help you become more educated on things you should be keeping an eye out for with your pet.
Your vet will often provide you more information on how to care for your pet as their needs change over their life and if you get another pet in the future you’ll be in a great position to know how to take care of them really well as well.
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Pets age faster than humans
Similar to humans, medical issues can become more prevalent as they age. Often, as humans age, their health needs change and they will visit doctors and other health practitioners more regularly.
Animals are often in the same boat, with senior dogs and cats requiring more medical attention and more frequent vet visits. While this is similar to humans, it’s important to remember that pets age significantly faster than humans.
For every chronological year of a dog’s life they age around 7 years, so this can mean that your pet, while they may be quite healthy, their health needs can change fast. So, these regular health checks are even more important as your pet gets older.
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Regular vet visits can save you money in the long run
It’s no secret, that vet bills can be high, especially in emergency situations or when the health of your pet has been neglected. And while even an annual check up can cost a bit, it can also save you a lot of money in the future.
During a check up your vet may be able to see the signs of possible illness or disease that is in it’s early stages, which means you may be able to treat it before it becomes a big problem.
These regular health checks for animals are a great preventative measure as your vet will likely provide you with information on signs and symptoms of things that may affect your pet in the near future as they get older.
While vet bills, even for check ups can add up, it’s a small price to pay to keep your pet happy and healthy, and it might save you more money in the long run!