5 REASONS FOR PET ANNUAL CHECKUPS

Taking your pet to the vet can be a chore, especially when your pet is very reluctant to go. Not to mention dealing with whatever costs you may incur. However, there are some good reasons to make sure your pet gets a checkup at least once a year:

1. Your pet can’t tell you that they hurt.

Animals often don’t outwardly show their pain and indications of pain may be subtle. Your pet might seem to start being more picky about their food. This could be mistaken for just simple fussiness when it could actually be a tooth problem. Or maybe they become less active and this could be mistaken for aging when it could be a serious medical problem. Routine checks will help a vet discover what is really going on with your pet.

2. As your pet ages, medical issues are more likely to come up.

Our pets should get medical checkups just like we do. While we may sometimes forget, our pets age much faster than we do. So think of it this way, a medical check-up for your pet is comparative to a medical check-up every 5 – 7 years for a human. So you want to have your pet checked at least once a year.

3. Yearly exams can discover a problem before it’s too late.

As your pet ages, they are more likely to begin to have medical problems. Some of these problems may come gradually, as with arthritis, so that you may not even notice them at first. Others can be internal and you may not be aware of them at all. A veterinarian doing a routine check knows what to look for in order to catch changes such as tooth decay, problems with the heart, kidneys, etc. Early diagnosis can help your pet have a good quality of life and may even help prolong their life if an illness is caught and treated in its early stages. Diseases could be caught before it’s too late.

4. This is a great time to talk with your vet and better understand the needs of your pet.

Meeting with your vet and getting a thorough exam of your pet will help you stay educated about your pet. This is a great time to ask the vet any questions you may have. Here are some examples of questions you can ask:

• What is my pet’s ideal weight?
• Are my pet’s teeth and gums healthy?
• Does my pet need any blood tests?
• What are the essential vaccines?

5. You can save money in the long run.

Neglecting your pet’s health can cost you more money over the long run. Without proper medical checkups they can develop more complicated and expensive issues. Teeth are a good example of this. Just like with humans, regular checkups can prevent serious and expensive teeth problems from developing.

We look forward to seeing you here at Amigo Animal Clinic soon.