How Regular Vet Visits Can Help Optimize Your Pet's Health

It’s ideal to see your veterinarian even if your pet is not sick. The American Animal Hospital Association says regular veterinarian visits can help maintain your pet’s good health. Your veterinarian needs to see your pet every year. Knowing how these regular veterinarian visits can improve your pet’s health can motivate you to keep your pet’s annual appointments. Here are the details.

It Provides Detailed Information

Your veterinarian at Animal Hospital of Humble will check your pet from nose to tail. Temperature checks, body palpation, and a thorough inspection of the ears, mouth, and eyes will happen. Your veterinarian may take a blood sample. Updating your pet’s vaccination may be part of the visit as well. The yearly check can give your veterinarian an idea of your pet’s health. Below are some of the areas that your veterinarian will check:

• Checking the ears for infection or ear mites will not ensure a lack of problems but will allow any problems to be diagnosed and treated. If your pet has one of these conditions, your veterinarian can treat it and prevent complications.
   

• Manipulating your pet’s joints can check if your pet has hip dysplasia, arthritis, or cancer. Detecting joint issues does not prevent paralysis or pain but can allow treatment.
   

• Inspecting your pet’s skin for ticks, lumps, or areas of hair loss. Your veterinarian can then provide the necessary treatments.
   

• Looking at your pet’s teeth, mouth, and gum can help detect signs of periodontal disease, gingivitis, or even oral cancer. Your veterinarian can also spot infections, missing teeth, or dental abscesses.
   

• Examining your pet’s eyes and vision can tell your veterinarian if your pet has glaucoma, corneal ulcers, or cataracts. Necessary treatments can prevent your pet’s early vision loss.

It Checks Young and Old Pets

Regular veterinarian visits must start while your pet is still young. Your veterinarian will examine your young pet and check for any disorder or illness. This checkup must happen before neutering or spaying. Regular checkups are a good start to developing a baseline for your pet’s health. This can help see if there are changes in your pet’s health since the first checkup.

For older pets, having blood tests and physical exams every year or twice a year can help your veterinarian spot the onset of a disease. You will never know if your pet is suffering from diabetes or arthritis. Thyroid disorders are also common in aging pets. Your veterinarian may recommend X-rays and other diagnostic exams to confirm any chronic disease.

It Gives Pets a Voice

Even if your pet is healthy, you should still bring your pet to the veterinarian every 6 months to be examined. This may not make sense to many pet parents, but it is necessary for your pet’s health and well-being. Animals cannot tell you how they feel. But your veterinarian can interpret your pet’s health through different tests. If your pet needs help, your veterinarian can give it right away.

It Gets Pet Parents Involved

Talking to pet parents is an important part of every annual veterinarian visit. Information from pet parents can inform them about any diarrhea, vomiting, eating habits, drinking habits, or weight changes. The veterinarian may ask about your pet’s range of motion and balance, as well as scratching or panting.

Regular veterinarian visits can give your pet a chance at a healthy, happy, and long life. At the Animal Hospital of Humble, we help pet parents optimize their pets’ health and well-being through our quality services. Bring your fur kid to our facility in Humble, Texas, for an in-person consultation. Please call 281-812-1960 to set an appointment or ask about our regular veterinarian checkup packages.