Preventive Care for Chesapeake Pets: The Importance of Annual Wellness Exams
Our geographical location boasts incredible recreation opportunities for Chesapeake pets and their people. From cycling to hiking, and camping to paddle boarding, there are so many outdoor things to do together. While exercising is paramount to pet health, leaving the comforts of home can increase the risk of illness or injury. To safeguard a pet’s overall wellness, we encourage pet owners to embrace preventive care.
Gathering Data
It may seem counterintuitive, but the chance to examine a pet when they are in peak health leads to greater understanding. Developing a baseline of healthy, normal values (including their overall appearance, gait, weight, and behavior) can help us pinpoint even subtle changes down the road. In other words, the more we get to know your pet throughout their life, the better we treat any problems in the future.
When One Becomes Two
Puppy and kitten vaccines necessitate more visits to the vet during the first four months of life. Once their core vaccines are finished, we typically don’t see young pets until they turn one year old. At that point, we can update any vaccine boosters, discuss behavior, lifestyle, dental health, and plans to establish and maintain lifelong health. If everything looks good, we will schedule another wellness exam in 12 months.
Depending on a pet’s breed and medical history, we may suggest moving away from annual wellness exams to every 6 months. This typically starts around age 7, and creates the chance to detect and treat common age-related problems. Senior pets can enjoy many more years with their owners, but preventive care is essential to their overall quality of life and their longevity.
How to Prevent Common Pet Issues
We are here to help pet owners provide the best possible care to their pets. To that end, we customize every pet’s wellness plan to help them maintain a healthy weight, clean teeth/gums, and an active lifestyle.
Annual wellness exams include a thorough nose-to-tail exam (including the mouth, eyes, ears, feet, and everything in between). We monitor and assess any changes from previous wellness exams and look for any clues that indicate the following common pet issues:
- Gum disease
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Allergies
- Parasites
- Ear infection
- Cancer
- Urinary tract infections
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Hip dysplasia
- Hyperthyroidism
When we suspect that any of the above are affecting a pet’s health, we rely on accurate, rapid veterinary diagnostics. Complete blood profiles, urinalysis, radiographs, and ultrasounds can help us determine a course of action and jumpstart a successful, effective treatment plan.
Lifelong Pet Wellness
There are so many aspects of pet wellness that benefit from a preventive approach, including dental disease, weight gain/obesity, arthritis, parasites, and contagious diseases. The more you bring your pet into the vet when they are happy, well-adjusted, and healthy, the better. Pet wellness exams fortify a pet’s health, safety, and long-term vitality.
If you have questions about our services, our staff, and how you can bolster your pet’s wellness, please contact us at info@vitalvetcare.com.