As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to understand your pets’ health needs and address them accordingly. To do that, you need to take them to the vet regularly to check their health and to give proper preventative care as and when needed.
So how often should you take your pet on wellness visits? Here is what you need to know about the frequency of vet visits your pet needs on average.
Factors Deciding Number Of Visits
Usually, the number of visits your pet needs depends on their breed, type of species, age, lifestyle, and other health conditions they are going through. During your first visit to the pet, your doctor will be able to analyze these factors and recommend how frequently your pet needs a visit to the vet clinic.
Usually, just like how we need more medical attention at the start and end stages of our lives, your pets will also need more frequent visits in the first year of their life and as they enter their silver years.
Here is a breakdown of the common types of pets and how often they need to visit their vet.
Cats and Dogs
If you have cats or dogs, you should visit the vet every three to four weeks until they are about four months old. This is important to give them a healthy growing stage. And when they are adults, an annual check would suffice to get any boosters or necessary vaccines. When they are around 10 years old, they fall into the category of senior animals and would require a vet visit at least twice a year.
Rabbits
At their early stages of life, rabbits should be spayed and neutered to avoid future health or behavioural issues. Then, they can just practice annual health checks, like with cats and dogs, maybe twice a year once they reach their senior years.
Birds
Veterinary doctors and exotic birds experts say it’s more important to bring pet birds for regular visits than cats and dogs. This is because birds have evolved to hide signs of illness in the wild. So going to the vet twice a year is advised for bird owners. Apart from this, it’s also recommended to spot subtle signs of diseases and get proper medical attention before it’s too late.
Emergency medical needs or other persistent health problems may call for more visits than these standard frequencies.
Reason For Frequent Visits In Early & Later Stages
In their early stage, pets need a course of vaccines, and they’ll start heartworm and flea- and tick prevention medication. It’s also essential to ensure they are growing well and show no signs of illness.
The vaccines that are given when they are young protect against common diseases like feline panleukopenia (feline enteritis/feline parvovirus), feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus, parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and bordetella.
On the other hand, as pets age faster, changes in their health also escalate more quickly. This is why in general, at least two visits yearly are recommended for senior pets who are above 7 years old.
Apart from vaccinations and other age-relevant physical examinations, senior pets will also need blood and urine tests as they become susceptible to some common diseases of ageing like arthritis, diabetes, gum disease, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, thyroid problems and even dementia.
It’s believed that even little changes in a senior pet, like needing to drink more water or staying inactive than they do, are signs of ageing problems like kidney disease or arthritis.
Takeaway
Veterinary doctors and specialists acknowledge that even if your pets are doing just fine, that makes you doubt they don’t need a vet visit; annual health checks should not be overlooked. They are crucial to diagnose, treat, and prevent health concerns before they become life-threatening.
Looking for a reliable vet in Dubai to keep your pet’s health in check? Reach out to Modern Vet, the only 24-hour multi-speciality hospital in the UAE, serving since 1995. Through a revolutionary approach to pet care and a team of handpicked vet specialists, they have become a household name for pet owners in the UAE, assuring to meet highest quality standards in all their range of vet services.
