You need regular checkups with doctors to maintain a healthy life, and so do your furry friends. They need to undergo scheduled wellness exams with a qualified veterinarian to maintain their overall health.
Canine wellness exams are a regular procedure. A veterinarian checks a dog’s overall health through physical exams, blood screening, and other procedures.
What Happens During the Exam?
Wellness exams are ideal once a year on a healthy adult dog aged between 1 to 9 years. A specialized veterinarian asks the dog parent about their pet:
- day-to-day habits,
- behavior,
- diet,
- lifestyle,
- exercise,
- breathing pattern,
- thirst, and
- bowl and urination.
The Process
First, the veterinarian will examine your dog by checking his body parts like ears, eyes, nose, and teeth. Then he will check whether the dog has got all the necessary vaccines or not. He will also check if your dog has any internal parasites and heartworms by taking his fecal sample.
If your dog has any abnormalities in its body or unusual pain in the sensitive area, the veterinarian checks that too. A dog’s biochemistry profile, cardiovascular and respiratory health are equally crucial. The veterinarian examines the dog’s complete blood count, thyroid testing, and urinal problems too.
The wellness exams happen based on a dog’s history. A veterinarian can suggest dental care, nutrition or parasite control, coat care, vaccinations, etc. At times they suggest changes in the dog’s daily lifestyle and circumstances. You can check the various products available on an online pet pharmacy like PetCareRx to take care of these issues. Veterinarians follow advanced protocols and veterinary medicines to keep the dog healthy.
The Need for It
Wellness exams are more frequent in puppies, at least once a month for the first six months. It helps to ensure the proper development of a puppy, check timely vaccinations, deworming, and detect any other health care issues if they have any. This period is vital for dogs, as, during this period, you can neuter a dog to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the future.
If you are a dog parent, you should know that senior dogs need more frequent wellness exams. Dogs aged ten years or older must examine twice a year. As dogs get older, they are prone to many age-related issues like arthritis or cataracts like humans and easily get affected by any general illness.
As a pet owner, if you find any abnormalities in a dog, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Any emergency medical condition diagnosed in the early stage can be life-saving. Senior dogs may have internal organ problems, so the wellness exams check their abdominal, chest, or even skeletal x-rays. Many dogs can have changes in bones and joints, which are part of the diagnosis process too.
What Health Problems Do Canines Have?
Dogs may suffer from various diseases. Some of them occur naturally, and some may arise through contact with outside elements. Every dog has inherited problems irrespective of its breed. A veterinarian will help to diagnose the problem and treat them accordingly. Dogs may have hereditary or naturally occurring health problems, such as allergy, diabetes problems, bowel diseases, or lymphoma. All of these are treatable after diagnosis.
Dogs love to play outside, and of course, while they play outside, they come in contact with other outdoor dogs. This outdoor presence can bring health risks such as External parasites, fertilizers, pesticides, heartworms, heatstroke, injuries, tick-borne diseases, rabies, etc.
But even at home, dogs may face threats. There are few human foods and drinks that can harm them, you can keep these away from them. A few things you should keep away from your pet are alcohol, avocado, coffee grounds, chocolate, fatty foods, garlic, grapes, raisins, onions, salt, tea, etc.
Dogs generally love to sniff and quite often put their nose in the garbage, and bacteria from that garbage can cause food poisoning and other problems too. These are dangerous things dog owners should keep away from their dogs to keep them safe and healthy.
Importance of Canine Behavior and Mental Health
A dog parent should keep track of his dog’s behavior, as it plays a great role in a pet’s mental health. If your dog is not so happy and shows aggression by barking or biting out of fear, it might lead to mental health issues for them. You should contact your vet immediately as they can help you train your dog and give solutions for unusual pet behavior.
A dog’s mental health is crucial, and a vet can recommend you to pay extra attention to your pet, message them gently, let them be free, and do what makes them happy – playing or running. It may cost you a few of your favorite things, but that’s ok.
