How Often Should My Pet Visit The Vet?

The first time you take your pet to the vet is so important. That first experience will shape their perception of that vet, and any other practice they are taken to, for the rest of their life. Any bad experiences or negative encounters with people or other animals at the practice will affect them whether you, their parent, notice it or not. It’s a big responsibility taking your pet to the vet for the first time and it is important to get it right.

Pets such as dogs and cats need to mix and be socialized with a range of different people and animals when they are infants. They need to be exposed to lots of different smells, sounds, and sights. This serves as good preparation for when they venture out into the big wide world. Our furry friends will be confident and content in the vet practice if they have positive and enjoyable interactions with the vet the first time they visit.

Once you have taken over ownership of your new fur baby, you need to get in contact with your vet to register with them. This is very important as they need all of your details so that if there is an emergency they will have as much information as possible to treat your pet. Registration of your pet is a very simple process where the practice will take down important contact information as well as details of your pet's age, breed, and health status. Often your vet will request you visit the practice to have your pet weighed, so they can be examined by the vet, and receive a full top-to-tail health check.

When you ring to register your pet, enquire about booking some visits where your pet comes into the practice just for a trip out and a fuss from all the staff. When you have a young pet, they will need their primary course of vaccinations, worming, and flea treatment. (They should have been microchipped by their breeder, but some pets won’t have been so this will need arranging too). Often pet parents will book their pet in for these essential visits and not bother with the extra visits. What happens is that the pet only visits when they have a potentially scary injection and then this starts the negative association with the vet.

A good first encounter with your vet will have a huge positive effect on your pet's health and well-being.

Go at your pet's pace. Let them explore in their own time. They need to do this at their leisure when they are relaxed and content. Keep the visits short. Little and often is the key at the start.

 

Bring their favourite toy and some treats. If you have a guinea pig or a rabbit, make sure you bring them in a cage or a box with some familiar things from home. Positive reinforcement is always a good way to reward good behaviour that you want your pet to repeat.

 

The minute your pet shows signs of being unhappy, take them out of the practice. There is no point trying to make them stay if they are anxious or nervous and not enjoying themselves.

Aspects your pet should slowly become acclimatized to include:

●      The journey to and from the practice

●      The vet practice environment and smell

●      Encounters with staff in their uniforms

●      Normal handling and routine examinations

●      Being weighted

●      Being put on and taken off the examination table ( depending on their size)

●      Being examined using certain pieces of equipment, for example, an Otoscope or thermometer

Your vet will be able to get your pet up to date with vaccinations. Dogs, cats, and rabbits all require regular vaccines. They will always do a full health check when they are in for their injections and any subtle underlying health issues can be picked up at these appointments so it is very important to attend them. Your vet can also discuss any concerns you have with your furry companion and examine them to make sure they have a clean bill of health.

They'll weigh your pet and see if they are developing as they should be and also if there have been any dramatic weight loss or gain that needs addressing.

Your vet will also discuss parasite treatment with you. Dogs, cats, and rabbits can all benefit from routine anti-parasite treatments. Other small animals such as guinea pigs and hamsters can be affected by parasites such as fleas and mites and may require treatment too.

Your vet can log microchip details on their system to record your pet's chip and link it to your details. They’ll take note of your pet's medical history and record it all so they have all the necessary information if your furry friend gets sick.

They'll be able to advise you on diet and exercise requirements for your pet. They can discuss suitable environments for small animals such as hutches and cages or vivariums for reptiles.

Your vet can also discuss pet insurance with you and advise you on the benefits of being insured.

They will discuss neutering your pet and advise you of the best time to get booked in.

 

Your vet is in a unique position in that they can diagnose a condition and then also prescribe and dispense any medication required by your pet. Your vet can dispense routine antiparasite medication. They can also prescribe and dispense supplements such as joint aid or liver support. They can prescribe and dispense emergency treatment and short and long-term treatment for diseases and disorders. Your vet may give you a repeat prescription for certain medications if your pet has a chronic underlying health issue.

Dogs, cats, and rabbits all have routine vaccinations to prevent them from contracting serious and often fatal diseases.

●      Parvovirus

●      Distemper

●      Leptospirosis

●      Infectious hepatitis

●      Kennel cough

●      Rabies

 

●      Feline Parvovirus

●      Cat flu

●      Feline Leukaemia virus (if they go outside)

●      Rabies

 

●      Myxomatosis

●      Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease-1 (RVHD-1)

●      Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease-2 (RVHD-2)

Vaccinations are usually compulsory for pets staying at kennels, catteries, and other pet hotels as they will be in close proximity to other animals.

Vets are highly skilled professionals and they not only carry out routine healthcare and preventative treatment but also emergency and routine surgeries to save your pet's life. Hopefully, your furry friend will never need emergency health care, but they may benefit from some routine surgeries such as neutering operations.

Some common surgeries carried out by vets include:

●      Dental scale and polish +/- tooth extraction

●      Removal of tumour

●      Neutering procedure

●      Traumatic injury repair

You should take your pet to the vet at least once a year for their vaccinations and annual health check-ups. If they are young or very old, they should visit more frequently. Older animals are more likely to encounter age-related health issues so it is important these are picked up at checkups by your vet. A check-up every six months will ensure more senior dogs are monitored. Younger animals need to be weighed as they grow for the correct dosage of anti-parasite treatment. It is also a good idea to bring young animals to your vets frequently to get them used to coming in and being handled by the staff. A good suggestion is to bring your puppy or kitten in monthly for at least the first six months of their life. If your pet has an ongoing health condition, they will need more frequent visits to the vet for checkups and monitoring.

If you’re ever worried about your pet or feel that they’re acting strangely or you have noticed something wrong, arrange for them to be seen as soon as possible. Don't wait until your next routine health check if you feel like there might be an issue with your pet.

It’s not a bad thing for your furry friend to be on first-name terms with your vet! They’ll have a much more positive experience if they’re familiar with the staff and the building. As a general rule, your four-legged friend should be visiting your vet yearly for their annual check-up. If you have a young pet, more frequent monthly visits are required in the first 6 months of their life. If you have a senior pet pal, they’ll need to be seen every 6 months to monitor for health issues.

Remember, your vet is always available in an emergency or if you have concerns about your pet. If you're in a furry situation, we're always hair to help!