As a responsible owner, you know that your pet must receive medical attention to maintain its stable health and the most important thing is that you are aware that not only should you take your dog or cat to the veterinarian when it presents any ailment, but that the visits must be routine, precisely to prevent misfortunes from appearing and thus give your pet the best possible quality of life.
But what is the ideal frequency for a routine medical checkup for pets? In general, you should take your dog or cat to the vet at least once a year, although a more precise answer is that it depends on each case, that is, on the lifestyle, physical condition and life stage of each pet. And exactly, it is the veterinarian who will define the precise moment and frequency of consultation for each of your pets, since he is the indicated health professional to monitor the health of four-legged friends, in addition to also taking care of the health of people at home by also preventing risks of contagion between animals and humans.
Average veterinary consultations for pets according to their stage of lifeBut what is the ideal frequency for a routine medical checkup for pets? In general, you should take your dog or cat to the vet at least once a year, although a more precise answer is that it depends on each case, that is, on the lifestyle, physical condition and life stage of each pet. And exactly, it is the veterinarian who will define the precise moment and frequency of consultation for each of your pets, since he is the indicated health professional to monitor the health of four-legged friends, in addition to also taking care of the health of people at home by also preventing risks of contagion between animals and humans. Best veterinary services for pets according to their stage of life.
Kitten or puppy: 0 months to 1 year
Newborn pets should have an initial medical check-up to rule out congenital problems and to determine a schedule for their deworming, as well as the necessary vaccination schedule for the puppy or kitten. On average, after the first few applications, the frequency for subsequent vaccinations is every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age.
Initially, dogs should receive vaccinations against rabies, distemper, parvovirus and other diseases; while cats, vaccinations against rabies, distemper and other diseases, as well as tests for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
We share the following video about vaccines for dogs so that you have a better idea of the applications that puppies need:
At this stage of your pet, the veterinarian will have to follow up to verify adequate growth and development, as well as detect possible diseases.
The options of spaying or neutering pets should also be considered, it is recommended to intervene before reaching sexual maturity, which occurs around 6 or 9 months of age, although some veterinarians promote doing so at earlier ages. This will depend on the type and breed of each pet. If you want to know more about the subject, we recommend the following notes:
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Adult: from 1 to 7-10 years
As this is the longest life stage of your pet, it is the same one that is taken as a reference for the generic response of visiting the veterinarian at least once a year, where he or she should check your pet from head to toe and with this, decide if it is necessary to do a deeper analysis on some aspect of your dog or cat’s organism, or, on the contrary, give you good news and confirm that your pet is in good health.
Some vaccines will need a booster during this stage, for example against distemper, parvovirus and rabies. Although the frequency will also depend on the health regulations of each government, since in some places there is more presence than in others.
The vet may decide to do other routine tests such as taking blood, urine or stool samples. If it is the second case, the veterinarian will ask you to take a sample from your pet as recently as possible, this to rule out the presence of intestinal parasites.
Older Adult: 7-10 years and older
Like any other living being, over the years you will see a natural deterioration in the energy and functions of your pet’s body, so visits to the vet should be at least twice a year. Checkups may include blood, urine, or stool tests, as well as a complete physical exam and any necessary shots or boosters. The presence of ailments is more frequent at this stage of life, so the veterinarian will provide you with recommendations to avoid or, where appropriate, properly treat your pet so that its health is not so affected if it already has any. inconvenient.
Learn how to feed a senior pet properly with the following notes:
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Nobody knows your pet better than you, and your task to take care of its health is always to observe the behavior of your dog or cat, since, if you perceive any irregularity, it is important that you discuss it with the veterinarian at each visit they make. , it is advisable to write it down so that you do not forget or even take a record with photos or video so that the doctor has clearer evidence.