If your pet isn’t showing any obvious signs of illness, it may not be clear to you if you need to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. We asked Freshpet Vet, Dr. Aziza, to share her top tips for determining when it’s really time to schedule your pet’s vet visit.
Tip #1: It’s been a year since your last date
We recommend that your pet have an annual vet visit until they are seven years old. At this time, it is advisable that these appointments increase in frequency to every six months. Even if your pet appears healthy, these exams are important because they focus on preventive care that includes vaccinations, heartworm testing, and annual blood tests.
Tip #2: Manage Chronic Disease
If your pet has been diagnosed with a disease that requires long-term management, your pet will most likely require blood tests and evaluation to ensure that the disease is well managed. For example, a dog with general hypothyroidism will require repeat thyroid tests every six months to make sure the daily dose of medication is still effective. It can be helpful to book these in advance so you stick to a regular appointment schedule.
Tip #3: Lose or gain weight quickly
Sometimes pets seem to lose or gain weight in a very short amount of time. This can often be a sign of illness such as:
- Parasites
- Diabetes
- Evil
All of these diseases require immediate veterinary care. The sooner you see the veterinary team, the better the prognosis, so if you notice a small unexpected change in your pet’s weight, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Tip #4: Difficulty walking
When your pet exhibits difficulty walking, standing, or legs shaking, it could be a sign of an acute injury such as a torn ligament or a chronic illness such as osteoarthritis. Both of these conditions are painful and require pain medication. Depending on the nature and severity of the wound, surgery may be recommended after further consultation with your veterinary team.
Tip #5: Increase drinking and urinating
If it seems like your pet is drinking and urinating excessively, it could be a symptom of some serious problem, such as liver disease, kidney disease, or a urinary tract infection. Thankfully, a lot of diseases can be ruled out or confirmed with blood tests and urinalysis.
Tip #6: Periodontal disease
Bad teeth can cause many problems for your pet. If they have any of the following symptoms, which may include they are experiencing a sore mouth:
- Halitosis
- Yellow, green or gray teeth
- Bleeding gums
- Refusing to eat anything other than soft food
- Refusing to play with toys with hard textures
Mouth pain stems from advanced periodontal disease and to treat it, your pet needs to have their teeth cleaned and the diseased teeth removed, if any. Then your vet will recommend regular maintenance brushing teeth at home.
Tip #7: Something is… off
Occasionally, pet parents will notice something different about their pet that just doesn’t seem… right. It could be a difference in behavior, a new tumor, or a change in the color of the skin or coat, or a few names. Sometimes pet parents’ intuition detects and indeed something unusual is going on with their pet that needs treatment, so it’s never a bad idea to listen. your instincts and make an appointment with the vet.
We hope that Dr. Aziza has provided you with some helpful tips that you can use the next time you’re trying to figure out if it’s time to schedule a vet visit for your pet. or not!
