How Often Should Your Dog Visit The Vet?

As a responsible and loving pet owner, you want your dogs to be as healthy as possible, so they can live happier and longer. Therefore, instead of rushing them to the clinic only when they’re injured or sick, it’s important to pay attention to their preventative care. 

Preventative care is essential for the overall health of your furry companions and the structure of the pet care industry in the United States. This gives pets chances to have better and longer lives, which means more fetch games, puddle plays, cuddles, snuggles, walks, and whatnot.

If you want to keep your furry friends in great shape, you should regularly bring them to the vet for checkups and wellness exams. So, you’re probably wondering, how often should you take your dogs to the vet?

Generally, you should take your dogs to the vet at least once a year for an overall checkup. However, this may vary depending on the following factors: your dog’s age, current health conditions, lifestyle, and the like. 

In this post, you’ll find how often you should bring your canine companions to the vet based on their age. And if you’re looking for a trusted veterinarian in New York City, you may visit the  Bond Vet clinic in Williamsburg Brooklyn, or other similar clinics in your area. 

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How Many Times Should a Puppy Visit the Vet

Puppies require more visits to the vet than an adult dog, especially during their first year of life. You want to ensure that your little furry angels complete all the checkups advised by their vet.

During these vet visits, you’ll learn more about their health, growth, nutrition, behavior, training, disease (if there are any), and socialization. Knowing these critical aspects can help your pups grow stronger, livelier, and healthier. 

To get your puppies started, your vet will give them all the vaccines they need. These core vaccines will help boost their immune system and prevent contagious dog ailments like parvovirus, distemper, parainfluenza, kennel cough, and hepatitis. 

After that, bring them back to the vet every four weeks for vaccine booster shots, which will continue until they’re 16 weeks old (four months old). After that, your puppies will be ready for the anti-rabies vaccine.

Depending on your pup’s condition and lifestyle, the vet may prescribe other non-essential vaccines to protect them from Bordetella, Lyme disease, and canine flu. Always check your pup’s vaccine book to be on track. If not keeping track record of the vaccination, your pup may either not be vaccinated or be over-vaccinated.

During these visits, the vet may also recommend other procedures for additional protection against parasites. These include deworming, worm testing, flea and tick prevention, and heartworm prevention.

Pro Tip: Always get a puppy from an ethical and well-reputed breeder to avoid any genetic diseases in your puppies. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder or a puppy mill may result in a sick dog with health-related complexities.

How Many Times Should an Adult Dog Visit the Vet

When dogs become a year older, they’ll be considered adults (one to seven years old). In most cases, adult dogs require checkups at least once a year. This is enough for canines that are healthy, don’t require frequent booster shots, and don’t have health conditions to address. 

During these visits, your dog will undergo a physical exam. The vet will examine them thoroughly, from the tip of their nose to their tail. This also includes checking their weight, taking their vitals, listening to their heartbeat, and examining their dental, joint, and bone health.

The vet may also recommend testing the feces of your dogs to confirm the presence of intestinal parasites (e.g., roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms). These parasites are harmful to humans and other animals, so make sure to have your dog’s poop checked at least once a year. 

Aside from that, the vet may also give your dogs additional booster shots of the vaccines they completed when they were still puppies. These are usually given when they reach one year old. After that, boosters will be given every after three years.

If you’re planning to leave your dogs in a kennel facility or dog boarding house, your dogs might need additional vaccines, particularly the kennel cough vaccine. This is crucial to ensure that the dogs in the boarding facility won’t get sick. 

You may like reading about Puppy First Day Home

How Many Times Should a Senior Dog Visit the Vet

When your dogs turn eight years old, they’ll be considered senior. Unlike adult dogs, seniors require at least two vet visits yearly or maybe more. This is because they’re prone to health issues and injuries, and visiting the vet biannually may help prevent any problems from occurring. 

During these visits, your dogs will undergo a thorough physical exam, focusing on areas that require more attention. For example, the vet may check your dog’s teeth and advise additional dental care routines to prevent tooth problems.

The vet may check your dog’s weight and observe their movements to identify potential joint pain and other concerns regarding mobility. Additionally, you can schedule your dog for annual urine and blood tests to check its internal organs.

Certain breeds may have some additional lab tests or treatments such as brachycephalic breeds may have breathing issues that require additional attention.

Final Words

Regularly visiting the vet helps your dog become stronger, happier, and live longer. During these visits, the vet may administer vaccines, conduct physical exams, and run other tests to ensure your dog’s safety throughout their life.

If you can’t remember when was the last time your dog visited the vet, this is probably the best time to do so to address and prevent possible health conditions.

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