Should dogs have annual physical exam?
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since rabies here is every 3 years, i honestly am a little scattered in terms of an anual check up. my vets opinion, in breeds prone to lots of ailments fine, but in breeds that are typically long lived and typiclaly healthy unless the dog is showing sighns of a needed visit shes not too worried about yearly, but she does a full physical every 3 yrs at the rabies visit.
It's never been an issue for me since my dog tends to require vet assistance at least once a year. But one thing I can see being an issue is weight - I do like my dog getting weighed at the vet regularly because her weight tends to fluctuate and it hovers right around the medium/large range for medications like heartworm preventative. Anyway, after losing 2 dogs to cancer, I want my vet getting her hands on my dog for a physical exam.
I just think it's less expensive in the long run because you are apt to catch things before they become a larger issue. In some cases, you add years to your pet's life that way. I stop giving shots to elderly cats though. I just think it's rough on them, and since they don't leave the house, they aren't apt to catch anything. And since it is finally admitted that cats get vaccine site-related sarcoma, I was right a few years back when I believed it and vets kept pushing yearly shots. Now they give the shots in legs and I suspect there will be a lot of three legged cats around in a decade or so. I'm kind of skittish about vaccines so I won't be giving Tosca shots more than every three years either, but I do worry about kennel cough, so I will continue that yearly.
the yearly fecal doesnt require a visit, i generally just take a sample in, it cost $5 per dog and in 6 yrs ive never had a dog come up with any parisites, my guys dont hang out with other dogs in terms of around poop ect) enough for it to be an issue realy.
no on the Bordetella, Dodger had a VERY bad reaciton when given the vac before comming to me so hes a no anyway, and after much reaserch chihauhuas tend to be at more risk from the vac itself than from the illness. my chis dont board or go to doggy daycare or doggy parks anyway...
personally i dont like vacinations at all and my vets supportive of a low vaccine protocall, rabies every 3 yrs cause its mandetory, everything else is 3 yearly if titers say nessicary. thus far no problems. i guess im just lucky to have a vet whos very supportive about low vac protocall and raw feeding.
if i ever felt uncomfortable about things of course the chis would be at the vet quicker than you could say jackflash.
no on the Bordetella, Dodger had a VERY bad reaciton when given the vac before comming to me so hes a no anyway, and after much reaserch chihauhuas tend to be at more risk from the vac itself than from the illness. my chis dont board or go to doggy daycare or doggy parks anyway...
personally i dont like vacinations at all and my vets supportive of a low vaccine protocall, rabies every 3 yrs cause its mandetory, everything else is 3 yearly if titers say nessicary. thus far no problems. i guess im just lucky to have a vet whos very supportive about low vac protocall and raw feeding.
if i ever felt uncomfortable about things of course the chis would be at the vet quicker than you could say jackflash.
personally i recommend that everyone bring animals for an exam from me at least once a year, if not twice. not because i am trying ot steal their money, but because my exam is often the most important part of the entire visit.
in the past week i have diagnosed the following conditions that the owner had NO CLUE were a problem:
2 severe heart murmurs
1 severely abscessed tooth that was literally rotting out of the animals head
5-6 masses, 2 of which ended up being malignant (Cancer)
fleas
and thats just off the top of my head.
in the past week i have diagnosed the following conditions that the owner had NO CLUE were a problem:
2 severe heart murmurs
1 severely abscessed tooth that was literally rotting out of the animals head
5-6 masses, 2 of which ended up being malignant (Cancer)
fleas
and thats just off the top of my head.
Fair enough, but I have to ask anyway.
What is the treatment for a heart murmur? I've never really heard of one being treated.
If I was not taking my dog in yearly, I would expect to find fleas and bad teeth myself... for that matter, I do have a microscope, and could find parasites if I was so inclined...
Tumors... after 2 cats and a few people with cancer, none has been treated successfully. The cats especially were going yearly, although they were older. Has anyone really been successful at the cancer treatment in pets? I mean, whats the point of finding something thats not treatable, and isn't bothering the pet yet?
What is the treatment for a heart murmur? I've never really heard of one being treated.
If I was not taking my dog in yearly, I would expect to find fleas and bad teeth myself... for that matter, I do have a microscope, and could find parasites if I was so inclined...
Tumors... after 2 cats and a few people with cancer, none has been treated successfully. The cats especially were going yearly, although they were older. Has anyone really been successful at the cancer treatment in pets? I mean, whats the point of finding something thats not treatable, and isn't bothering the pet yet?
If I had been more diligent about not slacking....skipping a year for Lyric and if he had had a routine blood test checking his liver enzymes, among other things, his copper storage disease and chronic, inflammatory hepatitis might have been caught in the earlier stages and had a better prognosis. His liver enzymes were through the roof when I took him in, due to signs of illness....already in the later stages. You don't have any idea what a rotten dog mother I know I am and how guilty I feel. I'll always have that with me, long after he's gone. He had to have an ultra sound guided liver laproscopy and biopsy, plasma and several days in the hospital.....has to be on several meds and special diet. Thankfully, he is feeling much better, but the prognosis still isn't that great. For someone who loves her dogs so much, hardly ever even scolds them, I sure screwed up big time there in the treatmnt of my dog.
I think twice a year is over the top for a checkup, unless you have a pet that has a chronic illness that has to be monitored. In a few cases I went that frequently than once a year for elderly cats or to monitor something in specific, such as T4test for hyperthyroidism. In once case, my cat (lived to age 21) had to have his thyroid test four times a year, but that didn't include a checkup, just the test.
As for the person who's pet had that horrible absess, was the owner living in the same house with that animal? You would have to be thoroughly stupid or not paying attention to your pet if an absess like that were present and nobody noticed some problems, or a foul mouth smell.
Edit: If once a year is good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for my pets.
As for the person who's pet had that horrible absess, was the owner living in the same house with that animal? You would have to be thoroughly stupid or not paying attention to your pet if an absess like that were present and nobody noticed some problems, or a foul mouth smell.
Edit: If once a year is good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for my pets.
those things that their owners were so unaware of, that terrifies me! not for the fat that these things happen but that their owners didnt even notice untill that point, abesseses smell terrible! how do you NOT know, my dogs mouths get carefully checked once a week, if there was even any redness or tenderspots it would be off to the vets to take a better look.
fleas? how do you NOT notice fleas, i can see how it might be difficult on a long haired dog, but i have daily belly rubs with my pups and just dont understand how one wouldnt at least notice an excess in itching. if i noticed my dogs exsessivly itching, the first thing id do is check for fleas and then if no fleas allergies woudl come to mind.
and i realy dont understand how a severe heart murmur could go unnoticed!?
mabe im just overly hands on with my dogs daily my dogs are poked and prodded, checked all over for odd lumps and bumps, weekly they get thier mouths checked i check their fur, their ears, their eyes and anal glands, once a month they get a bath with an even my hands on is even more intense, theres not an inch of the outside of the dog or an inch of the insides i can check (ears, mouth) that issnt checked.
mabe im more confident becuase ive worked as a teach and very closly with vets, but still things like a tooth abcess would be caught before it even became an absess...i understand being carefull as we as humans dont have x-ray vision, but there are somethings that you just have to wonder, HOW did the owner miss somehting like that?
heck vixie had a tiny absess (felt about the size of a mosquitoe bite) and we were off to the vet imediatly to make sure it wasnt a tumor.
i guess i sould have noticed then, when the vet was actually suprised that id found it so early...
*shrugs*
as i said, for a dog with pre existing conditions, or older pets once even twice a year checkups and such fine. but were comfy with our protocall.
Toscas mom, thats in interesting point about once a year being good enough for you therefore good enough for your pets. i wonder if there a corolation, i personally DONT have yearly physicals (cept gyno due to existing conditions).
even as a kid, i never whent for yearly, we whent to the dr if there was something wrong. but ive noticed her in the USA people are much more health consious (sometimes to a point of insanity) as compared to what it was like back home in the UK, in the UK you go to see the dr if theres something wrong...and i feel much the same for a pet, im comofrotable with 3 yrly unless other sighns show.
DOBERLUV, dont EVER think your a bad mommy! you are a wonderfull mommy!!!
fleas? how do you NOT notice fleas, i can see how it might be difficult on a long haired dog, but i have daily belly rubs with my pups and just dont understand how one wouldnt at least notice an excess in itching. if i noticed my dogs exsessivly itching, the first thing id do is check for fleas and then if no fleas allergies woudl come to mind.
and i realy dont understand how a severe heart murmur could go unnoticed!?
mabe im just overly hands on with my dogs daily my dogs are poked and prodded, checked all over for odd lumps and bumps, weekly they get thier mouths checked i check their fur, their ears, their eyes and anal glands, once a month they get a bath with an even my hands on is even more intense, theres not an inch of the outside of the dog or an inch of the insides i can check (ears, mouth) that issnt checked.
mabe im more confident becuase ive worked as a teach and very closly with vets, but still things like a tooth abcess would be caught before it even became an absess...i understand being carefull as we as humans dont have x-ray vision, but there are somethings that you just have to wonder, HOW did the owner miss somehting like that?
heck vixie had a tiny absess (felt about the size of a mosquitoe bite) and we were off to the vet imediatly to make sure it wasnt a tumor.
i guess i sould have noticed then, when the vet was actually suprised that id found it so early...
*shrugs*
as i said, for a dog with pre existing conditions, or older pets once even twice a year checkups and such fine. but were comfy with our protocall.
Toscas mom, thats in interesting point about once a year being good enough for you therefore good enough for your pets. i wonder if there a corolation, i personally DONT have yearly physicals (cept gyno due to existing conditions).
even as a kid, i never whent for yearly, we whent to the dr if there was something wrong. but ive noticed her in the USA people are much more health consious (sometimes to a point of insanity) as compared to what it was like back home in the UK, in the UK you go to see the dr if theres something wrong...and i feel much the same for a pet, im comofrotable with 3 yrly unless other sighns show.
DOBERLUV, dont EVER think your a bad mommy! you are a wonderfull mommy!!!
