How often you should visit your vet?
Getting a new pet as for you or your family is the most exciting and fulfilling responsibility! There are countless reasons to having pets, but it is up to us to care for them and make sure they stay healthy so they can have a long and happy life with your family. Living in South Florida can present additional challenges that our team at Pet Express Animal Hospital have successfully treated over the years. Below are 8 fairly common reasons for coming in:
1. Dental. By the time your pet reaches a couple years of age, their likelihood will sky rocket to 50% of cats and 85% of dogs over the age of 3. The consequences of leaving dental disease untreated include:
o Oral pain and infection
o Loss of teeth
o Potential infection to major body organs including heart
o Diminished quality of life
2. Diarrhea. Being aware of the diet and health of your pet doesn’t always require some extraordinary diagnostic equipment or lab testing right away. Just by actively monitoring your pet’s stool can give a solid indication of your pets current state of health. If you’re not sure what exactly that looks like, check out our other blog article on pet stool.
3. Heat exhaustion. Florida, also known as the “Sunshine State'“ has no difficulty upholding it’s reputation with year long high levels of humidity and heat. While the dog park (etiquette and tips) may seem like perfect conditions for fun, as pet owners, it is important to know how to detect heat exhaustion in dogs and cat in the following early signs:
o Vomiting
o Diarrhea
o Heart rate increase
o Restlessness
o Panting and excess salivation
o Learn more about heat exhaustion on our last post!
4. Bruises and limping. Accidents happen often when dogs play aggressively with each other, and although it is unintentional, physical injuries happen that may need medical attention. If your pet is hurt or injured seriously by a vehicle or experience similar trauma, use the online blog guide here to plan ahead and keep your family safe.
5. Allergies. Some pets may display constant symptoms of allergies, like fatigue and runny eyes, almost all the time, but it is more common for them to have allergy attacks. If you aren’t sure how to recognize allergies in pets and how to treat it, get more info online.
6. Diet/weight change. Pet’s experience changes and react to different foods uniquely, mostly due to health related reasons. As your pet ages, it's important to make sure you age up its usual food as well. So ask your vet, they gladly will point you towards what foods would best cover your cat and canine's special dietary or prescription diet needs.
7. Ear/eye infection. There are many potential causes for infections ranging from health (allergies) to external (parasite/foreign body) causes. The risks of not treating the discomfort your canine or cats experience may potentially lead to catastrophic infections or worse. Luckily Pet Express offers transportation to the hospital for emergencies and visits for local pets in Broward County of all sizes!
8. Regular checkups. Having an annual checkup is the minimum recommended by most vets. As your pet ages, more visits may be recommended much like humans require more medical attention when they are older. Occasionally this will lead to lameness and difficulty walking.
But we have got your back! The pet community is filled with resources, help and preventative care that help being an owner much more manageable. As a matter of fact, Pet Express Animal Hospital is always creating programs and promotions that make visitations fast, easy, and affordable for every pet owner. For instance, now new members can receive a free first exam when they sign up on our homepage. So go out there and enjoy your journey, experience new things knowing your favorite family vet is right around the corner!