In the United States and around the world, many individuals purchase, adopt, and rescue pets. These pets include, but are not limited to dogs and cats. In fact, dogs and cats are very common household pets in the United States. To be more specific, there are over 75 million pet dogs in the United States alone. That’s a lot of furry friends! Most importantly, these pets (whether dogs or cats) become beloved family members. They are there to cuddle with when you are upset, angry, and sad, to pet when you need relaxation, and to play with when you are bored. They grow up alongside you. They hold a special place in your heart. Therefore, it’s important that the furry ones you love so much are always healthy. This means taking your dog or cat to the vet when necessary. If you are a dog owner or cat owner, here are some times you need to take your pet to the vet.
Local Veterinarian
Your local vet can do many different things for your dog or cat, and offer much relief and support to you as the owner. To begin, a vet sees animals of all breeds and sizes. These animals can be brought in by owners from homes, an emergency veterinary clinic, or from the outside environment. Regardless of where the animals come from, they are present for vet services.
Spay And Neuter
You’ll have to bring your pet into the vet if it needs to be spayed or neutered. Spaying is done to a female pet, as it is the surgery to remove her reproductive organs. This includes the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus; all of it is removed. This process ensures that she will not be able to reproduce, and she will no longer experience her heat cycle. If you do not want your female pet to produce any puppies or kittens, spaying is ideal. Spaying can actually be beneficial to your pet in that it will prevent her from experiencing or developing health problems as she gets older. Some of these health problems can be uterine infections and breast cancer. It is important to note that there are different options of spaying that you can discuss with your vet. Additionally, not all pet owners spay their female pets, it is ultimately a personal decision. However, only vets can perform this.
Neutering is done to male pets. Neutering removes the testes on your pet so he cannot reproduce. This procedure also ensures that your pet will not have any behavioral problems that can be associated with the breeding instinct. Again, this is a personal decision, so if you do not want your pet assisting in producing puppies or kittens, this is ideal.
A Check-Up
When your pet reaches a certain age, your vet will recommend twice-yearly checkups. Your vet will first start off by asking you routine questions about your pet’s habits. This includes questions about diet, exercise, breathing, consumption of water, behavior (calm, lethargic, aggressive), and bowel movements and urination, just to name a few. After the routine questions, your vet will then perform a physical on your pet. This is much like a physical examination that human beings receive every year or so. Check-ups are also done for pets of all ages, they just increase as your pet gets older.
Shots And Vaccines
When you first get a pet it will need shots and vaccines. These vaccines and boosters are done over a period of months. Some of these are Bordetella Bronchiseptica, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parainfluenza, and Heartworm- to name a few. Once your pet, especially your dog, reaches a certain age it will no longer need shots or vaccines or boosters. These are typically for puppies.
Emergencies
You’ll want to take your pet to the vet immediately when there is an emergency. This saves lives! Difficulty breathing, lack of appetite, increased drinking of water, frequent vomiting and diarrhea (with blood in the stool), seizures, collapses, abdominal pain, and much more- are all emergencies for your pet. Taking it to the vet will ensure that the condition does not worsen, it can be treated, and heal faster.