You probably know what happens during your visits to the doctor: A nurse will take your vitals, like your blood pressure and temperature. Your doctor will perform some more examinations, and may ask you questions about any health concerns. You might receive some more tests, such as a blood draw, and you’ll get results back over the next several days.
But what happens during your cat’s or dog’s visit to the vet? Exactly what happens will differ from pet to pet, but there are some common features between vet visits. Read on to learn more about what you can expect.
When to Take Your Pet to the Vet
It’s a good idea to take your pet to the vet annually so your vet can prevent any health problems as they arise. However, if you notice any of these warning signs, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible:
- Unusual vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Drinking more water than usual
- Irregular urination
- Oozing eyes
- A change in behavior
Before the Appointment
Before your appointment, your vet’s staff may reach out to you with some instructions. (If they don’t do this, feel free to reach out yourself to see what the vet expects.)
Bring a list of any medications your pet’s on (including the bottles, if you can). If you have paperwork such as previous veterinary or vaccination records, bring these, especially if you’re seeing a new vet for the first time.
Make a list of any questions you have. It’s easy to get distracted in the vet’s office, and you don’t want to forget anything important. This is the time to bring up problematic behavior or signs of illness of you’ve noticed, as well as spaying and neutering, microchipping, and any treatments like heartworm prevention for dogs.
Your vet will probably ask for a stool sample to detect roundworms and other parasites. Bring in a small amount for testing. Also be sure to prep properly for a visit to Canine fertility clinic Birmingham.
The Annual Physical
Like any other member of your family, it’s best to bring in your pet for a physical once a year. Throughout the whole session, your vet will take notes on your pet’s vitals and anything that’s unusual. As you visit your vet every year, they’ll gather data that paints an overall picture of your pet’s health.
Early on, the vet will weigh your pet. This is important so the vet can have a sense of any health risks associated with being over- or underweight, but it’s also useful for figuring out dosages of medications. They’ll also take your pet’s temperature rectally.
Your vet will examine the pet’s outward characteristics, such as their skin, coat, teeth, mouth, ears, eyes, nose, throat and genitalia. They may also feel for your pet’s lymph nodes and palpate the pet’s abdomen. These are subjective observations and won’t necessarily point to a diagnosis.
But patchy fur, red spots, tooth decay, swollen lymph nodes and other signs of problems can give the vet an idea of what to look for during the exam. Your vet may request subsequent tests, such as bloodwork or other samples, to make a more decisive diagnosis. From there, they’ll be able to prescribe medication or diet changes to improve your pet’s condition.
Vet visits are a little scary for both pets and owners. But with a little knowledge about what the average visit consists of, you’ll be able to prepare for your appointment and have a better understanding of your pet’s health.
1 comment
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The peculiarity of working with animals is that patients themselves can not change the doctor at their own discretion or complain about the service to the clinic management. So if you are not happy with the service, you can always change it