The annual control visit to the veterinarian

Regardless of age, your dog must be examined by the veterinarian at least once a year. This annual follow-up of your 4-legged friend helps to ensure his good health.

The annual visit to the veterinarian is essential for your dog. This regular appointment allows you to take stock of the animal's health, monitor its evolution, and detect possible problems so that they can be treated early. This consultation is relatively brief, usually no longer than 15 minutes.

Control to prevent

The annual visit to the veterinarian is an opportunity for the practitioner to perform a series of tests on the dog. Thanks to these, possible malfunctions, inflammations, or other problems can be detected early enough. In this way, their management becomes more effective.

The veterinarian palpates the dog's abdomen to detect pain and lumps, but also to check the size of the abdominal organs. The cardio-respiratory functions are also examined, as well as the state of his senses (his hearing, his sight) and his dentition. If tartar is found, he may advise you to have his teeth cleaned to protect them.

The veterinarian will also take advantage of this visit to palpate the lymph nodes to prevent possible infections, inflammations, or tumors. The earlier these symptoms are treated, the better the chances of recovery.

By observing the condition of the skin and hair, it is possible to see if allergies, parasites, and other dermatological conditions are present. Ticks and fleas are the main targets. The veterinarian will guide you to apply the right treatment and in the right way!

The joints are inspected for signs of osteoarthritis that may occur in older dogs. If this is the case, the practitioner will guide you towards the appropriate treatments and precautions to be taken daily (adapting outings and exercises, readjusting diet, etc.).

Finally, weight control is one of the basic measures of the annual visit to the veterinarian, as it gives an important indication of your dog's overall health. Overweight and abnormal weight loss are all signals or factors of disease.

Updating vaccinations

In addition to exams, this regular appointment allows you to update your dog's vaccinations. Canine distemper, parvovirus, rabies, and Rubarth's hepatitis are among the diseases to be prevented each year through these vaccinations. These injections given at your puppy's very first visit must, in fact, be constantly renewed so that the animal's organism is effectively protected throughout its life.

Exchange with the veterinarian

Also, take advantage of the annual visit to the veterinarian to discuss at length with the latter and obtain a maximum of advice about your dog's health and behavior.