Are Annual Pet Wellness Visits Necessary?

We all know it’s important to visit the doctor frequently to help maintain good health. The same goes for your pet. Annual to semi-annual wellness visits to your veterinarian will help to keep your pet healthy and happy. Bregman Veterinary Group knows how important it is for your pet to receive their annual and semi-annual check-ups.

How Often are Pets Seeing Their Vets? 

The AVMA or American Veterinary Medical Association conducted a 2017-2018 survey finding that  nearly 30% of pet owners do not  bring their pets to the veterinarian regularly. This applied specifically for dogs, who usually receive more veterinary care than cats. The survey found that nearly 20% of dogs didn’t see the veterinarian at least once during a twelve-month period.

How Does the Relationship with a Veterinarian Impact a Pet’s Health? 

When it comes to the veterinary-client-patient relationship (or VCPR), the amount of relationship between the vet and their clients can have a direct  impact on the amount of times the client visits. Along with the survey, research done by the AVMA found that pet owners who have what they consider to be a “regular” vet, visit the vet frequently no matter the price. These pet owners  choose their vet based on the vet’s knowledge, quality of care, and demonstrated compassion. On the other hand, pet owners who do not have a “regular” vet choose the vet on other factors such as  location and price.

Why are Annual Wellness Visits Critical? 

It is really important for pet owners to visit their veterinarian annually or semi-annually even if their pet is not experiencing illness. Similar to humans, checkups are more important as pets age.  Conditions that become more common with aging need to be monitored. Although your pet may appear healthy, he or she may be sick without you even knowing it.  And since pets can’t talk, they cannot express how they are feeling.  Pets are also very good at compensating for or hiding symptoms or signs of illness. Annual or semi-annual physical exams and blood tests will allow allow your veterinarian to look for deviations and detect developing disease early. 

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At Bregman Veterinary Group, they focus on getting to know their pets and pet owners. Building a long-lasting rapport with their pet owners has been a critical part of their veterinary practice.  And regular pet wellness visits helps them keep their clients’ pets happy and healthy.  For more information on Bregman Veterinary Group, visit our website.