How often should I take my pet to the vet if they are not sick?

The health of our pets is a matter of utmost importance. To ensure that we provide them with maximum well-being, it is imperative to offer them a quality diet, give them walks with the appropriate frequency, keep them cognitively stimulated, and provide them with lots of love. Apart from this, of course, the vet plays a fundamental role.

We go to them when our pet shows signs of being sick. If your cat is vomiting, your dog is limping or your parakeet is losing its feathers. But the truth is that the vet plays a role beyond intervening when the symptoms that something is wrong make an appearance. Preventive care is key to detecting silent pathologies, doing routine check-ups and monitoring aspects of our pet’s health that may go unnoticed.

According to a survey by the AniCura Group, 39.2% of pet owners in Spain take their pets to the vet once or twice a year, while 28.3% do so only when they consider it necessary. Regarding the most common reasons for going to the veterinary clinic, 74.9% respond to routine controls and 61% to treat illnesses.

In this regard, specialists recommend taking your pet to the vet at least once a year. The objective is to verify that it is in perfect health, carry out its pertinent deworming and administer the necessary vaccinations. Preventive assistance to the veterinarian increases the probability of diagnosing diseases early and thus guaranteeing timely treatment. In the words of José Gómez, Iberia Medical Manager of the AniCura Group, “in many cases only a veterinary expert can detect the signs and symptoms of a disease, especially when we talk about silent pathologies that, when they become evident, have already become serious health problems.” health”. “Regular check-ups can help us detect these diseases in their early stages, when it is much easier and more effective to apply a treatment that resolves them in a short time and avoids sequelae, if possible, or that alleviates their symptoms and increases their hope. and quality of life in the case of chronic pathologies”, he adds.

Even if your pet does not show symptoms of disease, it may have a health problem that goes unnoticed by non-expert eyes. For example, poor oral health, with accumulation of tartar or gum infection; certain nutritional deficiencies that may only be detected by laboratory tests; a hearing or vision problem; a strange way of walking that announces a degenerative lesion in the future…

So, from now on, remember to schedule regular vet checkups with your pet, even if you think it’s in perfect health. With this, you will also help him to lose his fear of the vet and it will be easier to care for him and treat him every time he comes.