It is necessary that people take their pets to the veterinarian to submit them to a general check-up on their state of health with certain regularity; however, the question often arises of how often it is necessary to carry them. Waiting for severe symptoms of any illness to go to the veterinarian is not right or advisable for your pet.
This article will focus on the most common pets in the home such as dogs and cats, since birds, fish and rodents usually do not require regular visits; A sudden change of environment for these exotic species represents situations of stress, so, in these cases, they should be taken to the veterinarian only when they show symptoms of serious conditions.

Frequency of visit to the veterinarian according to the age of the pet

There are ages in the dog’s life when processes must be monitored more frequently.
During the first six months of life, it is essential that visits to the veterinarian be regular. This period includes important vaccinations for the prevention of future diseases.
In the case of cats, when they are two months old, the trivalent vaccine and the feline leukemia vaccine must be placed; at three months revaccination of the trivalent and so on until the doses of the first vaccines are completed.
From the first year and until the end of adulthood and to begin the maturity, it is necessary to take the pet to the veterinarian ideally once a year. These visits are for the reinforcement of vaccines, for example, those of sextuple and rabies in the case of dogs.
Then comes old age, therefore, you have to take it to the veterinarian every six months to make the respective revisions. In this stage they are more prone to diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems and kidney diseases.
The visit to the veterinarian should include complete check-ups, such as a history and a physical examination. According to the signs that the veterinarian finds in the analysis, it will require complementary studies of blood, urine, x-rays and ultrasounds.
It is necessary to take the pets that are in gestation period more frequently to the veterinarian. At least you have to go when the pregnancy is detected, to make a diagnosis of fetal maturation and the status of the fetuses.

Consequences of not taking the pet to the vet

Not taking pets to the veterinarian is abandoning them at risk of developing zoonoses, that is, diseases transmitted to people. The owner and those near the pet are at risk. Some of these diseases are ringworm, rabies, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis and leptospirosis.
By having a pet, regardless of age and breed, you must take it immediately to the veterinarian so that the specialist offers a diagnosis of your health and the best recommendations. Also, to detect if there is any disease or special condition that must be treated.
The frequency with which the pet should be taken to the veterinarian will depend on the vaccination control of the breed, the growth and the special condition that may arise.
The recommendations offered here are the minimum to keep them healthy, however, the frequency varies depending on various factors that the veterinarian must determine.