Annual Vaccinations & Health Check
Vaccinations and Reminders
We have had many questions and queries recently about reminders that have been sent out from our computer system to remind people about Vaccination and annual health checks, dental checks, medication reviews and routine health care.
During an annual health check, it is more about the examination than the “needles”. We examine your pet from head to toe, checking eyes, ears, nose, mouth, heart, lymph nodes, lungs, skin, lumps and bumps that might have arisen since your last check, abdomen, joints and we also discuss behavioural changes etc. There is so much that can be found in routine checkups that pet families are completely unaware of. Your pet’s routine health checks are vital in helping you maintain their health, quality of life and longevity.
Did you know that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats suffer from dental disease that needs treatment at some point in their life? Ear disease is another issue often diagnosed during routine checkups that can easily go undetected until it becomes seriously painful and harder to treat. If your pet has had previous dental work or chronic ear disease, it is even more critical that these conditions are checked regularly.
Repeats of long-term medication require ongoing monitoring. This includes medications for chronic conditions like heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease and high blood pressure (hypertension). A pet may look stable on the outside, but closer testing and examination reveals that we need to adjust the dose or add in more medications to keep your pet stable. This is very hard to do without a complete and thorough physical examination.
Just a few further points about our reminders.
They are usually generated 4 weeks in advance to give you plenty of time to make an appointment.
Even in an annual health check we often find other health issues that need immediate attention such as dental disease, heart conditions, or masses that need investigating. If you have noted something that might be causing your pet discomfort, distress or you are just unsure of a symptom, we strongly urge you to contact us to discuss this.
There has been a significant drop in people seeking assistance from their human GP for things that actually should not be deferred. This is resulting in more presentations to emergency departments when things get to the extreme. This includes cancer, heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure issues etc. We are concerned that delaying annual health checks or routine revisits for medication control may result in the disease being missed or treated inappropriately, which could have significant health implications for our patients.
If you receive a reminder from our clinic, we encourage you to call to speak to our dedicated reception team to determine if this is something that can wait for another 4-6 weeks, or if we feel that we should see you sooner than the lifting of stage 4 restrictions.
Remember that we are here for you and your pet, always.