You’ve just received a reminder card for your pet’s annual vaccines and you call to schedule an appointment. You find out it’s now required for your pet to see the veterinarian prior to receiving the vaccinations and wonder why. Well, here are some reasons why it is important for your pet to have an exam prior to vaccination!
It is becoming a general industry standard to examine all patients before giving injections. All vaccine labels say the medicine is to be administered to healthy patients. How do we determine that a patient is healthy and who makes that final decision?
Most people will say that their pet seems healthy, but when we start asking questions, we discover that many pets have an underlying issue.
These questions (and many more!) provide important information that may lead to the detection of underlying disease.
The physical exam allows your veterinarian to speak for your pet. There may be a broken, abscessed, or painful tooth that you had no idea was present. Most animals will continue to eat and lead a normal life even with severe dental disease!
It is our job as veterinarians to find underlying issues and be the voice of your pet. Here are a few more ailments your veterinarian may uncover during a physical exam:
If we discover certain diseases during the physical exam, it may be best to hold on administering vaccines to your pet until treatment is completed. Vaccines could make your pet feel bad or worse if given at an inappropriate time.
Our pets age much faster than we do, and if your pet gets one exam every year, that would be like a human going to the doctor once every seven years! We will work with you to help keep your pets as healthy and as pain free as possible.
Call today to schedule your pet’s annual exam and vaccine appointment!
Animal Hospitals KY
859-792-2105