Treat Your Pet Like You Treat Every Family Member All pet owners understand that from the first moment they lay eyes on their new pup or kitten – or older animal that is re-homed for whatever reason - that a bond of love and mutual respect is quickly formed, a bond that lasts for the entire lifespan of the animal under your care. This is a great responsibility, and therefore many pet owners, rightfully so, treat that pet as another family member that deserves to be loved, to be cherished and looked after, given safety and shelter, food – and medical care when and if required. But, it is not good enough to show care and offers medical services only at those times that the animal is unwell and suffers: preventative medical care is equally important. So you take it for its first check-up when it is only a few weeks old so the little one and the vet form their important bond too. A good vet that bonds well with all those pets that come in for consultations and care is one you stay with. We choose a GP and stay with them if we trust and like them; the same should apply to you, your pet, and the vet of choice. The vet gets to know the pet, keeps its records, keeps track of its development, and is aware of any possible ailments they may be suffering from – or may be susceptible to in later years.
Therefore a regular visit should be scheduled as a routine visit every so often, say, every year unless the vet thinks the pet should see them more often. During these routine check-ups the vet will check the animal’s current health, how it responds to, for example, previous treatments - and also to check them for future problems. One such example which is performed on dogs everywhere, in London, in Amsterdam, Los Angeles or Greely in Colorado concerns the so-called PennHip evaluation for signs of dysplasia which can be done on young dogs of even 4 months old as a first test to see if the dog suffers from hip looseness and maybe a future candidate for dysplasia, for example. This is often done as a preventative measure to make sure the vet picks up any early signs of possible future problems and illness.