Do you take your pets to an annual exam?

[CJ2008]

One of my cats needs her rabies renewed...

Vet's office won't just give the vaccine, they want to see her for an exam.

Do you guys do annual vet visits, or do you take them in only when something is wrong?

 

[VRBeauty]

Annual exam. Always.

Actually, Miss Maya needs thyroid meds and the vet requires bloodwork prior to each refill, so she gets a blood panel and at least a mini exam every six months or so.

I'd be wearing a lot more diamonds if not for her!

Seriously though I have to board her from time to time so I have to keep her vaccinations up to date. Plus I like to maintain a patient relationship with the vet so I can call with questions if I need to - although I suspect they'd answer pet health questions even from non-patients.

In my area there are mobile low-cost vaccination clinics. They set up shop at a locally owned pet store one or two Saturdays each month. Maybe that's an option for you if you want to skip the annual exam?

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

Always annual exams! Actually we are in there quite a bit more frequently as my pups are accident prone . We treat them as our "children" and i would not let my child go a year without an annual, therefore i would def not let my dogs go without! I have never owned cats, so i do not know what health issues they face - but for dogs, they take yearly bloodwork which would show any early problems with their organs, heart worm etc.

I think if you really wanted to skip the annual you might be able to go through a local shelter and see if they will administer the vaccine for you.

 

[azstonie]

Always, and with complete blood work.

Between the 2 Westies I'm at the vet at least monthly. Should just direct deposit the paycheck into the vet office. Maggie has two replaced hips. She sees the canine allergist and has weekly allergy shots. Finn has terrible knees. Reflhx. They both have kind of tender tummies.

 

[CJ2008]

I am taking her in 15 minutes... I put the carrier out in the hallway and she's already looking at me bug eyed.

I always have also.

But lately I seem to be questioning a lot more things I have always just done...

Thanks guys.

 

[Rockinruby]

I think it's good to evaluate their health regularly. Sending you dust for a great vet visit for your cat!

 

[ruby59]

A vet can not give a pet a vaccine until they examine them first. If the pet is sick, running a temperature, they have to wait.

Mine go for an annual exam and have periodic blood work to rule out chronic conditions such as thyroid and diabetes.

One thing I wish though is that my vet had a separate area for cats. It would definitely cut down on his apprehension.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

I take my rabbit to the vet every February for her annual exam.

 

[JDDN]

I too always take my dog for her annual exam, plus many other "visits", lol. It gives me a good relationship with the vet and his staff and it also reminds me of other maintenance I should do as well.

I hope your kitty doesn't get too traumatized at the vet. My golden is so silly. She LOVES going to the vet. Even after getting spayed and after her teeth cleaned. She's my goober dog and I love her!

P.S. I thought what you said was interesting. That you've started to question some things you've always just done. If you are so inclined, maybe start a thread? I bet others have done the same and I'm betting it would be really interesting to hear what you and others have to say!

 

[momhappy]

Mine always have exams once a year because there are lots of tests, vaccines, etc. that are due at least once per year (or multiple times per year).

 

[azstonie]

Re questioning: I dont vaccinate unless there is a parvo or distemper outbreak in my area. My vet agrees with my strategy as well as the ortho surgeon and the allergist. The rabies vaccine is the most dangerous.

There hasn't been a case of rabies where I live in the past 30 years.

Dr Pitcairn's books on how to care for dogs and cats, wonderful. Highly recommend.

 

[momhappy]

^I guess that I look at pet vaccines the same way I look at vaccines for my children. They are for the common good and therefore worth it.

 

[dk168]

Both the cat and the dog have annual injections and visit.

DK

 

[ennui]

Annual exams, when I had dogs. They both lived far beyond their normal expectancy.

 

[missy]

Hi CJ, we always take our kitties in for annual wellness exams and as necessary for other reasons throughout the year however we have not given them the rabies vaccination. They are strictly indoor cats and my sister (who is their veterinarian) says it is not necessary and I trust her completely with my animals. If your cats go outdoors however then they need that vaccine for sure and I agree all our fur babies should have annual examinations.

 

[Zlata]

Re questioning: I dont vaccinate unless there is a parvo or distemper outbreak in my area. My vet agrees with my strategy as well as the ortho surgeon and the allergist. The rabies vaccine is the most dangerous.

There hasn't been a case of rabies where I live in the past 30 years.

Dr Pitcairn's books on how to care for dogs and cats, wonderful. Highly recommend.

Agree.

Vaccines are necessary, but the frequency with which they're needed is not automatic. Our little pup had a very bad reaction to a 3-in-1 early in her life. From that moment on, I asked for annual titers. The first few years, the vet was skeptical. Now it's routine at their office to offer this alternative. When she became older and more frail, I discussed my concern that the rabies vaccine would do more harm than good. He agreed that with her lifestyle--indoor mostly--it was unnecessary. Having a vet who will listen to your concerns about your pet's individual needs is paramount to their good health.

Edited to add: The few times we boarded her, the titers report from the vet was accepted without a problem.

 

[ruby59]

My cat is also strictly indoors. When you open the door, he actually backs away from it. But my vet told me it is still important that he get vaccinated for rabies.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

For my cats I honestly don't bother. They are healthy horses, if they seem off I'll take them but annuals I don't. To date I've only ever had to take one of my cats in once and that was because she was so stressed when we went on vacation for a week that when we came home we found she had peed blood. $400 later and they said it was stress and she would be fine. Scoff. We had my Mother going and checking on them daily but she still got all stressed out. They said that since she's usually allowed out and we had her stay inside for the week that was enough. The last time we went on vaca we let my Mom just let her out and in every day and she was fine. I keep up with their shots at Petco clinics and whatnot. The dog is a purebred and much more likely to eventually have health issues (he also has insurance) so him we take for annuals to get checked. He's still young but so far so good!

 

[missy]

My cat is also strictly indoors. When you open the door, he actually backs away from it. But my vet told me it is still important that he get vaccinated for rabies.

ruby, Did you ask your vet why?

If your cat is an indoor cat the risk is incredibly low that your cat will contract rabies. I mean there is always the chance a rabid bat could fly down the chimney or an open window and bite your cat but barring that it's almost a zero risk. Not likely but theoretically possible so it depends on your risk tolerance along with other factors. For you I am guessing you discussed it with your vet (I hope you did and didn't just accept his statement it is necessary) and you both decided that it was the right thing to do for your cats. For others with indoor cats this is not the right choice.

Also if your cat is likely to bite someone else than yes a good idea to get him/her vaccinated just so the other person knows he/she is safe. My cats don't go near anyone besides me and my dh and they don't bite us.

Lastly consider that there is a risk with each vaccination for adverse reactions and worse so I only want the necessary ones to keep my animals healthy and safe. Cats are at risk of cancers called injection site sarcomas. Although vaccines have saved countless feline lives, they also have a non-negligible potential to cause harm. So I choose each vaccination carefully and judiciously and as I wrote before if my sister says it is not necessary (for my cats as I cannot speak to your lifestyle and your animal's lifestyle) I know it is not necessary for my furbabies.

 

[Zlata]

It's so important to have a conversation with your vet--as you would with your personal doctor about your own health--and that your vet respects your knowledge about your pet. You know your little one much better than someone who may only see him or her once a year for annual lab work.

Back to the allergic reaction ours had, we determined it was the Leptospirosis vaccine that was the problem. I asked what the risk was for that in our area and wherever we might travel and he admitted it was extremely unlikely to be a concern. Pup never received another Lepto vaccine.

After Hurricane Katrina, we saw a large influx of dogs from Louisiana and some, sadly, brought heartworm to this area that hadn't previously seen it in significant numbers. I discussed this concern and, again, our vet and we decided that our lifestyle didn't present a risk (no dog parks or doggy daycare). These are examples from my life with our little dog. YMMV.

Modern medicine and vaccinations save lives. I am not anti vax. As with anything in life, though, an informed choice is best.

 

[momhappy]

Some vets recommend certain vaccines (like rabies) for indoor-only pets for a number of reasons (assuming the pet is not in a high-risk category, etc.). While your pet may be an indoor pet, there is still a potential for an accidental escape and other animals can still get in to your home (bats, raccoons, etc.). Sure, contracting rabies may seem highly unlikely, but the consequences are severe (death, euthanasia, and/or mandatory quarantine periods) for unvaccinated pets. If you've done your research, spoken to your vet, and your comfortable with your choices not to vaccinate, then you should do what you feel is best Again, I look it at pet vaccines much the same as human vaccines - the risk of my children contracting polio, smallpox, etc. is highly unlikely, but we still vaccinate for the common good.

 

[missy]

momhappy, the big difference being your children go outside and engage with others I hope right? LOL my sweet kitties are indoor kitties all the way with no engaging with anyone else but us. So not an apples to apples comparison.


CJ good luck to your kitty. I hope the visit goes well.

 

[momhappy]

^I agree, it's not an apples to apples comparison and it wasn't really meant to b one, but there is stil some credibility to the argument that an indoor pet should be current on vaccines (including rabies). We had indoor-only cats when I was a child and I can remember bats getting into our house on several occasions. However unlikely it may be, the potential for rabies to enter a home still exists. Also, no one could be 100% certain that an indoor pet could accidentally escape. Again, if someone has done their research, and spoken to their vet who agrees/approves with not vaccinating, then to each their own However, some vets consider rabies to be too serious of a disease to lightly recommend against vaccination entirely.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

No. I have a 15 year old indoor only cat. Going to the vet is VERY stressful for her so I weighed the pros and cons of annual visits/vacs.

 

[zoebartlett]

We take our cats in for a yearly physical in addition to any appointments for issues that may arise throughout the year. They get yearly vaccines, too. Our vet has said that she'd like us to give our cats a yearly flea (and tick?) treatment, too, which we've never done since they're indoor only cats. But we're considering it now because we watch my parents' dog when they go away and it might be a good idea, just to be on the safe side. We're on the fence with that one, though.

 

[ecf8503]

Today is World Rabies Day, and this is an informational graphic from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

https://www.avma.org/Events/pethealth/Documents/Rabies_Infographic2013data.pdf

 

[distracts]

I take my pets in for an annual exam and to get tested and vaccinated every year. They really go in more than that since whatever my primary pet is (formerly bunny, now cat) I worry about all the time. Like my cat has had loose-ish stool off and on for a week now so he's going in tomorrow morning. And bunny was always sick. The dog has to go in twice a year since the bordetella vaccine is every six months, and the one time we lapsed she got kennel cough, so now I stay on top of it.

I take my rabbit to the vet every February for her annual exam.

How is bunny doing??? I miss mine so much - a cat just isn't the same. I need to live vicariously through others now, rabbitwise.

 

[distracts]

Wait, a related question - does anyone actually register their pets with their county?????

 

[Arcadian]

Absolutely. She goes to daycare and its important to me that she stays healthy.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, only mandatory vaccines like rabies and a couple of others if the animal is outside at all. I have done research on the vaccines in the past and there is a lot of question as to whether annual vaccines are even necessary. Our cats were always extremely healthy and other than keeping the rabies up to date every three years, they never needed to go to the vet until they were very old and their health declined. Same with our 13 year old dog. She has been as healthy as can be. Our bulldogs had more health issues and went more often. Same philosophy with the kids...once they had finished early childhood immunizations (after age 5), they did not go for a well visit every year. I figured their chances of getting sick in the waiting room was more of a negative than the benefit of going and having a doctor tell me that they are fine, which I already knew!