If you have a dog and want them to remain healthy and happy for a long time, you need to take them to the vet on a regular basis. They can perform a wellness exam, which is particularly important for your dog for a couple of reasons.
Document Dog's Daily Lifestyle
When a veterinarian first performs a wellness exam on your dog, they usually ask about the type of lifestyle your dog enjoys on a day-to-day basis. It gives them a baseline to use when treating your dog in the future. You just need to be honest when explaining your dog's lifestyle.
Tell your vet about key routines, such as when they wake up, the food they eat, how often they exercise, and their bowel movements. Your veterinarian can log these lifestyle details into a system and subsequently better keep track of your dog's health.
Identify Early Signs of Disease
Dogs today can be affected by a number of diseases, including kidney and heart disease. However, the earlier you detect these problems, the better treatment you can provide. In order to better deal with early disease detection, you need to take your dog to a vet for a thorough wellness exam.
The vet can check out major parts of their body and run blood tests, seeing if there are any precursors to major diseases. Even if they're spotted, finding out now is important because you can take action to reduce a disease's effects on your dog.
Diagnose and Treat Weight Issues
Some dogs can pack on pounds in a short period of time. It could be because of their diet or the amount of exercise they get each day. If you take your dog to a vet for a wellness exam, they can check their weight to see if they're overweight officially. They'll account for your dog's breed when doing so, helping you get an accurate weight assessment.
If your dog is overweight, the vet can suggest treatment options to better manage their weight in the future. Their suggestions might include a specialized diet and specific exercise routines throughout the day.
If you have a dog and want to keep them alive for a long time, you should take them to see a vet for a wellness exam every couple of years or so. Then you can make sure you're doing the right things and catch diseases early before they cause life-altering effects.
Contact a local veterinary service to learn more.