The Most Common Reasons People Take Their Dog to the Vet

Alternative therapies for pets including massage, acupressure, aromatherapy, and acupuncture. Talk about pampered pooches!

Counseling or training may be needed whenever a dog’s behavior threatens the safety or well-being of the dog, its owners, or others.

Sadly, euthanasia may be viewed as the best option for a dog with a very serious medical condition or one that is suffering needlessly at the end of its life.

Thankfully boarding is a benign reason for a visit to the vet, and may be chosen for many reasons. Maybe it’s vacation time!

Veterinary surgery other than spay/neuter falls into three broad categories: orthopedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/respiratory tracts), and neurosurgery.

Owners who don’t want to be presented with a litter of puppies have the option to spay or neuter. The difference between the two comes down to gender. Both terms refer to surgical sterilization. Spaying involves removing the uterus and ovaries of a female dog; neutering removes the testicles of a male.

This is one dog owners would rather not have to deal with and can be for any number of reasons.

X-rays may be needed when a dog has an accident or may have a condition to be diagnosed.

Some dogs hate it, others are OK with it, but owners like to have their pets looking good.

Dogs sometimes need the same dental care humans do, ranging from cleanings to oral surgery.

The right diet is crucial to health and wellbeing, and the vet’s may be the best place to get advice and products.

When it comes to worms, prevention is better than cure. Heartworm disease can cause lasting damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries, and can affect a dog’s health and quality of life even after the parasites are gone.

Blood or lab tests may be the only way to get information about a dog’s health. Tests include a complete blood count and blood chemistries, which analyze chemical components in the blood.

Medications may be needed for any number of reasons, and over-the-counter products are easy to get and often much cheaper than prescription ones.

Fleas and ticks — pets don’t want them and owners don’t want them, so that means a trip to the vet for a lot of people.

According to the ASPCA, “canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies are considered core vaccines. Non-core vaccines are given depending on the dog’s exposure risk. These include vaccines against Bordetella bronchiseptica, Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospira bacteria.”

Routine/preventive care is a very good reason for a visit to the vet, and fortunately a very high percentage of dog owners embrace it. Prevention is better than cure and may be a whole lot cheaper too.