Dog Health: Questions to Ask Your Vet
May 18th 2009
By Barb Wright
No one likes to take his or her dog to the veterinarian. In our hectic lives, scheduling the vet visit and making time to get our dog to the clinic can be time-consuming and aggravating. However, with the proper preparation, you can make your dog’s next visit to the vet faster and easier as well as beneficial for both of you.
Start by getting organized and arranging your dog’s records together in a notebook along with a list of questions and observations, which will save time. Take time each day to observe your dog to learn its regular habits and keep track of any problems or changes in its behavior. Ask your vet how to tell if your dog is sick and under which circumstances it is important to call or bring your dog into the emergency clinic.
Write down any problem or change and details such as when it occurred, what the dog ate, where it was and what it was doing at the time. The information that you bring along will help your vet make a better diagnosis and help to find a problem while it can be treated or minimized. This process will not only save time, it will save money in the long run by treating the problem before it requires extreme measures to treat.
Things to look for are noticeable changes in appetite, water intake, weight, coat or skin, behavior, or mobility. Is your dog eating well? Is your dog drinking plenty of water? Is your dog going outside and not having any accidents in the house? Does the dog have regular bowel movements with normal-looking stools? Check to make sure the stool is not runny or bloody. Look for the presence of worms or mucous in the stool. Bring a small sample to be examined for parasites and disease. Ask your vet about the best way to provide a fecal sample, such as when to take it, how to package it and if it can be stored at room temperature or not.
Keep a list of all your dog’s tests and inoculations. Ask your vet about any new vaccines, as well as any changes in the state laws regarding them. Find out which immunizations your dog needs and why. Ask your vet to test for insect-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease and heartworm. Ask your vet how you can prevent insect-borne illnesses in your dog as well as the new vaccines available for fleas and ticks.
Check the dog right before you leave for the vet’s office. Start at the top of the head and check the skin by looking and feeling for any growths or abrasions. Check the fur to make sure it’s healthy and shiny without excessive shedding. Check for fleas by looking for their eggs, which resemble black pepper and are found in the downy fur located close to the skin. Ask about grooming practices, such as how often you should bathe your dog and what to use for a shampoo. The vet can instruct you on how to remove tick and flea prevention.
Look at your dog’s eyes. Are they shiny and clear? Ask your vet how to check for cataracts and other eye problems as well as preventative measures that you can take to keep your dog’s eyes healthy.
Check your dog’s ears. Make note of wax build-up or ears that smell bad. Ask your vet how to keep your dog’s ears clean and healthy.
Look at your dog’s teeth. Are they clean and shiny? Does the dog have bad breath? Check the gums to make sure they are pink, not red. Look for tartar and tooth decay. Ask your vet what you can do to keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy. Ask about routine tooth cleanings.
Look for things like excessive panting, limping, whining and whimpering with certain movements, and lethargy. Does your pet have trouble getting up in the morning, going up and down stairs, or show signs of abnormal fatigue when exercising or out for a walk?
Have your dog checked for allergies. Does the dog scratch often or have a runny nose or eyes? Do certain pet foods upset the dog’s stomach? Does your dog cough? Ask your vet how to prevent allergy problems.
Ask about nutrition. The age, any health condition present and the activity level of the dog also determine the type of food and how often a dog is fed. There are special formulas for dogs with health issues such as digestion problems, diabetes, and kidney problems. Check to see if your dog would benefit from supplements. Ask which foods are poisonous to dogs and how to avoid them. Make note of any incidents of vomiting or excess stomach gas in your dog.
Does your dog eat grass regularly? Ask your vet what you can add to your dog’s food to stop excess grass consumption. Dogs in the wild get vegetation in the prey they eat and modern dogs eat grass to get the needed vegetation. There are more nutritious ways to add vegetation to your dog’s diet and your vet can help you pick the proper supplement for your dog’s needs.
Ask about any problem behaviors such as house soiling, chewing, aggressiveness, abnormal fears, barking and disobedience. Ask how to prevent problems as well as stop ongoing ones.
Ask if your dog should be neutered. Find out the advantages of doing so, such as reducing undesirable behavior such as aggression and wandering. Neutering can have health benefits such as reducing the risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer in male dogs and reducing the occurrence of mammary cancer, womb infections, and diabetes. Neutering is usually performed on dogs that are six months old, but it is up to the veterinarian, who will determine the best age for your dog according to the individual circumstances and health.
Don’t forget the heart! Your vet will listen to your pet’s heart and lungs. Ask your vet how you can keep your dog’s heart and lungs healthy for it’s lifetime. Second-hand smoke and air pollution is just as bad for dogs as it is for humans. Find out how to minimize the effects of pollutants in your dog’s environment.
The last place to check is the lower most part of your dog, the feet. Check the paws for abrasions and excessive wear. Check between each toe for foreign objects or skin problems. Find out how to clip your dog’s nails and how often.
Last but not least, ask your vet how often your dog should be checked. The age of the dog and any outstanding medical condition are important factors in determining how often the dog will need to be seen. For example, senior dogs, age seven and older, need to be checked twice a year. Puppies must undergo a series of scheduled vaccinations in their first year of life. The vet will discuss a check-up schedule with you, which is best for your dog’s stage of life and condition of health.
Make the most of the time you must spend at the vet’s office with your dog by preparing and asking the right questions. That way you and your dog will get the most out of the check-up and minimize the amount of time spent at the vet by preventing future problems.
Barb Wright is a freelance writer and editor who loves to garden and take care of her pets. She is also the owner of Write My
Stuff, at http://www.writemystuff.com. Barb lives on the South Shore of Boston with her husband and kids.
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