Tell me why I'm going for a yearly checkup?

notamamayet · 02-20-2009, 05:02 PM

I'm looking for a little but of a breakdown as to what I'm really going for... Hurley is a 13 month old cross breed- we adopted him from a shelter last May at 16 weeks. He's been neutered, had his rabies, distemper, hep and flu, parvo. Everything was pronounced normal other than he was a crypto snf had retained deciduous teeth- both which were removed in July. He's got a tattoo, and had his dewclaws removed (without our consent). He also had a full blood screen in July. He was on interceptor all summer.

He's scheduled for a heartworm test late spring-- but other than that, I'm not really sure why we're taking him in. Can anyone give me a rundown of what to expect? Or do I really need to take him?

FilleBelle · 02-20-2009, 05:06 PM

I've never taken a dog for a yearly checkup. On the other hand, my dogs always visit the vet at least once a year anyway, since something requiring attention always crops up over the course of 12 months.

I'm thinking that Hurley was at the vet in July for his teeth (which required blood work) and is going to be there again in what? probably April? That's less than a year. So he IS getting a yearly checkup! I see no reason to schedule an extra visit, unless something is wrong.

notamamayet · 02-20-2009, 05:43 PM

I guess what I mean is, other than the heartworm test-- on a yearly basis is there anything I should be getting- For an indoor dog, who doesn't compete, and doesn't really come in contact with anyone else-- which vacciations etc "should" I be getting? Whaty would I normally get out of a yearly visit?

Pai · 02-20-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notamamayet

I guess what I mean is, other than the heartworm test-- on a yearly basis is there anything I should be getting- For an indoor dog, who doesn't compete, and doesn't really come in contact with anyone else-- which vacciations etc "should" I be getting? Whaty would I normally get out of a yearly visit?

Not much, to be honest. Yearly vaccinations are basically a scam. Even the heartworm test is usually unnecessary, depending on where you live and if you dose your dogs every six months for it.

If your dog is healthy and active with no worrying symptoms of anything wrong, there is no need for annual checkups, unless you have a breed that is known to develop cancers or other things. Some vets charge hundreds of dollars for those 'wellness checks', which is outrageous imo.

briteday · 02-20-2009, 06:45 PM

You only need the heartworm test if you took him off meds in the winter. If he took no meds in the winter then they have to verify that he is negative before re-starting in the spring. If you kept him on meds, then you don't need to verify that he is negative. Sometimes it pretty much pays to keep them on meds all winter vs. paying the exam fee and the test fee in the spring.

I take my dogs in yearly for a few reasons...two of the dogs are older and I feel like I might be able to head off something in the early stages if the vet sees them yearly, we take in a fecal specimen for fecal float to see if any of them have worms (if one has worms we treat all), rabies is required every three years here so inevitably one of the dogs needs to have that done, most importantly...I want to keep in touch with my vet on all of the dogs and cat so that if anything serious would come up they would have a recent comparative outlook on what the animal looked like when it was healthy during the past year.

A yearly exam at our vet is $40-45. I think that is a fair price to pay for peace of mind. And remember, since it sounds like you took your dog off the heartworm meds this winter this year is a bit of an unusual issue. I think you will need to go in the spring for an exam and a heartworm test, buy heartworm meds (and discuss the cost savings of keeping the dog on heartworm year 'round) and then you will need to go back around 18 months of age for another rabies...about July...maybe they will just charge you for the vaccination, but I'll bet they get you for another exam charge too.

In the future I would try to make one appt to get the heartworm test (if you decide not to do it year 'round) in the spring...and a rabies or combo shot as needed, even if it is a few months early the first year from now.

notamamayet · 02-20-2009, 08:06 PM

That's interesting. I didn't even think about keeping him on the meds year round, they just gave me enough pills until November and said that they would do the test in the spring. I assumed it was because she wanted to rule it out- not that it was something he would have to do every year. Four pills only cost me $10.80, so if this is the case, then yes, I'll just leave him on them. We are required here to give rabies every year, but I may look into if that's one that you're able to give them yourselves and provide some sort of receipt. My parents own a farm and give all of their animals their shots, so it might be a better option (Hurley hates the vet, with good reason).

Are there no other vaccinations he should be getting yearly? That's good to know.

Pai · 02-20-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notamamayet

Are there no other vaccinations he should be getting yearly? That's good to know.

If you ever worry about immunity levels, ask your vet about Titer testing.

But it's been already proven that vaccines for dogs work the same way they do for humans. In other words, after the first round of puppy boosters, they're generally good for life.

agility collie mom · 02-20-2009, 08:45 PM

The only vaccine required by law in the US is rabies. In some states the rabies vaccine can be given to large animals without a vet. However dogs and cats must be vaccinated by a licensed vet. The reason being is that if your dog or cat would bite someone you would need proof of rabies vaccine. Imo I would not want to take the chance of having one of my pets confiscated because of lack of proof of vaccination. Nor the lawsuit that could follow.

Trainer · 02-20-2009, 10:57 PM

I take my dogs in for a heartworm test in late spring. Heartworm pills are poison and I give them as few pills as I can and still keep them safe. The vet only charges for the test and not an office visit. He does nothing else to them.

jesirose · 02-20-2009, 11:06 PM

Think of a yearly exam as a physical for us. They'll weigh the dog, check his teeth, ears, probably take a stool sample, etc.

Kathyy · 02-20-2009, 11:29 PM

What jesirose wrote.

And checking the heart for a murmur and lumps. Teeth. Ears. I try but I am sure I miss stuff. The murmur both my dogs have I couldn't know about. Now the dogs are 9 and 15 senior blood panels are very important. Catch kidney, liver, heart problems earlier and all concerned will be happier.

spotted nikes · 02-21-2009, 10:04 AM

Mine go in yearly for vaccs, listen to heart, etc. I also get a full blood panel done once to give me a baseline if there are any problems in the future.

Once they start to get older...8 or so, I get a geriatric blood workup done yearly.

marymonkey55 · 02-22-2009, 08:05 AM

Here is list of yearly vaccines:
http://www.spca.org/site/DocServer/P...pdf?docID=2611

Also check out local clinics - example of fees below:
http://www.spca.org/site/PageServer?..._pricing_perry

See Package prices at end - all exams & shots included with a 20% discount.

Pai · 02-22-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Here is list of yearly vaccines:
http://www.spca.org/site/DocServer/P...pdf?docID=2611

You're aware that current studies have completely refuted yearly boosters for dogs, right? If anything, over-vaccinations are now thought to be the cause of many health issues. New protocols for vaccines have already been accepted by all the major veterinary colleges in the U.S. If any vet tells you differently, they're scamming you and you should get a new vet.

notamamayet · 02-22-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pai

You're aware that current studies have completely refuted yearly boosters for dogs, right? If anything, over-vaccinations are now thought to be the cause of many health issues.

Sorry, I wasn't sure if this was aimed at me, or at the pp, but I just wanted to clarify-- I'm *definately* ok with not vaxing, I don't vax myself, nor will my children be. However, being that I'm new to the dog world (or at least being the primary caregiver) I didn't want to make hasty decisions! I'm going down the list from the spca that was posted and figuring out which each is for, and which ones I actually feel are required-- which so far, doesn't seem like a lot!

Thanks for the info ladies! I'll look into what pricing is for the annual "checkup" with our vet, and go from there, though for this year he'll need the heartworm test anyways, so I suppose we'll be going in! They charged us $42.50 for this "first visit/exam" so that's not that bad, although technically he *had* been to that vet only a few weeks before...

Willowy · 02-22-2009, 05:17 PM

That SPCA chart is seriously flawed....first of all, no Parvo vaccines for dogs? I'm sure that's an oversight, LOL.

And don't they know that Rabies vaccines are approved for 3-year use in cats, too? One brand is even approved for 4-year use in cats. And there's an approved 3-year Panleuk combo vaccine for cats. Following that "recommended" vaccine schedule for cats would just about guarantee you a vaccine-site cancer at some point.

Yearly vaccines are just so unnecessary.

notamamayet · 02-22-2009, 05:22 PM

He had parvo as a puppy (Sorry, he had the vaccine as a puppy)- if it *were* on the chart, is that one that's "recommended" to get yearly? Because from the research I've done, that seems like one of the few that I would genuinely be worried about him getting... though where exactly he'd catch it I'm not sure. lol

Willowy · 02-22-2009, 05:30 PM

Yes, Distemper and Parvo are the really important vaccines. Puppy series, then a booster a year later should be enough. The adult boosters are really not necessary at all, and you could do titers if you were really concerned.

Pai · 02-22-2009, 07:26 PM

Here is a good page outlining the current accepted vaccine schedules for dogs.

marymonkey55 · 02-22-2009, 07:39 PM

Thanks for the info Pai... I've only been a dog owner also a very short while and this was the info I was given when I adopted by the SPCA Society for Prevention for Cruelty to Animals... so I assumed since they weren't vets they would have more *honest* info... I guess maybe it's just dated?