Pet healthcare is evolving with the times, and as humans are turning more and more to telemedicine, the same applies to pets. Licensed vets are now available for online consultation to discuss everything about pet care on platforms like Vetster so that they can keep their pets in the best health. The ongoing restrictions imposed on public life to manage the Covid19 pandemic effectively has compelled pet owners to turn to telemedicine for ensuring proper pet care during difficult times. You can overcome the challenges of visiting the local clinic with your pet by scheduling an appointment for online consultation with a licensed vet who can treat your pet and prescribe medications. Going ahead, you can use the services of the pet care platform to arrange for delivering the medicines at your door.
Although telemedicine ensures the best care for your pet, it cannot do away with the need for a physical examination of your pet. Telemedicine cannot be a substitute for the physical treatment of pets. Online consultations are good as stop-gap measures to ensure proper healthcare for pets, but an annual health checkup for your pet is a must.
Importance of annual health check-up
The biggest problems pet owners face is that pets cannot describe the health problems that bother them. Your pet cannot tell you about a toothache or convey you the feeling when facing some other type of discomfort. You must look for signs of discomfort or pain by closely observing the pet’s behavior to spot any changes that can point to some health problems. Maintaining physical contact with your pet will help to know if it is experiencing pain in any part of the body if it reacts sharply to touching that part. All these point to the importance of the annual health check up of your pet. When the vet conducts a thorough physical examination of the pet, they can identify potential health problems and provides the guidance or treatment that might be necessary.
The scope of annual health check-up
An annual checkup allows your vet to closely look at your pet and compare the current findings with the earlier ones. If you have noticed anything unusual about your pet’s health or behavior, this is the time to discuss it with your vet. You can bring to the vet’s notice if the animal frequently suffers from diarrhea, is experiencing loss of appetite or drinking excessive water, or suffering from constipation. Bring to the notice of the vet any other tiny problem so that it does not escalate later. Besides the nose-to-tail physical examination, the vet will also note the animal’s weight and record the body temperature, which usually ranges between 101 and 102.5o F.
In addition, the vet will check the ears, eyes, skin, and coat to understand if these are in order. Depending on the pet’s condition, the vet might recommend some changes to the diet to improve nutrition that can improve the health conditions.
Getting a clean chit about pet health gives you a lot of peace of mind.