Pet Owners

My two dogs go early in the spring for a full exam + heartworm test, then as needed the rest of the year. The 14 year old has some health issues that warrant more frequent visits than the younger dog... it seems like we've been at the vet's pretty frequently the past couple of years.

we have a low-maintenance dog. Once a year. Rabies are good for 3 years. However, heart worm testing, etc should be done yearly.

My dogs go once a year for shots, more often if needed. My cats only go when needed, they are indoor only and I do not vaccinate them.

Every year without fail. They need to be updated on their shots and have a physical. Animals can't tell you when something is wrong so it's important to have someone else look them over and make sure they're in good health.

Ahhhhh, the beauty of having a veterinarian boyfriend!!

We have two cats - we got them from a shelter - they were already fixed. We took them to the vet for the first year to get their shots. Our biggest concern was to get the immunized from feline leukiemia. They are now 9 years old and they haven't been to the vet since they were about 18 months old.

They are healthy, energetic, sweet. If/when they show signs of sickness we'll take them to the vet again.

Only for spaying/neutering, vaccinations and if/when they are sick or hurt. We don't do "well" check ups.

We have an older cat, we adopted him when he was about eight; he's at least 17 or so now. Even in the years when his health issues weren't prevalent, we always took him for an annual checkup. We figure that he may need shots, his teeth should be looked at (I am not a vet, so no clue as to that), etc.

Always a yearly exam. It is good to get a vet's hands on your pet to make sure everything is ok- pets are great at hiding things. Vaccines every three years after the one year booster. Other vet visits as needed, which with multiple pets usually means 2-3 more a year for someone. I also like to bloodwork on everyone every 1-3 years depending on age and health just to give a baseline or to check values for those that are on daily medications.

Every year unless I think there is something wrong with them. My cat goes every 6 months because she is considered "Geriatric" .. when my dogs get old, they will probably go every 6 months too. Oh, I forgot, I take my 2 dogs every 6 months to get their bordatella vacinne. But those visits, I only have to pay for the vaccine. It's quick in and out.
PS - I find it fascinating that some people never take their pets to the vet for check ups??!! Animals can't tell us when something is wrong with them. "Usually" by the time we "see" something or think something is wrong it is too late. That is just so crazy.

My dog goes once a year and sick visits, if necessary !!!

Grooming every 7 weeks to gets nails clipped, trimmed and get teeth checked !

Only give my dog one shot at a time !! Go back for the second shot a few days later to avoid bad reactions !!!

I would not rec every other yr !

Lyme shot is rec---- depending upon the area one lives in !

We go every year for shots or when they get sick.

yearly checkups & try to coincide vaccines with this appt. Most winters are hard enough that we don't use heartworm preventive thru the winter. So the appt is usually in the spring.

we have a pair of pups who will require nail clippings. The 3rd dog goes to the groomer twice a year, & his nails are clipped there.

All of the dogs have black nails....& we're not comfortable clipping what we can't judge/see. :) So we probably use the vet more than we really need to.

I take my 11 year old cat to the vet once a year for her vaccines (rabies, and something else I can't remember), a general checkup, and some lab work.

I then take her to the vet about every 2 months to get her nails trimmed. I know I can do this at home but she won't sit still long enough for me to do it properly.

Of course, I take my kitty to the vet more often if she is sick or hurt, but thankfully that is rare.

Our vet says every other year is fine (that's how often most vaccines are needed, except rabies, which is every 3 years), and then as-needed if there are any problems.

I think it is a lot of personal opinion.

I take our pets for yearly shots. We just lost our 14.5 yr old Cocker and we were there for that process.

Pet care can be very expensive and some people can't afford to go yearly. I think as long as the pets are protected with their shots and overall healthy, things are ok.

Our toy poodle just had a round of surgeries in November that cost us a few thousand but he is relatively young and if we did nothing, he would likely be blind and we would lose him. He is still in recovery for his eye but he can see!!! We've past the 2 month mark and the surgery was a success.

Our other Cocker Spaniel will go to the vet in Feb for dental work. Most vets have a dental special in Feb and that is when we get the teeth cleaned, pulled if needed and any other little issues taken care of.

The cat is 8 and has gone once I think. The dogs go once a year after their initial shots/visit.

Annually for routine physical exam, rabies and any other booster shots.

As required (usually about every 6 months?) for blood work related to ongoing meds she takes. They have to check her blood levels to make sure she is keeping the effective level in her system... and over time that can change due to changes in her metabolism, so they test to be sure she is maintaining the proper amounts.
And also, if she seems ill or she is injured. This has been a rarity, but she did develop a limp once that seemed to come and go, and turned out she had a tick borne illness that was easily treated with antibiotics.

Remember, animals' life spans are shorter than ours. So a year in between vet visits, is akin to several years between doctor visits for a human.... just to put it in perspective.

As pets get up in years (over 10?) the vets encourage you to bring them in 2 times per year. I understand why, but it certainly doesn't hurt their bottom line, either. My dog turns 10 in a few months. Since she is already seen several times a year for other things, I probably won't be increasing her number of visits just due to aging. As needed (and that means rabies shots, b/c those ARE a need; we live in an area with lots of wildlife).

When I had cats they went as needed, they had bad reactions to vaccines and the vet said since they lived inside they really didn't need them (they both loved long into their teens).

We now have a dog and the first year she was there a lot but now it is just for yearly check ups. I don't think they need a rabies shot every year I am pretty sure they told me every three.

Well, our dog passed away last year, but before that we took her every year to test for whatever they test dog poop for and her rabies and whatever shots.

When he's sick or hurt, and once a year for his rabies shot and dental cleaning.

Every year is recommended here for outdoor cats. We can get away with every other year for our indoor cats, unless they get exposed to outdoor cats and then we would need to get them seen sooner. Our cats are luckily very healthy and happy (with the exception of one having high anxiety and poor peripheral vision) so our current schedule is fine with our vet. Once they reach ten years, we'll increase it to once a year if they're still healthy, or every six months if health problems develop.

We also don't get them every vaccination since one of them is highly allergic to the distemper vaccine. They get the other routine ones, as well as whatever tests, that are compulsory.

We have 2 dogs. We take them every year for their check up. While there they get rabies shots or whatever they need. The vet sends out an annual reminder. We also take them when needed...last year one dog got a huge growing lump that had to be removed (non-cancerous thank goodness). Our older dog needed to be brought in to get checked out for his heavy breathing a couple years ago. It turns out he has larengeal paralysis and now has medicine he takes.

Our cats are indoor cats. They are 17 and 18 years old. They have only been to the vet for their initial vaccinations and neutering.

As close to once a year as we can. We of course bring them in immediately if something is wrong.
We could be off by a handful of months depending on finances and activities. We have 4 cats so it can quickly add up. Our cats are a few months overdue right now but we will be bringing them in soon.
They are indoor only so the vet is OK with it.

every year, but with when they're young they might need boosters more frequently. and obviously if they have any issues they go as needed.
khairete
S.

I have a cat. Every year for a checkup and/or vaccination when needed. Also for illness, obviously. He had a respiratory infection as a kitten and a UTI as an adult.

Your particular vet will recommend a schedule for booster shots. Some do it every year, some less often. It depends partly on your local laws. For example, here you need to renew registration for cats and dogs each year, and in order to do that you need to show proof of rabies vaccination.

My family often take my dog once every 6 months .

Annually, or as needed. They need rabies shots every year and one of them is a senior and we just try to keep a good eye on him.