Veterinary Wellness Exams: The Secret Benefit

Do you take your dog for regular wellness exams? Or do you wait until something is wrong?

Veterinary Wellness Exams: The Secret Benefit

Wellness exams are often an underappreciated part of preventive health care.

But why go to a vet when there is nothing obviously wrong?

By the time there is something obviously wrong–except for trauma or infection–it’s been going on quietly for quite some time. The longer a problem remains unchecked, the more damage it can cause while you could have already done something about it.

Obesity, dental disease, chronic and degenerative disease, diabetes, kidney, and liver disease–our dog is better off if you address them at their early stages.

Do you think you’d know if something like that was going on?

You’d be a rare exception.

You have heard of these benefits before. But while these are paramount, it’s not the benefit I want to highlight today.

Regular wellness exams help you build a relationship with your vet.

Relationships matter.

I have experienced the difference such a relationship can make. My friends who have been through significant medical challenges with their dogs could attest to that too. It’s real.

With my girls’ medical challenges, I am at the vet often. I can see the relationship evolving with each visit.

Our vets become more invested in our dogs over time.

Don’t vets care about all their patients?

Of course, they do. But trying to distance themselves emotionally is act self-preservation. I always thought that for a vet, the greatest frustration was being unable to help a patient. Then, one of my veterinary friends enlightened me. The greatest frustration is seeing a patient they could help easily, but the owners don’t care enough to treat.

But when they see you care, and are exposed to your dog’s charm, an emotional attachment sprouts.

I have watched vets let their guard down seeing we care deeply for the health and happiness of our dogs.

“Caring is contagious,” says hubby. He’s witnessed this in other professional fields too.

I imagine being able to do everything possible for a patient brings satisfaction.

Sometimes it might be exciting to get to go all out, try things that are rarely attempted, and see good results.

I do make our vets work hard.

But they don’t seem mind. I think they secretly enjoy it–at least overall if not at each given moment.

At the other side of the equation–I learn about them, how they think and how they work.

We learn how to best work together.

They know my dogs by their names. In fact, I think they allowed my dog’s names being written in their hearts. They care more because they see how much I care.

Your veterinarian will become more invested in your dog and more likely to notice if something is amiss.

Next time you’re considering skipping your dog’s regular wellness exam, think about that too.

Have you noticed your relationship with your vet deepen with every visit?

Related articles:
What’s the Difference between Annual Exams and Wellness Exams?

Further reading:
Wellness Examination in Dogs

Categories: Dog care • Dog health advocacy • Wellness exams • Working with Veterinarians

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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