Are You Avoiding Veterinary Check-Ups For The Family Dog?
Recently, waiting to welcome a friend at
the airport, I witnessed many departures and arrivals. The one I liked best
involved a young couple returning from some far-off island who couldn't wait to
see their “son.”
“How is he?”
“Did he sleep?”
“Did he eat alright?”
“Where is he?”
When the “son” was brought forward and
turned out to be a tiny, quite excited Pomeranian, we wondered why we weren't
more surprised. Then we remembered that it is not at all uncommon for dog
owners to regard their pets as children. There doesn't seem to be anything
wrong with such a situation; neither owner nor dog appears any worse for it.
The trouble is that it often doesn't go far
enough. Right now, for instance, with Jack Frost standing in the wings during a
harsh winter, many of us are telling one another to get down to the doctor's
office for a flu shot, and while we're there, we'll have our annual check-up.
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Dogs Require Check-Ups Too
But what about the tiny Pomeranians and all
their canine brothers and sisters? They require an annual check-up too.
Indeed, according to no less an authority
than thousands of professional veterinarians, a yearly check-up is five to
seven times more important to a dog than it is to an owner, because dogs mature
five to seven times faster than humans. A dog ages as much in its first year as
his owner does in twenty!
Many dog owners put off taking their family
pet to a veterinarian until they notice something wrong. The dog won't eat, or
he sleeps all the time, or he's biting everybody on the block. Perhaps, had he
been checked by a veterinarian long ago, none of these conditions would
prevail.
Also, it is well to remember that dogs are
subject to many hidden hazards, just as we are. Dogs get arthritis, they suffer
from tumors, heart trouble, kidney ailments, etc. Caught in time, a lot of pain
can be avoided.
What does a visit to the veterinarian
involve? Some owners we've talked to think it's an all-day affair, costing a
fortune. Not so. The cost is moderate and the time consumed is seldom more than
an hour. Most often, it's a matter of minutes.
The doctor will use a stethoscope, an
otoscope, and an ophthalmoscope, the last two instruments for the ears and
eyes. He will have a good look at the dog's teeth and gums (dogs can get
pyorrhea), he'll check the dog's coat, weight, pulse, and temperature.
Most dogs learn to enjoy their visits to
the veterinarian. Incidentally, it's a very good idea to take the dog to the
same doctor each visit, just as you would yourself. In their own way, some dogs
even demand it!
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