How often should my pet see a vet?

Most healthy adult cats and dogs are seen once a year. Puppies and kittens need a series of visits in their first months, senior pets usually benefit from being seen more often, and any pet with an ongoing condition follows a schedule set by their veterinarian.

That is the general rule. The useful version is more specific to your animal, which is exactly what a check-up is for.

Cats and dogs are very good at masking discomfort. It is an instinct, not stubbornness, and it means that by the time a change is obvious at home it has often been developing for a while. A dental problem, a heart murmur, a slow weight change or a lump under a thick coat can all go unnoticed until someone examines for them deliberately.

There is a second reason that matters just as much. A check-up on a healthy pet creates a baseline. Knowing what normal looks like for your specific animal makes it far easier to recognise when something has shifted.

A wellness examination is a systematic assessment rather than a quick look. It usually includes:

• Weight, temperature and overall body condition
• Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth and gums
• Skin and coat, and any lumps or changes
• Heart rate, breathing and lung sounds
• Abdomen and internal organ comfort
• Muscles, joints, mobility and posture
• A review of vaccinations and parasite prevention
• A conversation about appetite, behaviour and routine

Puppies and kittens are seen several times in their first months, mainly around their vaccination course, growth and early parasite protection. Adult pets settle into an annual rhythm. As pets get older, changes tend to develop faster, so more frequent visits give a better chance of catching them early.

Pets with a diagnosed condition, or on long-term medication, follow their own review schedule. Your veterinarian will tell you what that looks like and why.

You see your pet every day, and we do not. Small notes about appetite, drinking, toileting, energy, sleep and behaviour are genuinely useful at an appointment, and often point to the answer faster than any test.

If something has changed and you are unsure whether it is worth an appointment, contact the clinic and describe it. We would rather tell you it can wait than have you wait when it should not.