How thoroughly should I get my dog vet checked?

My dog is 16.9 years old. I just had all of those tests done to make sure that he is alright. There was one test where something was elevated in his kidneys, but all I have to do it to stop giving him Chicken Jerky treats. Too much protein for an older dog. The Chicken Jerky has 40% protein. That's far more than an older dogs kidneys can handle. Your dog should be on a low protein diet at her age.

Your dog is a senior dog too. I am going to have his blood work done every year and I will have a regular fitness exam every 6 months now. I want to make sure that his quality of life is good.

I would take your dog for a geriatric exam every 6 months and have the geriatric blood work done every year. I don't know what breed you have, but generally, small dogs live a lot longer than large dogs.

It makes me happy to answer your question because it sounds like you really love your dog.

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With all due respect to lakelady, her post is not correct.

Rabies is also pretty much wiped out in the USA, and has absolutely nothing to do with kidney failure. It is true that the spay/neuter rate is lower in Europe. A recent study (you can find it on the AVMA website) has proven that spayed and neutered dogs actually live longer.

Our vets (where I work) recommend checking blood work (cbc, chemistry panel, thyroid) annually after the age of 7. also have a urinalysis, eye pressures, and ecg done. Our vets offer special pricing on something we call a Senior Profile, which includes all that for around $175. Your vet should want to see your dog every 6 months for an exam, which our Senior Profile also includes. Exams are usually $65 at our hospital, so you can see the savings.

More importantly, these tests can definitely catch things early. My own lab's life was saved with the profile. Her ECG was way off -- heart rhythm was crazy. So we did an ultrasound of her heart, and it was normal. The doctor kept looking around and looked in her abdomen, where he found a large tumor on her spleen. She had absolutely no symptoms, and that would have killed her had we not had it taken out. I stayed late and assisted with the surgery. She lived 2 years after that -- to be 15!

Dogs live longer when they are checked by the vet every 6 months, have the blood and urine checked every year. They live longer when their teeth are kept clean (cleaned professionally when necessary) and when they are kept lean.

In addition to checking for things like kidney failure, liver failure, heart issues, your vet can also tell whether your friend has arthritis and may benefit from doggie nsaids.

I strongly urge you to have this testing done. Dogs with early kidney failure can be helped with special foods, such as Science Diet Prescription k/d. They can be given fluids underneath the skin if they need something close to dialysis. Some of the issues we screen for have no cure, but they can definitely be managed.

Depends on your vet, but here's what I pay- I think it's pretty standard (possibly a little high, but it's a great vet). Office Visit: $40 scheduled, $50 emergency (they're 24 hours) Annual Shots (with preventative at a discount): $200 This is what it covers: Complete Wellness Exam Distemper / Lepto / Parvo Vaccine Rabies Vaccine* (*Does not include the cost of rabies registration tag) Heartworm Test Stool Worm Test 10% 0ff a year's supply of preventative medication when purchased at the time of package visit A bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine is extra, which I need because my guys are constantly doing things like daycare and obedience where they're around a lot of other dogs. I think it's like, $20 extra or something. Your vet should have no problem giving you prices for shots over the phone. It's a pretty standard thing and most places have annual packages.

It might have costs thousands of dollars to give her a few more months. I don't think it is worth it. Palliative care is to keep them comfortable but let the condition proceed to it's conclusion. One thing for sure is clean teeth! Tartar and bacteria are a major cause of kidney disease in dogs, so if your 9 year old has ugly teeth, get them cleaned........and yeah, have the senior dog blood tests which test for problems including kidney and thyroid. I'm sorry about your first dog. It is tough but after 10 or so years you have to prepare yourself for the inevitable....and it still hurts big time. .

Most important thing (in my opinion) for an older dog is low protein diet. High protein food can put an older dog into kidney failure in a matter of weeks. <experience>

You know, Dogs in Europe live much longer than dogs in the US. There have been studies done. At first they seemed to indicate that this was because the rate of spay/neuter is way lower in Europe, then they said it's because rabies is pretty much wiped out in Europe and the dogs aren't exposed to a vaccine that really isn't all that good for them. Finally they say it's because they don't run their dogs to vets all the darn time and they aren't exposed to questionable tests and procedures. I'd leave him alone, were he my dog.