Yearly Vet Visits

[PAsFab5]

Our 3 dogs go to the vet once a year for a exam and a heart worm shot, which our vet just started offering a year ago and it has been life changing. Not having to worry about what size heart worm pills I do/do not have every month and I have big dogs but not little dog ones….ugh. It was a nightmare.

Rabies and other vaccines our dogs are on the 3 year doses.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yes and yes. We do Heartguard and Advantix II. Can't do any of the oral flea/tick meds as some are linked to an increase in seizures and my 10.5 year old Airedale has epilepsy. We do dentals every year on the miniature schnauzers. Usually every other year on the Airedale, but now she has a grade 4 heart murmur (on pimobendan) so not sure if we're putting her under general anesthesia for that.

 

[monsterkitty]

For sure! We always have stray mosquitoes get in, and we even have the yard treated for mosquitos. They are resilient

I am a vet and my 3 indoor cats are all on heartworm prevention. One of the most common signs of heart worm disease in cats is sudden death, and I have had several cat patients die of heartworm disease. One study reported 1/3 of cases of heartworms in cats are in cats that are classified as indoor only—people will tend to say their cats are indoor only but on further questioning they say the only go on the deck supervised, on a screen porch, on a leash, etc.

This is what I wondered about! My cats are strictly inside, we do not let them go out at all. Ever.

However, mosquitos do get indoors which is why I asked our vet about meds for the cats. She said they weren't needed because they are indoor cats and there have been no heartworm cases in cats in our area. She said it's more difficult for heartworms to settle in cats. Our former vet, who sold the practice to a corporation, said cats do need heartworm meds.

I'm so confused and conflicted!

Oh. the new vets also won't stop sending us reminders that we need to get Monsterkitty's teeth cleaned. He's 19 and has been in stage 1 kidney failure for a few years. There is no way he can get his teeth cleaned!

 

[CynBeth]

For our dog yes to the yearly exam and yes to the monthly heart worm pill. We also apply the flea and trick treatment once a month as well.

 

[NannyBeBe]

All of our dogs get annual checkups and all are on Heartgard. They all get groomed every 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[Moliphino]

Yes to both. Leota is on Simparica monthly, takes care of heartworm, ticks, and fleas. Ticks are awful around here and we're in a wooded area, so meds are very necessary for that (I wish they made something for humans).

 

[Mango7100]

This is what I wondered about! My cats are strictly inside, we do not let them go out at all. Ever.

However, mosquitos do get indoors which is why I asked our vet about meds for the cats. She said they weren't needed because they are indoor cats and there have been no heartworm cases in cats in our area. She said it's more difficult for heartworms to settle in cats. Our former vet, who sold the practice to a corporation, said cats do need heartworm meds.

I'm so confused and conflicted!

Oh. the new vets also won't stop sending us reminders that we need to get Monsterkitty's teeth cleaned. He's 19 and has been in stage 1 kidney failure for a few years. There is no way he can get his teeth cleaned!

Even though heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 states it definitely is more prevalent in certain areas (like the south where I am) compared to others (like the Pacific Northwest). Or some areas only recommend heartworm prevention during certain seasons to pair with the mosquito population rise. And it is correct that cats are considered a dead end host—the worms don’t like to live in cats compared to dogs, and usually the heart worms don’t reproduce in cats like they do in dogs. But fewer number of heartworms can kill a cat compared to a dog, and unfortunately there is no therapy to kill adult heartworms in cats like is available for dogs.

 

[RogueX]

Yes to both. My dog actually gets excited on the way to the vet, gets excited going in, but when it's time to get on the scale for her weight, that's when she's ready to run. Funny, I felt feeling when they weighed me at my physical, too.

 

[lilmc]

No on the added meds, we feed better food.

That would be why our lawn is treated multiple times throughout the year for insects.

Food and treating the yard have absolutely nothing to do with heartworm transmission, which can be year round and transmitted by mosquitos.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Yes and yes.

We have 4 cats and a dog. All go outside. In the south, you have to do flea preventative year-round. So, on the first of every month, everyone gets meds--the back-of-the-neck flea stuff for the cats, flea/tick and heartworm preventatives for the dog. We have one cat who's particularly sensitive to fleas--she'll literally scratch herself bald and get sick from them.

Rabies vaccines are required in our county, and the fine is pretty stiff--$300 if your cat misses it. We also board our dog on occasion, so she needs her vaccines up-to-date for that. We would anyway--it's part and parcel to being a responsible pet owner.

 

[easyas123]

yes & yes

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Four indoor cats and they are on year-round heartworm preventative. Three go in for annual exams, the fourth is a medical horror show who has had dozens of vet appointments over the past year.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Yes to bringing our pet to the vet annually no to heartworm pills. We do keep up on flea treatment each month for our cats though.

 

[Mango7100]

Four indoor cats and they are on year-round heartworm preventative. Three go in for annual exams, the fourth is a medical horror show who has had dozens of vet appointments over the past year.

There’s always one in each family who has more issues than everyone else combined, same in our household when we had 3 geriatric cats

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Not sure on cats, but at least for dogs, rabies immunizations (after the first one) are good for 3 years.

We've only done the 3 year rabies for our cat, wasn't ever given the option for anything less.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That would be why our lawn is treated multiple times throughout the year for insects.

Your yard is in the nature..

Stagnant water will attract them and spraying only does so much. Even stagnant water bowls for a short time with your windows open with the screen or a door open for a short time can let them in.

You're not immune just because you think you are. You can def. do what you can to reduce the prevalence but you cannot fully remove the risk.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

While our cat is out of date on his vaccinations (pandemic further delayed it though he was only a few months out of date when the pandemic started) our cat just doesn't do well at the vet. The last time he was there they had to sedate him to just do a check up. It's a very stressful thing for him. As he ages though (he's 9 now) though there will be more frequent visits. We may need to look into more seriously certain things to pay extra for the vet's office to send someone to our house which they can do for select clients and select services.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

There’s always one in each family who has more issues than everyone else combined, same in our household when we had 3 geriatric cats

After years of caring for geriatric pets, they finally all died off and I was looking forward to adopting young healthy kittens and having a break from all the vet visits and medical care. Those kittens are almost two now and one hasn’t had platelets since she was 5 months old.

 

[Moliphino]

Yes to both. My dog actually gets excited on the way to the vet, gets excited going in, but when it's time to get on the scale for her weight, that's when she's ready to run. Funny, I felt feeling when they weighed me at my physical, too.

My dog also hates the scale. Everything else is fine (the vet has a steady stream of biscuits during the exam and shots), but she's so scared of getting on the scale.

 

[Moliphino]

While our cat is out of date on his vaccinations (pandemic further delayed it though he was only a few months out of date when the pandemic started) our cat just doesn't do well at the vet. The last time he was there they had to sedate him to just do a check up. It's a very stressful thing for him. As he ages though (he's 9 now) though there will be more frequent visits. We may need to look into more seriously certain things to pay extra for the vet's office to send someone to our house which they can do for select clients and select services.

My mom found a mobile vet for our 15 year old dog and it's actually less expensive. Less overhead costs, maybe? Dexter was never great in the car or at the vet, so this is much less stressful for him.