Your dog’s adult years will most likely be their fittest. However, be observant for any changes in your dog’s alertness, digestion, skin and coat, weight, oral hygiene, and daily habits. Here are some preventive measures that will keep your dog healthy well into their senior years.
Annual Examination
It is important to schedule an annual wellness exam for your adult dog even though they may seem perfectly healthy. Early detection can save your dog’s life, especially in the areas of:
- Dental disease
- Hereditary diseases
- Cancers
- Obesity
- Allergies
- Parasites (heartworm, intestinal, fleas, ticks)
- Communicable diseases (distemper, parvovirus, rabies)
Testing
Annual blood and urine tests can reveal problems with your dog’s liver, kidneys, thyroid, white blood cells, red blood cells, etc. Abnormalities can show up in blood test results before ever starting to notice changes in your dog. If a disease is caught early, it can be cured or maintained much more effectively. Fecal exams are also very important to run on a yearly basis to diagnose and treat for parasites.
Vaccines
For our adult dogs, after they have received appropriate puppy vaccination cycles, we change to a 1-year or 3-year rotating vaccine schedule, which allows us to booster the appropriate antigens and keep protection levels high without over-stimulating the immune system.