It is time of the year to make resolutions for the new year. Pet owners’ resolutions should be to make sure that their pet gets a checkup with a local veterinarian each and every year.

It is easy to overlook its importance but it is really an essential part of maintaining your pet’s good health. Some signs of disease can be subtle, and a yearly vet check is an opportunity for a veterinarian to pick up on these signs before a developing condition has a chance to become a major problem for your pet.

Pet owners should make sure their animal gets a checkup every year.

Dental health is a great example of something that may go unnoticed by pet owners. A complete physical exam should include a dental examination, because dental infections containing bacteria can not only cause pain for your pet but can also result in increased bacteria in the blood stream, which can affect many organs, including the heart.

Many people think that their pets are safe from disease if they don’t go outside or go to dog parks, but the truth is that there are animals carrying disease everywhere. Some of them may be in your own backyard. It is commonly known that raccoons, skunks and other wild animals can carry a variety of illnesses that can be shared with dogs and cats.

There are also parasites transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes and ticks that can spread serious blood-borne disease, and there are parasites in soil that can remain infectious for many months.

Heartworm is a great example of a disease that can be transmitted by mosquitoes.. Animals get heartworm when they are bitten by an infected mosquito. Yearly testing at your local veterinarian ensures that treatment can be started immediately should an infection occur. Unfortunately, there is no good way to prevent your pet from being bitten, but there are good preventatives for the disease that can be purchased at your veterinarian’s office. The cost of testing and prevention is much safer and cheaper than treatment of the disease.

Geriatric animals need regular checks even more urgently than younger animals. Many diseases that occur in geriatric animals can be treated or kept at bay for an extended period of time, significantly increasing your pet’s lifespan.

The subtle signs of disease that your pet may display may be too small for you to notice, but your veterinarian is trained to recognize these signs and can initiate treatment quickly to stop or slow the course of disease. Yearly blood work for geriatric pets is also recommended even for animals that appear healthy. Normal values for blood work can vary slightly from pet to pet, and getting a normal blood test back for geriatric pets not only gives you peace of mind, but allows your veterinarian to establish a normal baseline for the animal so that when problems occurs, a decision regarding treatment can be made quickly.

Yearly veterinary visits may seem like a hassle but they can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. They may even save your pet’s life!

— Jennifer Stone is the medical director and staff veterinarian at the Lawrence Humane Society. She has been a shelter veterinarian for more than a decade.