Living a long, happy, healthy life is important to all of us. To that end, we visit our physician yearly for a physical that usually includes routine lab tests to make sure everything with our physical and mental being is in good working order. How many of us do this same thing for our beloved pets? They too need a yearly visit to the veterinarian for a checkup so that they are able to live a long, happy and healthy life with us. When we go in for our physical, it is important that we tell our physician if something is not quite right, and we need to ask questions about our medications, our treatment, and how we can continue on our road to wellness.
Our pets are not able to do this same thing on their visit, so we must do this on their behalf. So it is up to us to let the veterinarian know if our pet’s routine is somewhat off or if we are noticing anything that is out of the ordinary. It is also important for us to make sure we ask the veterinarian all the right questions to assure a continuous healthy life for our pet. The following is a list of some questions that you might want to review with your veterinarian on your pet’s next annual checkup.
Questions you should ask your veterinarian when medication is prescribed.
Why has my pet been prescribed this medication and how long do I need to give it?How do I give the medication to my pet? Should it be given with food?How often should the medication be given and how much should I give each time? If it is a liquid, should I shake it first?How do I store the medication?What should I do if my pet vomits or spits out the medication?If I forget to give the medication, should I give it as soon as I remember or wait until the next scheduled dose? What if I accidentallygive too much?Should I finish giving all of the medication, even if my pet seems to be back to normal?Could taking this medication interact with other medications my pet is taking?What reactive should I watch for, and what should I do if I see any side effects?When should I bring my pet back for a recheck? Will you be calling me to check on my pet’s progress, or should I call you?