The Annual Health Check and Booster Vaccination

When you receive your notification that your best friend’s annual health check and vaccination booster is due, this is far more important than a quick jab with a needle.

When we send out our annual health reminders (and the wellness reminders 6 months later) these include a check list on the back. When you come in we would hope that you have taken note of the questions asked in the check list as to the behaviour and general demeanour of this important family member such that we can discuss your observations in the light of the examination. In other words we place more importance on the checkup than we do on the booster vaccination.

Many a time a simple observation by an owner that an animal is drinking more, losing weight or other simple seemingly innocuous thing may lead to the early discovery of a potentially life threatening condition which can then be caught and treated.

It may well be that one day scientists prove that annual vaccination boosters are not strictly necessary (it is however interesting to note though that there was a recent distemper outbreak in Victoria after years of no cases, and the same thing is happening in human medicine where old diseases all but forgotten are re-emerging).

I will however always be one who never downplays the good sense in having annual checkups and 6 monthly reviews for everyone including our beloved pets, so please excuse us if we send you a second reminder and even a telephone call when your memory fails you.

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