Just like their owners, dogs and cats benefit from routine wellness exams but with one important difference. Because they age faster than people, pets need wellness exams twice a year.

On average, dogs and cats age seven times faster than people. That means significant health changes can occur in a short amount of time. Typically, dogs and cats reach adulthood by age 2, middle age by 4 and senior status by 7, said Marty Becker, a veterinarian and consumer spokesman for National Pet Wellness Month, an educational initiative sponsored in October by the American Veterinary Medical Association (Schaumburg, IL.) and Fort Dodge Animal Health (Overland Park, Kan.)

Becker equates taking a dog or cat to see its veterinarian once a year to a person seeing his doctor or dentist once every seven years.

Prevention is the real goal of twice a year exams. When veterinarians see a pet on a regular basis, they can help pets avoid some preventable illnesses and dis­eases. Plus, a pet will never have to suffer from pain that could be treated or prevented by a veterinarian.

Pet wellness exams include screen­ings for a variety of potential diseases. These screenings usually are accompanied by an individualized risk assessment, taking into account factors such as environment, emerg­ing disease risks in the community, interactions with other pets and wildlife, travel plans, and other lifestyle considerations.

Armed with the pet's medical history, current health status and potential risk factors, veterinarians can determine a proper prevention program for pets.

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