By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
It's just as important to check your pet's health as it is your own."We recommend once a year, and a lot of times, most veterinarians take care of that yearly exam when you come in for your yearly vaccination boosters," said Randall Smith, DVM, with Apple Lane Animal Hospital. "That's a good time to get that done and ask questions."That way, your vet can monitor trends in your pet's health."We can do things, something as simple as monitoring the weight, monitoring the muscle tone, things we see on the outside that have changed from year to year," Smith said. "It doesn't take long to do a physical exam on an animal."There is one part of the body that can cause a lot of pain that pet owners sometimes miss."One of the number one causes of unneccessary pain and suffering in animals is not arthritic pain," Smith said. "It's dental pain. Do you know how many times we see bad teeth in dogs and cats? We've all had a cavity or a root canal or something. That dental pain, with just one tooth, is astronomical. It is just terrible, but these animals can't communicate it, because that's not how they are programmed."To schedule an appointment at Apple Lane Animal Hospital, call (620) 662-0515.

Pet health checkups are important on a yearly basis