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Dog Longevity Survey: How Important Are Wellness Exams for Longevity?

If there ever was a dog health subject that should not have any controversy over it, it would be wellness exams. I'd very much like to have seen a full consensus that wellness exams absolutely are extremely important to longevity.


There is no downside to wellness exams.


Unlike weight management which people might find difficult, or vaccinations and spay/neuter which indeed are controversial, your dog can always only benefit from wellness exams.

Here is what people who took the survey answered. 


Extremely important53.49%
Important34.88%
Somewhat important  6.87%
Not important  2.33%
I don't know  2.33%
Other  0.00%


I am glad that majority believes wellness exams are either extremely important or at least important.

I wish nobody had checked any of the remaining options.

Anybody who cares about their dog's well-being and longevity should take them for a wellness exam at least once a year.


Many health issues can be brewing under surface long before they show up outwardly. Wellness exams are a way to peek inside for what problems might be hiding from plain sight.

Often it's not until a disease reaches an advanced stage before symptoms crop up. Early stage dental disease, orthopedic issues, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and other systemic issues can go unnoticed. Yet, the sooner they are discovered and addressed, the better the prognosis is.

Wouldn't you like to have a crystal ball that would tell you what problem your dog might come down with in the future?


Wellness exams are almost like having a crystal ball. For example, the new kidney test, SDMA, can detect kidney disease roughly a year before your dog would develop visible symptoms. Knowing of a brewing problem that far ahead can give you the upper hand increasing your dog's longevity. And that is just one example.

We have wellness exams done for our dogs twice a year. That includes full physical examination, fecal, urinalysis and comprehensive bloodwork.

Do you take your dog(s) for regular wellness exams?


Related articles:
What's the Difference Between Annual Exams and Wellness Exams?

Dog Longevity Survey Part I
Dog Longevity Survey Part II
Dog Longevity Survey Part I Results
How Important Is Weight Management for Longevity?