“My pet is so healthy, they’ve never been to a vet!” – what your vet is thinking

I look down at the elderly staffie on the table in front of me and inwardly sigh. True to the breed, this gorgeous dog is wagging his tail and looking at me like I’m the most interesting person he’s ever met, but I can see he’s struggling. The muscle wastage and long nails that speak of having not been able to walk properly for a long time. The thickened pigmented skin that says long-standing itching. The scarred ear canals that resulted from years of ear infections left to their own devices. The truly awful breath that tells me I really don’t want to see just how bad the teeth are.