The one checkup you skip might be the one that could have saved your pet’s life.

Most pet owners don’t skip vet visits out of neglect. It’s usually money, time, or the assumption that things seem fine for now. But “seems fine” can be deceptive. Animals are built to hide discomfort, and by the time something becomes obvious, it’s often already serious.
That missed appointment may feel minor in the moment, but it could let something subtle snowball into a full-blown emergency. These ten examples show exactly how fast things can unravel—and why prevention really does matter more than you think.