I take my boar in for an annual check up because the vet is much, MUCH better at getting a look in his ears and in his mouth than I ever am. She also checks his heart, lungs, pulse in his groin, etc. His last visit was in July and it was $105. I also take him in for nail trims about every 6 weeks for$24.00, again because they do it much faster and with far less hoop-la than I. I like that by taking him in for an annual physical if anything does go amiss, the vet already has records about him from when he is well, such as his weight, etc. In other words, if I take him in tomorrow for a URI, she would know that his lungs were clear when she lasts saw him in July. I agree with others about pet insurance. Once you get past a routine checkup with no lab tests, x-rays, etc., it can get really expensive really fast.