As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention has always been worth a pound of cure.” By identifying and treating medical conditions in their earliest stages, pet owners can nip issues in the bud before they worsen. This not only keeps your pet healthier in the long run, but likely saves you money.
The team here at Direct Animal has put our heads together and come up with a quick guide covering 6 important preventative steps you can take to help keep your pet happy and healthy.
Nutritional Assessments
The adage “you are what you eat,” applies equally to cats and dogs. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) notes that the screening nutritional assessment performed at annual vet checks separates the nutritionally healthy pets from those requiring additional assessments due to risk factors.
Feeding your pet a healthy diet and keeping them at a suitable weight can prevent a host of problems. For instance, the lifespan of overweight dogs decreases by as much as one-third. Pet obesity contributes to diabetes, cardiac issues, and kidney problems. Excess weight on the joints exacerbates arthritis, and fat pets are more prone to cancer.
Keeping your pet at a healthy weight can delay the onset of many chronic diseases.
Annual Wellness Exams
The importance of an annual wellness exam cannot be underestimated. Your doctor wants to see you each year for many of the same reasons your vet wants to see your pet.
There’s no question that vet visits aren’t cheap, and many pet insurance policies do not include wellness exams. The focus on prevention can save you money and heartache in the long run.
The annual wellness exam also gives pet owners the opportunity to ask the vet about certain behaviors or quirks that wouldn’t normally trigger a vet visit but could indicate the start of a health issue.
Keep in mind that geriatric pets may require semi-annual or more frequent wellness exams so that the vet can monitor for underlying diseases common in aged animals.
Vaccinations
When it comes to preventative care, nothing beats keeping your pet’s vaccinations up to date. Vaccination literally prevents your pet from contracting serious, life-threatening illnesses. As per the AAHA, the following are considered the core dog vaccines:
- Distemper adenovirus parvovirus and parainfluenza (combination vaccine)
- Rabies
- Noncore vaccines are recommended based on the dog’s lifestyle, location, and exposure risk:
- Leptospira
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Bordetella
- Canine influenza
Dogs living in rattlesnake territory should have a Crotalus atrox vaccine to protect against venomous bites.
Core vaccines for cats include:
- FHV-1: A combo vaccine protecting against herpes, distemper, and calicivirus
- FCV: Feline calicivirus
- FPV: Feline panleukopenia
- FeLV: Feline leukemia
- Rabies
Depending on location and lifestyle, such as indoor vs. outdoor cat, your vet may recommend a Bordetella vaccine.
Parasite Prevention
Fleas and ticks are the bane of any pet’s existence. Besides making them miserable, these insects can spread severe and deadly diseases. Your vet can recommend a suitable parasite prevention protocol based on your pet’s needs.
For instance, a dog who accompanies their person on long hikes through the woods or lives outdoors much of the time likely needs a different flea-and-tick prevention program than an apartment-dwelling canine whose outside forays are more limited.
Since tapeworm infestation results from flea ingestion, flea and tick preventatives also help to keep your pet tapeworm-free.
Deworming Programs
Dogs and cats are vulnerable to all sorts of worm infestations. Starting in puppy and kittenhood, pets should be on a regular deworming program. Dewormers are available in pill and spot-on forms.
Your vet will prescribe a heartworm preventive for your dog after the animal is proved heartworm-free after testing. If heartworms are present, the dog must undergo treatment to eradicate this potentially fatal mosquito-borne infection. Heartworm preventatives usually keep other types of worms at bay, except tapeworms. A separate dewormer, praziquantel, is necessary for tapeworm elimination.
Cats are not as likely to develop heartworm disease, but there is no approved treatment for heartworm-positive felines. That is why preventative care is a must.
Dental Exams
Good oral health is as crucial for pets as for people. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), by age 3 most pets have early signs of periodontal disease. Without treatment, this disease continues to progress. Advanced periodontal disease not only affects your pet’s ability to chew but may include changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys.
At the wellness appointment, the vet will carefully examine the pet’s mouth. In some cases, X-rays are taken to determine what is happening below the gumline. If your pet has dental issues, the vet may recommend dentistry performed under anesthesia at a later appointment.
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