.avif){kind=avatar}
.jpg)
We often hear this statement for humans that prevention is better than cure, but do you know the same applies to your pets as well? Our goal with Preventative Pet care is not only to prevent diseases and infections but to ensure that our pets live a healthier and longer life.
In general, preventative pet care includes vaccinations, parasite treatments, and regular checkups and diagnostic screening with your veterinarian. These measures help prevent life-threatening diseases in pets and also allow your vet to detect any early signs of fatal illnesses like cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, and others.
As a small animal veterinarian, I will explain to you in this detailed guide why you should invest in early preventive care and how it will transform your pet's life, whether you are a new pet owner or an experienced one looking for useful, practical tips. I will also be explaining to you how this will save you from paying hefty vet bills in the long term, so read on.
What Does Preventative Pet Care Mean And Its Importance?
In simple words, preventative pet care is a combination of medical approaches that will keep our pets safe from diseases and chronic conditions before they occur.
It includes administering vaccinations, taking your pet for regular health checkups, administering parasitic prevention medications, doing routine blood work and other diagnostics, performing dental care, along with grooming and other necessary measures for a healthier life.
Early detection of health issues and treating them before the appearance of symptoms yields better outcomes for your pet in long-term health management and certainly increases their lifespan. With proper prevention and early detection, you will be saving a lot on vet bills.
For example, if your dog is suffering from a serious infection like parvo and needs to be hospitalized, you will end up paying a hefty amount, usually over $1000, but the same infection can be prevented with up-to-date vaccinations costing under $200. Moreover, you will save your beloved pet from suffering and discomfort with ease.
What's Included In Preventative Pet Care
The following are the major components of preventative pet care that every owner must know and follow. Neglecting any of these can result in health problems for your pet.
- Vaccinations:
Cats and dogs can suffer from a variety of potentially fatal infections, especially during the early weeks of their life. With proper vaccinations, you can prevent these infections from occurring and increase the lifespan of your pet.
Vaccines contain an antigen (disease-causing agents) which are made weak or killed so it cannot cause illness in the pet when injected.
However, the immune system of your pet will recognise these antigens and will produce antibodies against them, which will protect your pet in case of exposure to live and active antigens capable of causing illness.
In general, vaccines should be administered to pets when they are 4-8 weeks old, and a follow-up booster shot should be administered after 2 weeks of the first shot.
After that, vaccines are repeated either annually or after three years, depending upon local regulations and the manufacturer. Vaccines can be divided into two categories:
Core vaccine
These vaccines are necessary for every pet because the diseases they prevent are very common and usually fatal.
For dogs, Core vaccines include parvovirus, distemper, rabies, and adenovirus.
- For cats, core vaccines include feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, feline herpes virus, and rabies.
Non-core vaccines
These vaccines are not necessary for every pet and are administered based on environment, lifestyle, and other risk factors.
For instance, dogs that regularly go to boarding and come in contact with other dogs frequently should be vaccinated against kennel cough, or dogs that frequently visit areas with thick brush and plants should be vaccinated against Lyme disease due to the risk of ticks.
Cats that are outdoors and come in contact with stray cats frequently should be administered the FeLV vaccine.
- Parasitic Prevention:
Another important aspect of preventive pet care is the treatment of internal and external parasites, which not only cause health issues in pets but are also a health hazard for humans.
Internal Parasite Treatments (Deworming)
Dogs and cats like to sniff, lick, and sometimes consume unwanted things like the stool of other animals, their own stool, wild insects, and vermin, which makes them susceptible to internal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and several others.
These parasites can cause upset stomach, vomiting, and life-threatening symptoms in severe cases. Usually, deworming is administered to pets as early as 3-4 weeks of age, followed by a follow-up dose after 2 weeks.
After that, it is repeated every three or six months, depending on the type of dewormer you use for the rest of their life.
Internal parasite treatments come in the form of tablets, oral liquids, and injectables. Pets who have a sensitive stomach should be administered an injectable.
Dewormers can sometimes cause soft stool for a couple of days after administration, and if you see dead parasites in your pet's stool, more doses of deworming should be repeated.
External Parasite Treatments (Flea And Tick Control)
External parasites mainly include ticks and fleas. These parasites attach to the skin of your pet and feed on their blood. They can cause intense itching, skin allergies, hair loss, and blood-borne infections like ehrlichiosis in pets.
External pet prevention treatments come in different forms, like local spot-on liquids, usually applied between the shoulder blades of your pet. Other forms include shampoos, sprays, powders, tick collars, oral tablets, and injectables.
External treatments are repeated after one, three, or six months, depending on the type of medication used. Now, yearly injectables are also available, which last a whole year for dogs.
External parasite prevention should not be administered to pets younger than 6 months of age, especially if they are strictly indoors.
- Regular Diagnostic Screening:
Regular visits to the vet are an essential component of preventative pet care because your pet might not be showing any symptoms, but there could be an underlying disease going on.
Blood work
Doing blood work for your pet once or twice a year is highly advised, especially for senior pets.
A vet can judge the functioning of the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and other vital organs based on the results. If they see marked changes, they may prescribe necessary medications, supplements, or possibly a diet change.
X rays
With the help of X-rays, we can examine their vital organs, bone structure, especially looking for any signs of early arthritis in senior pets, and digestive functioning, whether or not they are constipated or bloated.
Urine analysis
Urine analysis helps determine the kidney functioning and hydration status of your pet. If your pet has crystals in the urine, your vet might suggest shifting to a urinary food in order to prevent bladder stones, which require surgery and hospitalization.
Dental Care
Most pet owners don't pay attention to the dental health of their pets. A healthy oral cavity and teeth play a key role in maintaining the health of your pet.
If you don't provide your pet with a nutritious diet and don't brush their teeth as recommended, they will end up with inflamed gums (gingivitis), dental plaque, dental tartar, tooth discoloration, and tooth loss.
Inflamed gums, dental tartar, and loose teeth can be very painful, and you may notice your pet is not chewing his food properly or has started to eat less, which will eventually lead to weight loss.
If you notice a bad smell from your pet's mouth, it could be a sign of oral infection, and in such a case, you must see a veterinarian, especially if it doesn't go away on its own after one to two days.
It is recommended to brush your pet's teeth once, if not twice, a week. Also, you should provide dry kibble and firm fruits or vegetables like carrots in the diet as they help to break down dental plaque and keep your pet's teeth healthy.
Dental scaling once a year will also help prevent dental tartar and give your vet a chance to examine each tooth more clearly, removing any that may be loose and cause future pain.
See what Dental Chews Dog’s need.
Grooming And Skin Care
Keeping your pet well-groomed is another way of preventive pet care. Regular grooming ensures your pet stays clean and tidy, preventing skin infections, ear infections, broken nails, and other mobility issues.
Long-haired cats or dogs should be brushed 2-3 times a week. When it comes to giving a bath to dogs, I would suggest once a month is fine, but for cats, they don't need a bath unless very necessary due to poor skin or coat. Using wet wipes is a better option for cats than bathing.
Desexing Surgeries And Reproductive Health
Neutering and spaying your pet can help prevent a lot of health issues and behavioral problems. Pets that are desexed at proper age don't indulge in unwanted behaviours like humping, spraying urine, excessive vocalisation, and others.
These surgeries also help prevent certain life-threatening health issues like prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, mammary tumors, and the most common pyometra.
The ideal age for pets to be neutered or spayed depends on several factors like species, breed, weight, and activity level.
Large dog breeds should be neutered or spayed until 12 to 15 months of age because they require hormones for bone and muscle growth. Small dogs and cats should be neutered or spayed by the age of 6 to 8 months. For female dogs, it is advised to spay them once they have experienced their first heat, ensuring their organs are fully developed.
Written by: Dr. Abdul Basit Javed (DVM, RVMP, MOCCAE)
%2520(1).png)
%2520(1).png)
