The Importance of Preventive Care for Pets: Keeping Them Healthy and Happy

The American Veterinary Medical Association always reminds pet parents about the value of practicing preventive care. Warding off serious pet illnesses needs comprehensive tests and early diagnoses. Pet parents like you must discuss how these preventive measures can help your pet’s health and behavior. Here are some of the benefits that preventive care for pets can provide.

Helps Update Vaccinations

Updating your pet’s vaccinations is crucial for preventing serious diseases. Basic vaccines include those for parvovirus, rabies, and leptospirosis in dogs. Feline vaccines include those for rabies and panleukopenia. Protecting your pet from these ailments can save you from heartache and financial setbacks. Discussing these vaccines with your vet can help set a vaccine schedule for your pet.

Prevents Internal and External Parasites

The most fatal parasite that can affect your pet is the heartworm. An infestation is called heartworm disease. Treating this disease can be expensive, heartbreaking, and taxing. That is why preventing it is crucial. Regular heartworm preventives can prevent heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms from affecting your pet.

Oral or topical preventives for ticks and fleas can also prevent your pet from suffering from skin irritation, anemia, and even Lyme disease. Your vet can recommend some brands. Advising you with proper hygiene practices can reinforce the preventives that you use against these external parasites. Protecting your pet during walks, hikes, or playtime can also help keep these external parasites off your pet. One way to do this is to stay on the trail or avoid unclean properties.

Some Pointers in Providing Preventive Care for Your Pets

Prevention will always be key to your pet’s health. You can discuss a preventive treatment plan for your pet on the next checkup. Knowing what to do in providing preventive care can improve your pet’s general health. Here are some pointers to consider:

• Talk about your pet’s behavioral issues. There could be an underlying health issue that is affecting your pet’s actions and moods. Separation anxiety, irregular urination, or aggression may be signs of a health problem.
• Maintain your pet’s normal weight. Obesity can lead to many health issues. Heart disease and diabetes can develop from this condition. A specific diet and more exercise can help manage your pet’s current weight.
• Always clean your pet’s teeth. Dental issues can spring up because of improper pet dental care. Your pet can develop plaque and tartar. These substances can cause dental disease and tooth loss later on.
• Talk about neutering or spaying your pet. Either procedure can lower your pet’s risk of developing fatal diseases, such as cancer. It can prevent unwanted births as well. Spaying or neutering can prevent hormonal surges. These fluctuations often result in aggressive or territorial behavior. You can rest assured that your pet will not fight, wander off, or mark your home anymore. Your vet can discuss the right time for your pet to have the procedure.

Your pet will stay healthy and happy through preventive veterinary care. At Country Veterinary Clinic, we work with our pet parents to provide the highest quality vet care. You can visit our clinic in Live Oak, California, for a one-on-one consultation. Please call 530-491-4500 to set an appointment or ask about our preventive vet care packages.