Preventative Pet Care

In a recent nationwide poll, 81 percent said they have at least one pet and 51 percent have two or more. The majority of respondents said they are still investing in their pets’ preventative health care, despite the difficult economic times, with 60 percent spending between $200 and $1,000 last year on their pets’ health and another 18 percent spending more than $1,000.

Veterinarians discuss the two most common causes of health concerns to household pets:

Weight management

• Obesity is as common a problem in household pets as it is in people. It’s important that you avoid allowing your pet to take in more calories than he or she will burn off per day. Obesity can cause an array of health problems, including cancer.
  
• Seeing the veterinarian at least once per year is an important part of your pet's preventative medicine program. Older pets should be seen more frequently based upon their age and other medical issues.
• Properly examining and discussing health risks allows your veterinarian to work with you in designing a customized health program for your pet's specific health requirements.
• Early detection of problems like dental, cardiac, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, or behavioral issues allows a greater chance of successfully treating your pet’s health conditions.

Dental Hygiene

• Opening your pet's mouth and examining her or his teeth and gums gives you one clue to their overall health. Shiny white teeth, pink healthy gums, and fresh breath are major signs of health. Stinky breath, red lines or swellings on the gums, and bad breath indicate a need for your veterinarian's assistance.
• Pet owners can attempt to brush their pets’ teeth themselves on a regular basis, but that should not replace regular dental care by a professional.
• Bacteria from the mouth because of poor dental health can lead to more serious problems, including significant damage to the organs.
• Dental health is so important in our pets that veterinary medicine now has specialists who are veterinary dentists, these doctors deal specifically with diseases of the mouth, including teeth, gums, growths/tumors, and bone disease or injury to the mouth.
• If your pet has dental issues, look for a vet who carries the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval. Pet dental cleanings generally require general anesthesia.