We all know the phrase “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure“. This is true, also, in veterinary medicine.
Like humans, our pets can become ill for a number of reasons, from infectious disease to the development of tumors. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to deal with–and even prevent–certain diseases.
- Prevent illness
Whenever it’s possible we should take measures to prevent ensure a pet’s good health. For many, the first step will be toward deworming and vaccinations, which are essential measures. These are just two of the many actions that can prevent the onset of diseases.
It’s necessary that the owners understand how important it is to
- regularly visit the veterinarian
- provide a proper diet
- Spay or neuteur
- Stay on top of deworming and vaccinating your pet
The truth is that these can effectively save lives and keep our animals healthy and happy!
Visits to the veterinarian are essential in monitoring the health of our pet. It is often possible to detect early signs of many diseases – and early intervention may mean survival, prolongation of life and better treatment.
2. Have a good health plan!
Many animals can develop kidney or heart disease (or both), and being able to detect the early stages of these diseases can really improve the quality of life of our animals. Diet is also key in the managing a good health plan.
Diets should be adjusted for
- species
- age
- body condition
- existing medical conditions
We cannot feed a small dog like a cat or vice versa. In fact, a quality diet is often the secret to health and vitality.
- Deworming
Deworming is not only important for the health of our animals, but it is important for our own health. Every animal, at some point, develops a certain amount of internal and external parasites that can negatively affect their health.
We talk about:
- internal deworming which refers to the control of parasites living inside the body of our animals (most often in the intestine, but can also occur in the heart and blood vessels) and
- external deworming which refers parasites found in the skin and hair of our animals (such as fleas, ticks and lice).
- Vaccination
Vaccination is perhaps the strongest preventive measure in veterinary medicine. There are a large number of highly infectious and potentially fatal diseases that can affect our pets health. However, for some of these diseases vaccination is an effective prevention method. Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system defenses in our pets, so that they become resistant to agents that cause disease.
The vaccination plans designed by veterinarians are based on species, age, region and lifestyle of the dog. In general, pets are vaccinated from the 6th or 8th week of age and a proper vaccination require 2 to 3 initial doses varying the frequency of future administrations to the type and duration of the vaccine.
- Spaying and Neutering
Spaying females and neutering males are also an aspect to consider. Many owners feel they are stealing the identity of their pets but the benefits are often greater than the risk of keeping the animals with their reproductive organs.
As your pet gets older, the increase of the risk of
- cysts in the ovaries and uterus (females)
- uterine infection (pyometra)
- appearance of breast tumors (females)
Males can also be affected by testicular tumors and prostate problems – the most effective resolution is neutering.
We are sure, you have many questions regarding to vaccination, deworming and more, and we have answers for you!
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