An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

We’ve all heard the familiar saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” yet, how many of us apply this philosophy to our own health care. How many of us go to the doctor on a regular basis just to “make sure things are ok”? I don’t! I don’t like going to the doctors. However, there is one doctor that most people see about twice a year, their dentist.

Our dentists have drilled it into us that we need to have our teeth cleaned twice a year to maintain healthy teeth and gums. We believe them. We know it’s true. And, we should apply this preventative thinking to the rest of our body’s health! Don’t wait until you’re a diabetic to start exercising. Don’t wait until your cholesterol is so high that you have a heart attack causing permanent heart damage to think about eating healthy. Make changes early when it’s easier and more rewarding. We, as veterinarians, apply these same principals to your pets’ health.

In recent years, our profession has been shifting our focus from just giving vaccines and treating sick pets to focusing on the importance your pets’ overall health. Applying preventative medicine is the best way of doing this. The following is a summary of common measures implemented in preventative medicine:

• Bloodwork screening:  Bloodwork isn’t just used to identify diseases, let’s confirm that your pet is as healthy on the inside as it looks on the outside. It is recommended every 12 months for pets less than 7 years of age and every 6 months for pets 7 and older.
• Balanced diet:  A balanced diet will provide the best opportunity for your pet to have a long and healthy life. Some foods are even designed specifically for health concerns such as healthy teeth, urinary stone prevention or skin sensitivities.
• Heartworm prevention:  Heartworm prevention is one of the most vital preventative measures that you can implement for your pets’ health, whether DOG or CAT. Heartworm disease is a potentially deadly disease that is easily prevented in dogs and cats.
• Flea and tick prevention:  Here, prevention is a lot cheaper and easier than treatment. Flea treatment involves not only treating every pet in the household, but also the house itself. Tick treatment, wow! You don’t want to have to ever go through that! It can take up to a few months to get ticks out of your home once your dog brings them in!
• Intestinal parasite prevention:  If your pet is on heartworm prevention, this is included as an additional benefit to the use of the preventative. Some intestinal parasites are transmissible to people (especially children and the immune suppressed) and are easily prevented.
• Yearly and bi-yearly physical exams:  Pets under 7 years of age should have a full physical exam every 12 months to assure the health of your pet. Pets over 7 years of age are considered senior pets. Senior pets, just like senior adults, tend to change quicker than younger pets. For this reason, it is recommended that they have a full physical exam performed every 6 months.
• Vaccines for dogs or cats:  Although they are not the center focus of veterinary medicine anymore, they are still very important. They are given on a schedule to most benefit your pets’ health. That means:  Vaccines will only be administered as often as necessary. And, only the vaccines of benefit to that specific pet will be given.

Sarasota Animal Hospital