Why Is Preventative Health So Important For Cats & Dogs?
If you’re lucky enough to be a pet parent, your cat or dog’s health is likely a top priority. We want our pets to be healthy and happy for as long as possible, which is why we should all understand the importance of preventative pet care.
Preventative health care in pets provides immeasurable value to both the animal and the pet parent, ranging from disease prevention to life longevity. So what is preventative pet care, and why is it so important for our pets? Let’s dive in!
What Is Preventative Health Care In Cats & Dogs?
We have been taught the importance of preventative health care our entire lives. You are likely practicing preventative care without even knowing it, ranging from eating healthy to seeing your doctor for an annual exam.
There are an array of measures that can be implemented to promote our health and well being, and this stands true for our cats and dogs as well. Preventative health care in pets is all about preventing complications before they occur, which ultimately promotes a longer and healthier life for our pets.
A preventative health care plan for cats and dogs can detect developing illness early on, prevent contagious disease, and offer home care tips for dental, nutritional, and overall health. Preventative health care in pets is all about preventing the complication before it has the chance to impact their lives.
Why Is Preventative Pet Care So Important In Cats & Dogs?
Now that you are aware of what preventative health care is for cats and dogs, it’s important to understand the many reasons why it is essential.
It Prevents Infectious Disease
Our world is filled with an array of bacteria and viruses that can infect our pets. These infectious agents can hangout in unsuspecting places, ranging from your favorite park to the friendly neighborhood cat. These diseases are easily spread from animal to animal, and can result in severe illness if our pets do become infected.
Thankfully for our beloved cats and dogs, most of these infectious illnesses can be prevented with a vaccine. Vaccines are a part of a well rounded care plan, and can prevent your pets from suffering with the effects of these horrible conditions. Some of these infectious illnesses are even fatal, so prevention is always key.
It Prevents Life Threatening Complications
Without a preventative pet care plan, your cat or dog could face an array of life threatening health complications. They could encounter infectious illness, flea and tick disease, anemia from heavy flea burdens, uterine or prostate infections, and more! Each of these conditions can be prevented with some form of preventative care, proving how life saving these care options can be.
It Catches Developing Disease Early
One important aspect of preventative pet care is a yearly veterinary exam. These exams not only ensure that your cat or dog is in great shape, but it can even detect developing illness early on. For example, many dogs and cats have been diagnosed with early stages of cardiac disease through their yearly exams, allowing them to be started on medical management immediately.
This is just one example of the many conditions that can be detected during a yearly exam, allowing the vet to act quickly and provide necessary care moving forward. Early detection can either result in an immediate cure, or it can offer your pet more time with proper management.
It Educates The Pet Parent
Being a pet parent comes with a list of responsibilities, and one of them is education around our pet’s care. Most of us want to be educated on the many ways we can improve our cat or dog’s life, and speaking with your vet about preventative care can do just that.
Some of the many ways we can help our pets through proper education is by learning about nutrition, dental care, grooming, vaccinations, flea prevention, spaying and neutering, and so much more. We can go to our veterinary team for any of these questions, as well as relying on assistance from approved veterinary sources.
It Offers Insight On Home Care
While there are many aspects of preventative pet care that occur at your vet’s office, there are so many ways to promote your pet’s health through home care as well. Most veterinary professionals will agree that proper home care is essential when it comes to keeping your pet healthy, as this is where they spend the majority of their time! While most cats and dogs only see the vet 1-3 times per year, they are at home with their family the rest of the time.
Your veterinarian can discuss some of the many ways you can implement preventive pet healthcare at home. This may include daily teeth brushing, feeding a nutritional diet, giving them monthly parasite prevention, and even brushing your pet’s fur. Though these tasks may seem small, they make a huge difference in the end.
It Prolongs Your Pet’s Quality Of Life
Not only do we want our dogs and cats to live a long life, we want them to have a comfortable life as well. Quality of life is essential when it comes to our pet’s happiness, and preventative care can promote their life quality in many ways.
Preventative pet care can prevent dental pain, obesity, flea infections, intestinal parasites, hormone related complications, and unmanaged pain from underlying conditions. Something as simple as preventative care can offer your pet so much comfort as the years go by.
It Saves You Money
Many of the medical conditions that preventive pet care targets can be very expensive to treat. Not only can these complications lead to expensive medical treatments and ongoing care, but they can lead to long term complications as well. This means that not only could you be faced with a hefty bill at an ER visit, but you may be burdened with multiple vet bills to come. Preventative pet care can protect your pet from many of these complications, and this care is a fraction of the cost.
Preventative Pet Care Plans For Cats & Dogs
All pets should be started on a preventative healthcare plan from the moment they enter their new home. This involves everything from yearly vaccinations to at home dental care, but let’s list some of the aspects of a well rounded pet care plan below.
A preventative pet health plan for cats and dogs should include:
- Annual vet visits
- Initial and yearly vaccinations
- Spaying and neutering, or discussion about the topic
- Monthly flea, tick, and heartworm prevention
- Home care instructions such as:
- Dental care
- Skin & Grooming care
- Supplements (such as Omega 3’s, Hip & Joint care, etc.)
- Nutrition & Weight Management
- Behavioral care (anxiety, training, and stimulation)
- Senior pet care and screenings, such as blood tests
- Regular dental teeth cleanings
For a more in depth description of what these factors involve, be sure to take a look at our preventative pet health guide here.
Final Thoughts
Something as simple as preventative pet care can make a world of difference for the treasured pets in our home. If you are ready to get your pet started on a preventative health care plan, we suggest speaking with someone on the Vetted team. We will work with your local vet to ensure you and your pet are getting the highest level of pet care from home and in their office! Check out our membership options here.
