Dental Care

Bad breath isn’t an accident; our pets get it for the same reasons we do, and one of those reasons is poor oral health. However, the need for dental care goes far beyond the importance of treating “bad” teeth that are painful and thus can make pets reluctant to eat or drink. The bacteria involved in the infection can travel through the body, causing problems in other organs. You can help to prevent dental disease by brushing your pet’s teeth regularly at home with a toothpaste made for pets, not humans, and by making sure your veterinarian checks your pet’s teeth at every appointment. Your pet may need a dental cleaning under anesthesia for such concerns as gingivitis, periodontal disease, or tooth resorption.

Exercise

While exercise helps prevent obesity, preventing weight gain is not the only reason to provide exercise. Our pets aren’t meant to live a life of dull luxury hanging around on the couch. Exercise also gives them a reason to sleep soundly at night and to have social time (particularly dog play dates). It deepens the human-animal bond, and just plain makes our friends feel good all over. Just going for a walk to check out the smells and sights makes your dog’s day, and interactive cat toys will keep your cat’s mind and body sharp. 

Regular Checkups

Your pet should have at least an annual checkup with your veterinarian. It’s the equivalent of your annual physical. (Some pets may need more frequent checkups, due to on-going health problems, age-related diseases, etc.) Your pet’s doctor will do a physical exam and feel the skin, muscles, bones, etc. for problems; check his teeth; and make sure his health appears to be good. Finding a potential problem sooner, rather than later, is always best for your pet’s health. (And often, it saves you money over the long run.) The older your pet gets, the more important this preventive care becomes.

Microchip

While the system of scanning for microchips is not perfect, having your pet chipped still increases the odds that you will get him home, if he gets lost. It doesn’t matter whether he got lost while you’re camping or if he simply bolted out the door. Tags can fall off collars. Collars can break. (In fact, cat collars are designed to break away, for safety.) In the aftermath of natural disasters, microchips can be invaluable.

Nutrition

Your pet needs a balanced diet created for his species. The price of a pet food doesn’t necessarily equate to the best food for your pet and his health needs. Check the food packaging to see if the food is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This group tests commercially available pet food and tells us if it meets our pets’ nutritional needs or not.

Also, your pet needs fresh water every day.

Parasite Control

Internal and external parasites can make your pet (and, in some cases, your family) sick, so using preventatives can keep your pet comfortable and save you a lot of money. It is important to control fleas, ticks, tapeworms, ascarids, other intestinal worms, and heartworms. An infestation of fleas can suck so much blood that your pet can become anemic.  They also can cause skin problems. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Cytauxzoonosis. Heartworm disease kills pets every year; heartworm prevention medication is much less expensive than treatment.