Well and Happy: Putting Pet Wellness to Work for You
Want to help your pet live a healthier and happier life? Of course, we all do! One of the best ways to give your pet good health is to focus on preventive care, but what, exactly, is wellness for pets, and why is it so important?
Here, Mobile Vet M.D. shares a few tips on pet wellness and what it means to you.
What Is Pet Wellness?
Pet wellness is the concept of taking a preventive approach to your pet’s health rather than waiting until they are sick or in pain to seek veterinary care.
Because pets are good at hiding signs of disease from us, we often don’t know there is something wrong until disease is quite advanced. And, because pets age much faster than we do, it’s important to keep annual preventive care visits with your veterinarian, so that we can catch small problems before they become big ones.
Components of Wellness
Wellness is composed of a number of things and is a partnership between your veterinarian and you. Listed below are the things that we recommend to keep your furry friend at their best.
Annual wellness exam – The cornerstone of preventive care, an exam with your veterinarian is a 13- point, nose-to-tail comprehensive check of your pet’s health. By examining all of your pet’s body systems, your veterinarian can determine where to look more closely, or if all systems are go!
Diagnostic lab work – A simple blood test provides a large amount of information about how your pet’s organs are functioning. A urine test can tell us quickly how your pet’s kidneys are doing. Capturing a baseline for what’s normal for your pet is just as valuable as seeing something wrong on these tests. We like to celebrate a normal result!
Brush teeth daily – Um, what? Yes, that’s right. Up to 85% of pets over the age of 4 have some form of periodontal disease. Dental disease causes swollen, bleeding gums, tooth loss, pain, and bad breath. Your best defense is a professional dental cleaning once a year and daily brushing at home. Brushing your pet’s teeth may seem daunting, but we can show you how to make it easy by starting slowly and being consistent.
Parasite prevention – We know it’s winter, but keeping up on flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is an important component of wellness. Contrary to popular belief, parasites are a year-round problem and, trust us, it’s much easier to keep up on monthly preventives than to rid your house of a flea infestation!
Nutrition – When you eat well, you feel well, and it’s the same for your pets! Sadly, over 50% of pets in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do to prevent your pet from becoming a part of that staggering statistic. At your pet’s wellness exam, we’ll talk about diet and how much and how often to feed.
Exercise – Exercise with your pet is so much fun and a great way to keep him (and you!) well. There are many physical and mental benefits, such as keeping joints and muscles limber and strong and preventing boredom and destructive behavior.
Vaccination – Vaccination is an important part of pet wellness, too. At your pet’s wellness exam, we’ll talk about your pet’s age, lifestyle, and vaccine history, and tailor a vaccination program that can prevent disease.
Wellness for Individuals
So, there you have it, the components of pet wellness. Of course, every pet is an individual, and we’ll talk in much more detail about your pet’s wellness when we meet you. Give us a call if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you keep your pet well for many years to come!