Wellness Care for Your Pet
Health care is vital for your pet throughout its life regardless of whether it's a puppy or an old animal. Puppies and kittens require routine examinations to check their growth and increase their immunity.
Pet insurance plans provide wellness coverage as an added benefit. Wellness coverage for pets differs from pet insurance on many levels.
Vaccinations
Vaccines are among the most important advances in medicine and are credited with saving more lives than other medical treatments. They can prevent diseases that would otherwise be fatal or cause severe and prolonged illness, pain, and death. In the majority of instances, prevention is more efficient and less costly than treatment.
Immunizations are an essential aspect of pet wellness and can prevent serious diseases that affect dogs and cats and humans. Vaccines are preparations of killed or altered microorganisms that are introduced into the body to activate the immune system to respond to the invader. In this way the immune system is able to recognize and fight off the disease-causing organism without needing to suffer the more serious consequences of illness or infection.
Kittens and puppies must receive an entire regimen of vaccinations during their initial stages of development to build up a strong defense against infectious diseases. Our veterinarian will suggest the right vaccines for your pet according to their age and the lifestyle they lead.
Core vaccines include rabies, distemper, and parvovirus. They are considered essential for all cats and dogs because they guard against deadly infections that are easily transmissible to people. Core vaccines are given in two injections in the early stages of kittenhood or puppyhood, and then boostered annually.
Non-core vaccines may be advised based on lifestyle and risk factors. For example, dogs that frequent groomers, boarding kennels, training classes, and dog parks may need to be vaccinated against bordetella (kennel cough) which is highly infectious, as well as leptospirosis, a zoonotic illness that can cause liver and kidney failure in both pets and humans.
All pets are generally advised to get the hepatitis A vaccine, as well as hepatitis B and C. They help prevent a number of deadly diseases that could be transmitted from animals to humans and vice from one to the other. A combination vaccine referred to as a DAP (or FVRCP) for cats or dogs protects against common infections that can be transmitted between the two species. The lyme disease vaccine which is recommended for dogs who are frequently in areas where deer are frequently encountered, shields them from the bites of the illegitimately-named deer tick, which can cause the severe bacteria-related infection that is known as Lyme disease.
Fecal Exam
A fecal exam, also known as a fecal floatation is a microscopic examination of your pet's stools. This allows your veterinarian to detect intestinal parasites such as hookworms and roundworms. They can be transmitted to other pets and family members.
There are a variety of ways to collect the fecal sample. Your vet could use a specially designed fecal sample loop that is placed in the rectum, and then pulled back to get a sample. This method is particularly useful to identify worms and cysts. Your doctor can perform the test directly by spreading the small amount of feces onto a microscope glass. The disadvantage of this type of test is that it is only accurate if the fecal sample has not been mixed with fat or cellular material.
Another method is the centrifugal float test. The feces are mixed with a special solution to test for parasite eggs. This causes the eggs to flounder and can be observed under microscope. The advantage of this method is that it is more sensitive than direct smears, however, the results will depend on the details of the procedure as well as the characteristics of the specimen.
The best way to make sure that your pet isn't infected by intestinal parasites that may affect his health or spread to other animals and family members is to perform annual fecal examinations. These infections can cause discomfort for your pet and may cause more serious illnesses that require treatment. Some intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and hookworms may be transmitted to humans and pose a serious health risk.
Fecal testing is an important and simple part of your pet's wellness routine. Every pet should undergo test of their feces at least once a year. This is more frequent for puppies and animals in a space that is conducive to parasites. Intestinal parasites are a major cause of illness in pets that can cause diarrhea and weight loss as well as vomiting. The fecal tests can reveal parasites, as well as blood or other abnormalities that could be signs of illness or infection.
Dental Exam
Dental health for pets is an essential aspect of health care. If you don't take care of your oral health teeth of pets could become infected and lead to other health problems like tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. These conditions develop when tartar forms on the teeth, and it affects the tissues surrounding them. The buildup can also travel through the bloodstream to other organs like the heart, kidneys and liver. This can increase the risk of serious disease and trigger inflammation. Regular brushing at home as well as dental cleanings can help keep your pet's teeth healthy.
During the dental exam, our veterinarian will check the mouth of your pet for indications of tartar and plaque. The veterinarian will use a scaling tool to remove the tartar and the probe will be used to examine for pockets under the gumline where periodontal diseases begin. To look at the bones and roots of the teeth, X-rays are taken of the entire mouth.
Patients who are at risk of developing dental disease or who are over the age of 65 are advised to undergo a dental exam at least once per year. The vet will also talk with you about your pet's weight, diet, and behavior. If you notice any changes in your pet, your vet will provide useful information regarding the reason and suggest further tests or treatments, if required.
Wellness plans are excellent ways to pay for preventive treatments and save money on regular expenses, such as wellness exams, dental cleanings, and heartworm testing. These plans are similar to traditional pet insurance but reimburse pre-determined medical costs rather than covering the entire visit. Our veterinarians are happy to discuss the various plans with you.
To schedule an appointment with your pet, contact our Spring Hill vets today! We can conduct a wellness exam as well as update vaccinations and recommend any other preventive measures your pet needs. We hope to see you soon!
Parasite Control
Whether of the external or internal type, parasites are living organisms that feed off your pet, depriving it of essential nutrients. They can also cause damage to her organs and body systems, resulting in a wide range of unpleasant symptoms. In extreme instances (such as heartworms), some of these parasites can be fatal. Many people believe that parasites will always be an element of pet ownership. But, this is not true. Our veterinary team is well familiar with the kinds of parasites you should look for in your area and can help you know how these bugs affect your pet and what you can do to prevent them from happening.
Responsible pet parasite control can significantly reduce the risk of transmission of disease to other pets in the household and also to humans. This includes regularly administering preventative treatments for ticks and fleas year-round, using a tick collar whenever possible and grooming your pet often especially after she has been outside. Checking her coat for indications of an infestation like chewing, scratching, and licking will also ensure that she is free from these nuisance pests.
in home pet care like roundworms and tapeworms are usually acquired by accident through the ingestion of parasite eggs discovered in areas that are contaminated by excrement from animals suffering from infection. These parasites are also zoonotic. This means they can be passed from pets to humans (and in reverse).
The ticks and fleas can invade any house, even urban areas that have a large number of pets. They can trigger severe allergic reactions in pets and also transmit vector-borne diseases like cat scratch disease (Bartonella), Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks can also be an important issue in terms of causing painful, itchy and allergic reactions in pets and possibly transmitting vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and ehrlichia to humans.
All shelter pets should be treated with a basic internal-external parasite control regimen when they are first brought into the shelter. This should include a prophylactic treatment with at least an oral dewormer that works against hookworms and roundworms as well as an insecticide and tick preventative (Nemex and Strongid are the most commonly used products).