Wellness Care for Your Pet
Wellness care is essential for your pet throughout its lifetime regardless of whether it’s a kitten or an older animal. Puppy and kittens require regular examinations to check for the growth of their pet and to build immunity against common diseases.
Pet insurance plans offer pet wellness coverage as a supplement. However, the coverage for pet wellness is distinct from pet insurance in several ways.
Vaccinations
Vaccines are one of the most important advances in medicine. They are responsible for saving more lives than all other treatments. This is due to their ability to prevent diseases that could be life-threatening, or cause serious and prolonged suffering, illness and even death. In most instances, prevention is more efficient and less costly than treatment.
Immunizations are an essential aspect of pet care and can prevent serious diseases in dogs and cats as well as humans. Vaccines are preparations of killed or altered microorganisms administered into the body to activate the immune system to respond to the invader. Vaccines are a way to help the immune system detect and fight disease-causing organisms without having to suffer the more serious effects that can result from infection or illness.
Puppies and kittens must receive an entire regimen of vaccinations during their early developmental stages to establish a strong defense against infectious diseases. Our veterinarian will suggest the right vaccines for your pet based upon its age and the type of lifestyle.
The most important vaccines are rabies, distemper and parvovirus. They are considered to be essential for all dogs and cats since they guard against fatal infections that can be transmitted to people. The core vaccines are administered in a series of two injections in the early stages of kittenhood or puppyhood, and then boosted every year.
Non-core vaccinations are recommended depending on the risk factors and lifestyle. For instance, dogs that go to groomers, boarding kennels training classes, and dog parks could require vaccination against bordetella (kennel cough), which is highly transmissible, as well as leptospirosis a zoonotic disease that can cause kidney and liver failure in pets as well as humans.
The hepatitis A, hepatitis B and the hepatitis C vaccines are also typically recommended for all pets. These vaccines can in preventing the spread of several fatal diseases from animals to humans and vice to. A combination vaccine called a DA2PP (or FVRCP) for cats or dogs protects against common infectious diseases which can be transmitted between these species. The lyme vaccine, recommended for dogs who travel in areas with many deer, guards them from bites from the deer tick, also known as the deer tick, that can cause a serious bacteria-related infection.
Fecal Exam
A fecal examination, sometimes called a fecal floatation, 836614.xyz is a microscopic examination of your pet’s stools. This allows your veterinarian to detect intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and hookworms. They can spread to other pets and family members.
There are several ways to collect the fecal sample. Your vet may use a specialized fecal loop that is inserted into the rectum and pulled back to collect an fecal sample. This method is especially useful in identifying worms and cysts. Your veterinarian may also perform an smear that is direct, spreading a small amount your pet’s feces on the microscope slide. The drawback of this kind of test is that it is only accurate if the fecal sample is not mixed with fat or other cellular material.
A centrifugal flotation test is a different method. The test is conducted on the fecal sample to determine the presence of parasite eggs by mixing it with a specific solution. The eggs will float and can be visualized under a microscope. The advantage of this method is that it is more sensitive than a direct smear, but the results still depend on the details of the procedure as well as the characteristics of the specimen.
Annual fecal exams are the best way to make sure your pet does not have an intestinal parasite infection which could impact their health and can be passed on to other pets or family members. These infections can cause discomfort for your pet, and can even lead to more serious illnesses that require treatment. Some intestinal parasites such as hookworms and roundworms can even be transmitted to humans, and pose a serious health risk.
It is important to include fecal testing in your pet’s routine to ensure well-being. It is recommended that all pets have a fecal examination at least every year, 836614.xyz, https://www.836614.xyz, and more often for puppies and those living in areas that are prone to parasites. Intestinal parasites can be a major cause of illness for pets and can cause diarrhea, weight loss and vomiting. In addition to detecting parasites the fecal test can also identify abnormalities in blood or other signs which could be a sign of illness or an ongoing infection.
Dental Exam
Dental health of your pet is a crucial aspect of health care. Pet teeth can get infected without proper oral care and lead to other health issues like bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The conditions start when tartar accumulates on the teeth, which affects the surrounding tissues. The buildup may also travel through the bloodstream to other organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. This could increase the risk of developing serious diseases and trigger inflammation. Regular dental cleanings and brushing can help keep your pet’s teeth clean.
During the dental exam, our veterinarian will check your pet’s mouth for signs of plaque and tartar. The veterinarian will employ a scaling tool to remove the tartar and a probe to check for pockets in the gum line where periodontal problems begin. X-rays of the entire mouth are taken to look at the bones and roots of the teeth.
Patients who are at risk of developing dental diseases or who are over the age of 65, should have an exam for dental health at least once a year. The vet will also discuss with you your pet’s weight, diet and behavior. If you notice any changes in your pet, the vet will provide helpful information about 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 dental cleanings, wellness examinations and heartworm tests. These plans are similar to traditional pet insurance but they reimburse for certain medical expenses, rather than paying for an entire visit. Our veterinarians are available to go over the various plans with you.
Contact our Spring Hill veterinarians to schedule an appointment today! We can perform an annual wellness check or update vaccinations, and suggest any other preventive measures your pet may require. We hope to see you soon!
Parasite Control
If they are of the internal or external type, parasites are living organisms that feed on your pet, robbing her of essential nutrients. They can also damage the major organs and body systems, resulting in a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms. In extreme instances (such as heartworms) some of these parasites can be fatal. Although many believe that parasites are a necessary part of being a pet parent however this doesn’t have to be the situation. Our vet team is knowledgeable about the different types of parasites you should look out for in your geographical area and can help understand how these bugs can affect your pet and what can be done about them.
Effective control of parasites in pets can drastically reduce the risk of transmitting disease to other pets in the household as well as human. This includes administering preventative flea-and-tick treatment throughout the year, wearing a collar to keep ticks out and grooming your dog often particularly after being outside. Inspecting her coat for signs of a parasite infestation such as scratching, chewing and licking can ensure that she is free of these irritants.
Internal parasites, such roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms, are typically acquired through the accidental ingestion of tiny parasite eggs in areas that have been infected with the faeces of infected animals. These parasites are also zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted from pets to people (and in reverse).
The ticks and fleas can invade any home, even in urban areas that have a large number of pets. The fleas 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 are also a significant problem, both in terms of causing painful itchy and allergic reactions in pets and potentially transmitting vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and ehrlichia to humans.
All pets in shelters should be treated with a basic internal and external parasite control plan at the time they first arrive into the shelter. This should include a prophylactic treatment with a minimum of an oral dewormer that is effective against hookworms and roundworms and a tick and flea preventative (Nemex and Strongid are the most frequently used products).
