The early New Year is often the time when we look at our health and make appointments with our physicians for our annual checkup. It’s also a great time for our pets’ routine wellness visit. We are all familiar with the adage ”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” which also applies to pet preventive care. Pets need yearly or twice yearly wellness examinations to ensure good health and vitality at all life stages.

Many diseases that impact cats and dogs can be prevented with early detection, vaccinations, and wellness care—you may be surprised how managing your pet’s health proactively can impact disease prevention. Our Bayview Animal Hospital team has compiled some ways wellness care can prevent disease, so you and your pet can start the year off on the right foot—and paw!

Core vaccinations for pets

Vaccinations are the backbone of protecting pets from transmittable diseases. Core and non-core vaccines are available. Core vaccines are universally recommended for all cats and dogs, except when medical reasons make them unsafe. Non-core vaccinations are recommended for pets who live in certain areas or follow a specific lifestyle. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), a governing agency dedicated to veterinary guidelines, requires that all pets receive the core vaccines for their protection.

Diseases that can be prevented with core vaccinations include:

  • Rabies — Rabies is a fatal neurological disease that is spread when an infected animal bites and injects the infection into the pet’s blood stream. In most states, rabies vaccinations for pets are legally required to minimize risk to humans and animals. 
  • Parvovirus — Parvovirus is another potentially deadly disease that often affects puppies and young dogs. Parvo attacks the animal’s white blood cells and causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. 
  • Distemper — Distemper is a highly contagious and life-threatening viral disease, whose symptoms include upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal (GI) distress, and seizures.
  • Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) — A retrovirus that spreads to cats through the transfer of saliva or nasal secretions, FeLV attacks the immune system and the infected cat becomes vulnerable to many diseases.

Non-core vaccines are encouraged based on your pet’s lifestyle. For example, if your pet is exposed to water—likely a “Yes”  here in Florida—the leptospirosis vaccine against leptospirosis, which threatens pets and people, is recommended. Leptospirosis causes kidney damage, meningitis, and liver failure. 

Parasite prevention for pets

Pesky pests are the bane of spending time outdoors, and your pet will be exposed on their daily walks and romps in the yard. Fleas and ticks are responsible for a number of diseases harmful to people and pets. Some of the more common parasite-borne illnesses include:

  • Anaplasmosis  
  • Lyme disease 
  • Heartworm disease 
  • Ehrlichiosis 
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever 
  • Tularemia 

Flea and tick preventives are a must to avoid pathogen transmission. Our Bayview Animal Hospital team is always available to answer your questions and to recommend parasite prevention products that will best protect your four-legged pal. 

Wellness visits for pets

Many pet owners question the importance of annual preventive care for their pets. After all, they ask, their pet seems happy and healthy, so why do they need to see a veterinarian? The answer? Most diseases detected early can be treated more successfully and, as previously noted, parasite preventives and regular vaccines prohibit infection transmission via parasites. 

Your pet’s wellness screening will involve a thorough, nose-to-tail examination that includes the oral cavity, because dental disease, if not caught in its infancy, can lead to systemic diseases that affect the heart, liver, and kidneys. The examination will also include palpating your pet’s body organs, listening to their heart and lungs, and checking for masses, lumps, or parasitic infection signs.

Your veterinarian will order blood work as part of the regular examination to perform several tests, including a complete blood count (CBC), platelet count, electrolytes, and an analysis of blood chemical components. These results alert your veterinary team to any changes in your pet’s health. Other important tests include identifying heartworm presence, certain medication levels in the bloodstream, and how organ health is impacted.

Routine blood work results include disease signs that are invisible to the naked eye and can provide a faster, more accurate diagnosis of diseases that include:

  • Liver disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Cushing’s disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Bleeding disorders
  • Lyme disease

Your pet’s changes change everything

Wellness care is your pet’s best defense against disease, from their time as puppies or kittens, to adulthood, to their golden years. The physiology of cats and dogs changes more rapidly than people, but sticking with routine wellness examinations will help catch changes or diseases early, when treatment is likely more successful and less expensive, and provide the foundation of lifelong wellness. 

Our Bayview Animal Hospital team is here to support you and your pet through all of their life stages. Contact us for a wellness appointment. We look forward to seeing you and your furry loved one.