The importance of preventive care for pets: Both you and your pet will be happy

In addition to helping your pet have a better quality of life, preventive care offers many other benefits. For instance, ensuring your pet is up to date on vaccinations, that they are on a product to control fleas and parasites, and are well-groomed can also help protect the people in your household from getting sick since animals can sometimes carry diseases that affect humans. Additionally, although preventive care itself can cost money, it may save you money in the long run since it’s usually less expensive to prevent a problem than to treat it.

Establish a relationship with a veterinary clinic as soon as you get a pet. Your veterinarian can help you set up routine care, such as regular checkups or wellness exams, dental evaluations, and preventive lab work like blood, urine and fecal tests. They can also make recommendations about your animal’s vaccinations, flea and parasite control, diet and grooming. Recommendations for care will vary depending on the age and breed of the animal, as well as the pet’s previous medical history.

People sometimes don’t realize the importance of grooming when it comes to preventing future problems. Long claws or nails, matted hair and dirty ears can not only be painful, but they can also harbor skin diseases or create conditions for an infection. If your pet won’t let you brush them or touch their feet or ears, you should address this right away. One possibility is that they are in pain. It’s also possible they aren’t used to it or are afraid of the tools you are using. Your veterinarian can evaluate this and offer ideas and information to help you establish a good grooming routine.

Thank you for providing your pet with appropriate preventive care before they get sick or are in pain. Both you and your animal will benefit!

For more information on these topics and more, please visit www.WashingtonCountyPets.com. The Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter is located at 1901 SE 24th Ave in Hillsboro.