I wish I could prevent my pets from getting sick – both for their health and for my budget. Is there a way to prevent pet illnesses?
Many pet owners will only contact the vet when their dog or cat has a health emergency; when their pets get sick enough to warrant treatment from a veterinary professional. Whether these vet visits are for injuries or emergency treatment for an illness, veterinary care is often seen as the very last resort. These emergency visits may also come with a hefty bill because the pet owners are inclined to wait to see if their pet will get better on their own. Unfortunately, the pet’s health deteriorates and the more advanced the illness gets, the more intensive (and expensive) the treatment becomes to cure them.
There is a better way to approach your dogs’ and cats’ health and wellbeing. If you implement a proactive preventive pet care timetable, not only will you save yourself the financial surprise of emergency veterinary treatment, but your pets will live longer, healthier lives as a result.
In this article, we share practical tips for preventive pet care and explain why proactive prevention is so much more effective than reactive treatment. Using this approach, you can plan your pet’s next three years of healthcare and a healthy lifestyle, which will have pet owner benefits too!
Preventive pet care protocol
At its foundation, basic pet care involves providing food, fresh water, comfortable shelter, and physical and mental stimulation for your pets. However, if you really want to ensure your pet’s wellbeing and afford them a long and healthy life, it means implementing a protocol of preventive care. This protocol supports healthy immunity against disease, and comprises the kind of care that builds a barrier to bacteria, viruses, parasites and any threats to your beloved pet’s health.
What’s included in preventive pet care?
- Annual veterinary check-ups and screening
- More regular veterinary check-ups and screening for puppies, kittens, or senior pets
- Sterilisation
- Dental check-up
- Vaccination
- Parasite control
- Nutritional advice
- Grooming (including ear cleaning, nail clipping, and skin care)
- Daily care and routine
These strategies do not have to all be tackled at once. Here, we suggest a three-year plan so you can prepare your time and budget to offer your pets the best in preventive pet care.
Once-off preventive pet care: Sterilisation
Speak to the vet about the best time to have your dog or cat sterilised. Small and medium-size dog breeds can be sterilised from around six months of age, while larger breeds that are slower to reach physical maturity can be sterilised from 12-18 months of age. We consider sterilisation to be preventive pet care – not only to prevent your pets from causing or having unwanted litters of kittens and puppies, but it also prevents your pets from injury and disease.
Sterilisation to prevent injury
Male dogs and cats that can smell a female in heat in the neighbourhood will do their best to escape their yard in order to mate. They risk their health and lives in traffic as well as getting hurt or even killed in fights with other animals in the neighbourhood. Cats often develop abscesses from bite wounds, which lead to secondary infection and other painful side effects.
Sterilisation to prevent disease
Another aspect of sterilisation as preventive care is that if you sterilise your female pets before their first heat, it can significantly reduce their likelihood of developing mammary cancer. It can also completely eliminate their risk of developing uterine or ovarian cancer, as well as the uterine infection pyometra, as these organs are removed during sterilisation. For male pets, the benefit of neutering is eliminating the risk of prostate and testicular cancer.
Annual vet check-up
We cannot emphasise enough the importance of bringing your pets to the vet for a check-up at least once a year. Even if your dog or cat is the picture of good health, it gives the vet the chance to record your pet’s weight and condition, and to perform a physical examination to ensure they truly are healthy. Their vitals are recorded to establish a health baseline, so that if your pet gets sick, the vet has existing information against which to compare their condition.
Health screening
These annual screenings give you the opportunity to ask the vet any questions relating to your pet’s food and eating habits, elimination habits, behaviours or behavioural issues, or anything troublesome that could be impacting your pet’s health and quality of life. A comment about your cat’s change in appetite or litterbox habits may lead to the early discovery of kidney disease. Telling the vet about your dog’s new habit of sleeping in or tiring out faster than usual may lead to the discovery of a heart problem. Chronic conditions need not feel like a death sentence and can be managed in the long term with the right medication. Regular screening means early detection, preventing the need for intensive treatment later on.
Dental check-up
At your pet’s annual check-up, one of the areas of screening will be their dental health. If you regularly brush your dog or cat’s teeth, they may not need professional teeth cleaning as regularly as pets whose teeth do not get brushed. If their teeth are caked in dental plaque, the vet will recommend a professional dental cleaning under anaesthesia. This will give them the opportunity to look below the gumline, clean out any periodontal pockets and to treat gingivitis or periodontal disease if it has set in. If there are cracked or broken teeth, abscesses or any other gum or dental problems, the vet will treat them while your pet is anaesthetised.
A dental check-up is not just about clean teeth. Periodontal disease is very common among young pets (starting from age two to three years old) who do not get their teeth brushed at home. Bacteria from the mouth can get into the bloodstream and affect the pet’s heart, liver and kidneys, which is why it’s important for the vet to keep an eye on your pet’s dental health. If your pet needs to have their teeth professionally cleaned and checked for periodontal disease, the vet will discuss it with you.
Also ask the vet for advice on the best way to clean your pet’s teeth at home, which can help to keep dental issues at bay.
Vaccination
All pets should be vaccinated against the common dog and cat infectious diseases known to put their lives at risk. Dog and cat diseases can easily be prevented by vaccinating your pets against them with the common 5-in-1 for dogs and 3-in-1 for cats. The vet will ensure your pets’ vaccinations are up to date by keeping a record of their shots in their vaccination booklet and in the vet’s digital records.
Rabies vaccination is mandatory in South Africa, and your pet’s rabies shots must be kept up to date to protect them from this terrible disease. It’s not just rabid dogs that can put your pets at risk, but also wild animals like the yellow mongoose and bat-eared fox, which are carriers of rabies (even if they don’t show symptoms). Verify with the vet when your pets’ next rabies shots are due and make note of this appointment.
Depending on the vaccine manufacturer’s recommendations and the vet’s determination, your pets will need booster shots every year or every three years. At your pet’s annual health check-up, be sure to inform the vet of your plans to travel (if any) and whether they would recommend a booster based on your destination.
The treatment for diseases like parvovirus and distemper are supportive (meaning it only targets the symptoms) as there is no cure for the viral infection. Similarly, there is no cure for rabies, and infection is fatal. Prevention of these infectious diseases is critical and the only way is with vaccination.
Parasite control
Ticks and fleas are rampant in South Africa. Our climate and environmental conditions help these ectoparasites to thrive, especially in rural areas and grassy urban areas where wildlife and livestock roam. Dogs and cats are all at risk of picking up ticks and fleas, so the best way to ensure they do not contract tick-borne diseases, flea infestations and allergies is to prevent these parasites from climbing on them.
Ask the vet for advice on the best form of parasite control for your pets. For example, if your dog loves to swim, has a sensitive skin, or if you have a mixed-pet household, a chewable or tablet form of tick and flea control will work best. If your pet is a picky eater or has a sensitive stomach, a spot-on treatment may be the better option. Also ask the vet about tick and flea powders, and which parasite control solution will be most effective in your unique home environment.
Chewable tick and flea solutions can be given at three-month intervals. Some tablet options last for one to three months, while spot-on solutions can be effective for between four and 24 weeks – depending on the brand and application.
Nutritional advice
Your pets’ food goes a long way to form the foundation of their health and wellbeing, especially if they need additional care like joint support, weight management, kidney support, and gentle digestion. Even if your pet loves their food and is in a healthy condition, take regular note of their skin and coat condition, the regularity of their elimination and the consistency of their stool. Any habits to do with their eating and elimination can reveal a lot about their health in general, so it’s good practice to record these habits in the intervals between vet visits.
Ask the vet to recommend the best pet food you can afford, to meet your individual pet’s needs. If your pet has a potential food allergy and the vet recommends an elimination diet, your pet will need to be on this diet (with no other meal toppers, snacks and treats) for at least three months to see if you can isolate the protein that is causing the allergy. It will be important to check in with the vet at three-month intervals until you find the right pet food that does not trigger your pet’s gut. Elimination diets also comprise preventive pet care, and you and the vet will need to work together to find the right nutritional solution to ensure your pet’s good health.
If your pet’s coat is looking a bit dull or you have a working dog breed who needs extra energy or your pet needs a tasty and nutritious weight management food, the vet is your partner in recommending the best pet food to met your dog or cat’s health needs. Getting your pet’s food right can be an effective preventive approach to needing digestive supplements, skin products and other treatments for food allergies.
Regular pet grooming
Having your pets groomed is about more than their aesthetic. Veterinary groomers use the opportunity to check your pet’s skin and coat for any signs of injury, infection or growths. They will also check your pet’s ears for any signs of infection, which can cause major discomfort and even hearing loss if left for too long. Keeping your pets’ nails clipped and their teeth brushed is also very good for their health. A dog whose nails are too long can be in pain or discomfort, which can alter their gait (and affect their knees and hips) and even their quality of life. Bring your pets in for regular grooming or ask the vet to show you how to groom your pets at home with the right equipment.
In summary
Mark your calendar with the following schedule:
Every three years
- Vaccine boosters (depending on your area and the vet’s recommendation)
Every year
- Adult pet check-up
- Dental check-up/cleaning
- Vaccine boosters (depending on your area and the vet’s recommendation)
- Nutritional advice
Every six months
- Puppy, kitten or senior pet check-up
- Parasite control
- Nutritional advice
Every three months
- Puppy or kitten check-up
- Parasite control – chewable tablet
- Grooming
- Nutritional advice – especially allergies
Monthly
- Parasite control – spot-on
- Nail clipping
- Bathing/Skin care (depending on your pet’s needs)
Weekly
- Bathing/Skin care/Ear cleaning (depending on your pet’s needs)
- Brushing short coats
Daily
- Nutritious food
- Daily exercise and playtime for physical and mental stimulation (an excellent preventive!)
- Teeth brushing
- Brushing longer coats
- Comfortable, restful sleep
If you have any questions or concerns about your pets’ health and routine, make an appointment with the vet to discuss a solution and the right approach to their health and longevity.