What is all the noise about preventative medicine and why is it the only way to go? Let me fill you in on my philosophy. When I graduated from veterinary school, before I was allowed to walk through the doors of those hallowed halls, I had to perform one small task. I had to take the Hippocratic Oath. This particular oath requires, among other things, that I “do no harm”. I would like it to be made clear that I take this oath very seriously. I will do everything in my power to make certain my four legged patients are given the best care available, and part of that promise requires I recommend and practice preventative medicine.
When we talk about preventative medicine, we are referring to performing procedures which will allow us to either catch disease processes early or prevent disease all together. By catching disease early, we can begin treatment before significant damage to the body occurs. And the sooner we catch these problems, the better chance we have for a longer, healthier life. Preventative disease, such as heartworms in dogs and cats, is easily handled with a once a year test and a monthly preventative. With these two acts, you can keep you pet completely free of these life threatening parasites. Think about it, if you had the choice of going to a foreign country and taking your chances with getting malaria or getting a vaccination to prevent the disease, which would you choose. The choice should be the same for our pets. None of us likes to see our animal suffer, and so many times they suffer from problems which could have been prevented all together . All I ask is you think about this: if it was you or another member of your family what would you do? Your pet’s are a vital member of the family and they depend on you to keep them safe and fit.
Many of you are thinking to yourselves, all of that is true and great, but it’s so expensive to do all of the recommended procedures. Seriously, a dental cleaning for my dog? I mean, they are dogs, shouldn’t bones keep their mouth clean? The answer to that questions is: does chewing gum keep your teeth clean? NO. And if you don’t see a dentist on a regular basis, what is the long term outcome? Gingivitis, gum disease and tooth loss or abscessed teeth. Any of you who have suffered from any one of these know how painful and undesirable that is. Dentist visits for you are usually designed as preventative care: to prevent ginigivitis, gum disease and tooth loss. And what is more expensive, the twice a year cleaning or the root canal, root planing and/or dental implants. I think you know the answer.
So when we recommend things like yearly blood chemistry, urinalyisis, heartworm test (cats and dogs), deworming, and dental cleanings, it is for one reason. Because we know by doing these tests or procedures, we are helping to prevent disease, or possibly catching a disease before it wrecks the body. So please consider what a pound of prevention is worth. Bring your pets in at least once a year for wellness exams, professional dental cleanings and labwork. You will see the difference and your pet will love you the more.
