Hi everybody, it's Dr. Michelle Drake at the Drake Center, and I'm here to answer some very commonly asked questions about preventative healthcare for dogs:
What does preventative care do for my dog?
Well, it prevents disease and illness. So, vaccines are gonna prevent some really bad diseases like Distemper, Parvovirus, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Bordetella, and the Flu. These are all things that we want to prevent in your dog. Intestinal parasites, external parasites, and Heartworm are all, again, things that we're gonna prevent. And, even things like weight management are considered preventative care and can make a huge impact on the wellness and the quality of life for your dog.
What illnesses are staved off by good dog preventative care?
Really important diseases like Parvovirus (an intestinal virus) and Distemper (a respiratory and intestinal virus) which both can cause death and severe illness. Not to mention, Rabies, which can even be communicated to humans. These diseases are all completely preventable. Also, intestinal parasites and external parasites like fleas and ticks can really affect the quality of your dog's life. And again, these things are all preventable if used properly with the right timing. So, that's something your veterinary care team will provide for you and make sure that you're well educated and know the next best steps.
Will dog preventative care keep my dog flee and tick free?
Yes. If you come to the Drake Center and you use the products that we recommend, we will not only keep your dog and cat flee and tick free, but we will also keep your house flea free. And that's really important because fleas and ticks actually can transmit diseases to humans and cause discomfort as well. So, we really wanna make sure that that's not part of your family or your dog's life. So yes, they're all very preventable.
How does preventative care help my dog in all stages of life?
So, puppies have a certain set of needs as far as extra dewormings and a series of vaccines. And we're gonna prepare them for life by good training and good diet recommendations as well as good exercise routines. And then as the dog goes through the average stages of life and into geriatric time, we are going to change our recommendations as far as how often we're gonna do lab work and the kind of testing we're gonna be doing, including things we're looking for to make sure that their quality of life is, its very best.
Is preventative care less expensive than treatment?
Oh, for sure. Prevention is always the way to go. Really, the amount of time you spend with a veterinarian at least once a year, or twice a year for dogs as they age, is so well worth your time to make sure that, again, the things that we're working on, which are preventative things like vaccines preventative medications, and then certainly nutrition and weight management are super important.
Can preventative care save my dog's life?
Without a doubt. Parvo can be fatal, distemper can be fatal, and Rabies is usually fatal as well. These are all really bad diseases and some of the things that ticks carry also can be very detrimental and cause death. So, we really want to make sure we stay ahead of those things as they're all super preventable and it's so much less expensive than waiting till they become ill.
So, if you have any questions for the Drake Center about preventable care, give us a call at 760-753-9393.
The Drake Center for Veterinary Care is an AAHA-accredited animal hospital located in Encinitas, CA. The Drake Center loves being a source of information for all pet owners across the country; however, if you have any questions regarding pet care and do not live in Encinitas, CA or surrounding cities, we encourage you to contact your local veterinarian.