Preventative Healthcare for...

Written by: Alison Laurie, Senior Consultant, Crown Vets Inverness

Putting your pet on a year-round preventative healthcare schedule is one of the best things you can do to make sure your dog or cat has every chance to stay healthy and happy throughout his or her life.

One very important part of maintaining year-round control of your pet’s health is partnering with your vet practice to create an ongoing plan that is unique to your pet.

Preventive care considerations include:

• Annual Vaccinations
• Adequate Intestinal parasite and Lungworm prevention 
• Adequate Flea and tick control
• Regular Dental check-ups, and Dental hygiene care and advice
• Weight checks
• Nutritional advice
• Behavioural advice
• Blood work up

Treatments advised on any health issues noted on examination and advice on treatments regular check-ups and examination from there

Annual Vaccination and adequate worming treatments and flea and tick control treatments can help in the prevention of certain life-threatening diseases.  In addition to the ongoing preventive health care considerations there are many chronic conditions that can severely impact on your pet’s health and quality of life. Conditions ranging from allergies and arthritis to much more severe health issues like diabetes or heart disease for example which can easily become difficult to manage medically if not caught early on in the disease process. Six monthly clinical health checks can pick up any disease processes early on, which can then assist greatly in the management of any health issues. Regular pro-active preventative healthcare checks, like twice-a-year examinations and wellness plans provide a way to keep your pet’s overall general health in good check on an ongoing regular basis.

Tailoring a plan for your pet

The preventive care that your pet will need and the frequency of clinical health checks advised may vary depending on the breed, age and health status of your dog or cat. Ideally your pet should be seen by us at least every six months, but some pets do need to come in more often if they already have on-going health problems or issues that require much more frequent check-ups.

Preventive veterinary health checks may include:

• Comprehensive six monthly health examinations where your pet will receive a full clinical examination
• Annual Booster Vaccinations
• Routine Lungworm and intestinal worm treatments
• Routine flea and tick treatments
• Blood work up checks
• Advice on any noted health issues and tests and treatments then advised from this

Regular preventative healthcare vet nurse health checks may include:

• Dental Checks
• Blood Pressure checks
• Weight Checks
• Nutritional advice
• Behavioural advice
• Nail Clipping 
• Regular Anal Gland expression

By working with the recommendations from our Vet and Vet Nurse team for preventative healthcare for your pet you can ensure that with regular healthcare checks, annual booster vaccinations and flea, tick and worming treatments that your pet has the best advised healthcare available to ensure that he has every chance of having a long and happy life.

To join our very own preventative healthcare scheme, please view our Pet Health Club page.