Essential Veterinary Services Every Pet Owner Should Know About

 

You should ensure your furry friends receive regular veterinary care as a responsible pet owner. This includes annual checkups and other services like fecal testing, deworming, dental cleanings, and parasite screening.

Other preventive veterinary services include spaying and neutering, which help control pet overpopulation and reduce the risk of behavioral issues and specific health problems.

Preventive Care

The most apparent veterinary service for pets like Divine TLC is preventive care, including annual checkups, vaccinations, and more. This is important because it saves money and helps your vet catch health problems before they become more severe.

Other preventive services include microchipping, collars with ID tags, and secure fencing. Dogs and cats also need training to help them follow basic commands and avoid dangerous situations. Finally, pet owners must understand their pets' nutritional and grooming needs.

Routine Exams

Whether your pet is a puppy, adult, or senior, annual exams are essential to your dog or cat's health care. These appointments allow veterinarians to thoroughly examine your pet, identifying problems like obesity and diagnosing illnesses like diabetes early on, improving your pet's quality of life. Helping your pet become more comfortable with being handled and touched during examinations and giving them calming anti-anxiety medication before an exam can make the experience better for everyone involved.

Vaccinations

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to reduce the severity of illnesses and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. A vaccine contains antigens resembling disease-causing pathogens and mildly stimulating the immune system to fight them.

Many of the diseases that we vaccinate against are highly contagious and can be deadly to unvaccinated pets. Veterinarians will recommend a vaccination schedule considering your pet's lifestyle, travel plans, and contacts with other pets and wildlife.

Parasite Control

Internal parasites draw nutrients from your pet and cause disease. Puppies and kittens are born carrying parasites, and all dogs have some intestinal worms. Heavy worm loads can lead to stunted growth in young animals, weight loss, pulmonary injury, colic (abdominal pain), and anemia.

Deworming medications are available to kill intestinal parasites in cats and dogs. Following the recommended schedule for worming is essential to avoid developing resistance to these drugs.

Blood Tests

Regularly taking your pet to the veterinarian is one of the most important parts of responsible pet ownership. During these visits, your veterinarian can perform blood tests to help identify early health problems like heartworm disease and diabetes. Your vet will place a tourniquet on the pet's leg for these blood tests and then draw a sample with a needle. The blood is then sent to a lab for testing by trained technicians. The results will be compared to previous test results to provide your pet's healthcare provider with valuable information.

Grooming

Grooming provides an excellent opportunity to inspect your pet for abnormalities like matting, sores, ear infections, and general lumps, bumps, or scratches. It's also a necessary time to trim your dog or cat's nails, which can prevent them from getting too long and causing pain and discomfort.

The love and joy pets bring our lives are unmatched, but they can also be expensive. Being financially prepared for emergencies, routine expenses, and other unexpected costs will help ensure your pet has the best life possible.

Dental Care

Dental care is an essential part of pet ownership. A good diet, daily brushings, and specialized dog or cat chew toys help maintain oral health. But annual teeth cleanings under general anesthesia are also crucial to prevent bacterial infection in the soft tissue and bone surrounding the mouth. This can lead to gingivitis, bad breath, and even periodontal disease.

Preparing for routine expenses and emergencies is the best way to ensure your pets receive the care they deserve. These tips come directly from veterinarians who love animals and want them to have the happiest life possible.

Surgery

Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to physically reach inside a subject's body to investigate or treat pathological conditions, alter bodily function(s), improve appearance (cosmetic surgery), or remove/replace unwanted tissues such as scars or skin tags. While veterinary staff would love to adopt every pet that comes through the clinic, they are limited by financial resources and space. They need owners who are prepared for emergency and routine expenses.

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