Caring For Our Furry Friends Why Veterinary Care Is So Important

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America loves pets! The APAA says there are as many as 80 million dogs and 96 million cats in the United States; more than 30% of homeowners have a cat, while almost 40% have a dog. Our pets quite often dictate our choices, from where to live to what to buy, and our behaviors. They are part of the family. We adopt over 2.5 million pets from shelters each year, according to the ASPCA. Caring for our precious canine and feline friends — and the myriad other pet options Americans choose — means accepting that at some time in their lives our pets will become ill or injured. From pet cancer to arthritis, coping with pet diagnoses can be very difficult.

A veterinary care center is always the first port of call when an animal is ill or injured. Older pets should visit the vet every six months, while younger (under 10 years) dogs and cats should see a vet at least yearly. Regular check-ups can result in early detection of pet cancer, for example. Almost 50% of deaths in older animals is due to some sort of pet cancer. Cats tend to have a lower incidence of cancer than dogs or humans, according to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, but feline cancers tend to be more aggressive.

Almost a quarter of all dogs will develop a tumor at some point in their lives, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Common cancers in dogs include skin and abdominal cancers. The risk of breast cancer in dogs can be reduced by spaying the dog at six to 12 months of age. Treatment options vary, with some forms of cancer being more treatable than others.

Veterinary hospitals can provide testing and treatment services for a variety of ailments, including teeth inspection and dental cleaning, tumor removal (often the best option for cancer diagnoses), and even pet food suggestions. Keeping your pet healthy involves ensuring regular vet check-ups, monitoring your pet for symptoms, and ensuring a healthy diet and exercise.

Three Ways to Keep your Pet Safe With Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics

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We all love our pets. Often times they essentially become a part of the family. To put it into perspective, 63% of dog owners and 58% of people with cats even give their pet Christmas presents, according to a poll from PetFinder.com.

Unfortunately, the love we feel for our pets means that when they get sick, we end up feeling sick. And one of the leading sicknesses in both cats and dogs are heartworms. As many as one million dogs test positive for heartworms every year. So how can you prevent them from being infected? Here are a few steps to follow:

  1. Don’t wait: Rather than waiting to see symptoms in your pet, find a veterinary clinical diagnostics laboratory to perform tests early on your pet. Puppies under seven months of age can begin taking heatworm prevention treatment with a canine heartworm antigen test, even though it takes at least six months for a dog to test positive after being infected.
  2. Watch for mosquitoes Believe it or not, dogs and cats are infected with hearworms from being bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus. Obviously you won’t be able to stop them from going outdoors, but you can still purchase pet friendly drug spray to thwart off the nasty pests. Make sure that it is pet friendly. They love to groom themselves and the last thing you want is them licking up hazardous chemicals.
  3. Remain vigilant:
  4. The occasional visit to the vet is not enough to to be sure that your pet is healthy. It’s recommended that dogs should be tested six months after their initial veterinary clinical diagnostics, and then again six months later. After this point they can be tested yearly.

We hold our pets very dear, so of course we want them to be safe and healthy. Veterinary clinical diagnostics and your hard work could keep them running and playing for many years to come.

It’s Midnight, Do You Know Where Your Pets’ Urgent Pet Care Clinic is Located?

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People might like to tease “cat ladies” and people who treat their pets like kids, but we have a heartwarming fact to silence these nasty critics. According to a recent survey of American pet owners, 66% said they view their pet as their best friend. That’s because dogs and cats really do make great friends; these trusty animals have evolved side-by-side with human beings.

We belong together.

If you are a new pet owner, of if you’ve recently moved to a new area, then one of the most important things you can do is to find a 24/7 urgent pet care center near you. Just like any parent would do for their children, you should know exactly where to take your little pup or kitten in the case of an emergency. Trust us, you don’t want to be frantically Googling “urgent pet care near me” in the middle of the night.

Find Emergency Veterinary Services BEFORE Disaster Strikes…

Remember when you were a child and your parents would leave you with a babysitter? Do you remember that they used to leave a piece of paper on the refrigerator with a list of phone numbers to call in emergencies? Poison control, doctors, neighbors, and other emergency contacts. Yes, this was most likely in an age before smartphones, but even 2015 parents leave similar information for their babysitters today.

You should have a similar list of phone numbers written down for your pet, too. Especially if you ever ask a friend or neighbor to pet sit for you, you’ll want to make sure you know exactly what they should do if the worst happens. Not only will this help protect your dog, cat, or other family pet in emergencies, it will also give you peace of mind in happier times as well.

If possible, you should also try and find an urgent pet care center that also provides routine tests and vaccinations. That means the veterinarian or clinic will have a personal history treating your sick dog or cat if you do seek out urgent pet care one day in the future.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that there are as many as 80 million pet dogs and 96 million pet cats living in U.S. homes. And at one point or another, all of those animals will need emergency care. Don’t wait, be prepared for anything.