Be sure to have all new pets examined by a veterinarian to ensure that it has no major health problems and is started on a program of preventive care. Assuring your pet's well-being requires regular care and close attention to any hint of ill health. Consult your veterinarian if your pet shows any of the following signs:
- Abnormal discharge from the nose, eyes, or other body openings
- Abnormal behavior, sudden viciousness, or lethargy
- Abnormal lumps, limping, or difficulty getting up or lying down
- Loss of appetite, marked weight losses or gains, or excessive water consumption
- Difficult, abnormal, or uncontrolled waste elimination
- Excessive head shaking, scratching, and licking or biting any part of the body
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Dandruff, loss of hair, open sores, or a ragged or dull coat
- Bad breath or excessive tartar deposits on teeth
Vaccinations
The shots your pet needs, and when, depend on your pet's risk of infection, age, breed, and environmental exposures. Your dog should be checked for intestinal parasites, fleas and heartworm disease, and appropriate treatment should be administered when needed. Your cat should be checked for intestinal parasites, fleas, and ear mites and appropriate medications given for these problems.
*Remember - Your pet is an individual and the need for specific vaccinations, timing of boosters, and risk factors for disease are best assessed by your veterinarian.
Spaying / Neutering
Thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized each year because there aren't enough homes for them. If you don't plan to breed, spay or neuter your pet.
Dogs: Spaying your female pet can help prevent cancers of the reproductive tract and may decrease the incidence of reproductive infections. Neutering your male dog will also prevent cancers and decrease the incidence of prostate problems. The incidence of more aggressive behavioral problems has also been shown to be reduced when dogs are spayed or neutered.
Cats: Spaying/neutering decreases the incidence of some tumors and reproductive infections. A male cat should be neutered if it will be a house pet because the strong urine odor of unneutered males will make your cat an unacceptable housemate.
*Your veterinarian can discuss with you the benefits of spaying/neutering and the best time to schedule the procedure.
Declawing
It's part of your cat's nature to sharpen its claws, so save your furniture and walls by providing a scratching post. For indoor cats, if you decide to declaw, consider declawing only the front feet, so if the cat gets outside it has some mechanism of defense. For outdoor cats, you can avoid declawing by keeping nails trimmed or using nail caps.
Dental Care
Dental care is an important part of your pet's preventive health care. It is estimated that by age 3 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show some signs of gum disease. Bad breath is an early warning sign of gingivitis. Particularly at risk are small dog breeds which are more likely to develop tooth problems because their teeth are crowded into small mouths. Bad breath, a yellow brown crust of tartar around the gum line, pain or bleeding when the pet eats or when you touch its gums may indicate the presence of gum disease. Prevention is the key:
- Visit your veterinarian for an initial exam and discuss a routine for preventive care
- Start a dental care routine at home - remove plaque regularly from your pet's teeth
- Your veterinarian can offer more information on dietary options - foods that can help reduce the accumulation of plaque and tartar from teeth when the pet eats
- Get regular checkups
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