What is considered preventative care for dogs?
Well, preventative care is just everything that we do on a regular basis for our dogs. That's anywhere from exercising, what food we feed, vaccines they need on a regular basis, heartworm and flea prevention. It's kind of everything that needs to be done with them on a daily basis, similar to us.
What information does my veterinarian need to know about my dog's lifestyle before providing preventative care recommendations?
Some good things to think about whenever you go in, whether this is the first time you've met your veterinarian or not, would be to just kind of describe what your lifestyle is as well. What does your dog do every day? Do they sit around a lot? Do they go run 10 miles with you? Are they training for that marathon with you or are they just kind of couch potatoes and sitting around? I think diet's another really big one that would be good to bring up with your veterinarian.
What recommendations will my veterinarian make when it comes to my dog's preventative care plan?
Well, there are a lot of things that we do recommend, and it may sound overwhelming at first. But if you've had dogs before, some of this stuff just kind of comes standard. A big one being in Houston is going to be heartworm and flea prevention, just because we have heartworms. We have mosquitoes year-round and that's how dogs get heartworms, so it's much easier to prevent them than to treat them. Flea prevention is also important. There have been years I've been working here that we have had fleas year-round because we don't get a cold winter, everybody knows that around here. On top of all that, annual exams are definitely a good thing for us to have because most of the time you may hear us say everything's good and everything's normal, which is what everybody wants to hear—that's what we want to tell you. But if we do start finding things, the annual exam is where we can start creating a treatment plan or catching things or monitoring things year to year. Whether that's growths under the skin like lipomas or checking different chronic conditions that dogs can have. That's a good segue into doing lab work every year. We may not recommend it initially off the bat, but after two or three years old is when we start recommending it because that's when we can start seeing trends over years and years as opposed to just running blood work once.
The other thing that we do look into when they're young is spaying and neutering. That's a very big thing right now in trying to control the pet population and also behavioral issues. There may be different recommendations we have based on your pet's breed. So I think that's a good question to ask your veterinarian: when is a good time to get this done? It may vary based on the breed you have, whether it's a giant breed or a miniature. At that time, we generally will look into microchipping because microchipping has been a big thing in Harris County. Now it is by law you have to microchip your pet by about four months. Also, segueing into international travel, if you do ever plan on traveling with your pet, they do need to be microchipped before they've been given their rabies vaccine. That's the only permanent way to ID your dog besides having a tattoo, and most dogs don't have tattoos anymore.
What are the most common health conditions that can be prevented with a good wellness plan?
Well, I think the biggest things are going to be heartworms—that is a huge thing. Like we talked about earlier, in Houston we have mosquitoes year-round, and that's how it's passed from dog to dog. So heartworm prevention is crucial. The upside of heartworm prevention, like one of the ones we use here regularly, is the Simparica Trio, which has got everything in it that you need in one pill. It has your heartworm prevention, intestinal parasite control (which is very common, so they get dewormed every month), and it also helps control fleas and ticks. I know ticks are not a huge problem here, but fleas are a very big problem, so that helps also prevent different things like tapeworms, which dogs get from fleas. I think those are the big things we run into on a regular basis. Then, of course, the vaccines that we give. A lot of times around us right now, we don't see a lot of parvo or distemper because our clients are very good at vaccinating their puppies early on, so we're not seeing it as much, but it's still out there and it's something we do worry about. That is a big thing with wellness plans—staying up to date with all the things we talked about previously, especially vaccinations in puppies. But I will say, if you guys do have any questions about anything that you've heard here or seen here, feel free to always reach out to us because that's why we're here. We're here to help. Thank you.
How can I keep my dog safe while in a car?
Well, the best way to keep your dog safe in the car is to put them in a crate. I would never put them in the front seat; dogs are not made to impact the airbags. I have had dogs that have either unfortunately passed away in a car crash or got very injured in one. So, front seats are never a good idea, especially on a floorboard—that is a very dangerous place for them to be. There are things like harnesses out there that can attach into the seat belt, but they're not really tested very well. Now, if you find one that's tested, sure, we can try using it. I have had issues with my own dog, and he's actually slipped out of the harnesses before, so it didn't really work very well for him. But a carrier is probably the safest thing, and you can actually attach that to the seat belt, whether that's in the back of the car or in the seat in the back. That's the easiest way to go about it.
Why should I keep my dog on a leash when in public?
Well, the best reason is because you can't predict other people's dogs. Not every other dog out there is going to love your dog, even if your dog is great with other dogs. That's the biggest problem we run into: we get into a false sense of security. We don't know these other dogs; now, if you know the other dog and there's a confined place, that's fine. But you also can't control your dog if they're going to go chase a squirrel, chase birds, see somebody riding a bike or rollerblading. I think those are all things that I've seen happen, on top of a dog doing that and it's not an enclosed area, and they run out and they get hit by a car or something really unfortunate like that. So, the safest thing for your dog and you—and other dogs out there—is going to be keeping him on a leash. And if they want to play with other dogs on a leash, sometimes that works out like that.
What can I do to keep my house and yard pet safe?
Yeah, that's a good question. I think the best way to do it is to act like you're planning on having a baby at your house because your dog is going to get into everything, especially if you have a new puppy. They're going to chew things; they're going to get into cabinets. They're very smart animals and they're kept in your house all the time, so they're going to figure out things to do. If that's not a possibility for you to do, or say you're renting the house or renting an apartment and they don't let you do that for some reason, then keeping them confined when you can't immediately observe them is a good idea. When you leave, crate training is a very good thing to get into. That's a big thing that we push for with new puppies. Crate training is important. Or if you're working from home, that's another good thing—they can't get into things that you don't want them to. For your yard, the best thing you can do is make sure that it's fenced, or if it's not fenced, they're always on the leash while they're out there because the last thing you want to do is let them out there and you don't know where they go. Knowing what's in your yard plant-wise is a big thing. In this area, sago palms are a really big thing that I just would never have in your yard because you never know when your dog is going to get into it, and that could be a fatal plant if ingested or chewed on. There are other plants out there, and if you have questions about that, I think a good thing is to ask your veterinarian about it.
What pesticides are harmful to my dog?
Yeah, so there's a lot of pesticides out there that are safe. I think anything your dog is going to lick up or eat is something I would avoid putting out. If your dog is one to get into these rodent traps or sniff things out and eat things outside that you're going to put out, maybe it's best to go with non-toxic things like a trap or deterrent, or going around your house and making sure rodents can't get in. Another big one is molluscicides or things that kill snails and slugs. Those can be very toxic to some dogs, and even if they go through that and the dog eats them, that's another big thing where different rodenticides and pesticides can hurt your pets from them eating whatever that is if they catch it. I think I would avoid probably putting them out in general if you can, or don't let your dog in those areas while that bait is out there. Another thing is just asking your veterinarian—we're always happy to answer questions like that.
What is the difference between insurance and a wellness plan?
Insurance plans generally are from an insurance company, of course, and you pay a premium every month. There are things like deductibles, and it's best to look into these insurance policies to see what you're paying for. Some honestly offer wellness plans inside their insurance plans, so if you are worried about any emergency things that happen or out-of-pocket costs for things that we aren't planning for, that's where insurance plans really come into play. Generally, it's better to have your pet on an insurance plan early on in life, and then having them go through their entire life on it. You'll generally get more out of it, but you will pay more into that plan versus starting the insurance plan later—premiums will be much higher off the bat. Wellness plans are generally offered by clinics, but like I said, you can get them through some insurance policies. You just have to check with the specific insurance company that's giving you the policy. Wellness plans, some clinics will offer those as a way to cut the cost of the annual exam and everything that has to go along with that over the course of the year. So, really, you're just spreading out those payments as opposed to one lump sum at one point to 12 months out of the year.
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