Preventive Care
Do you change the oil in your car? Why do you do that? If
your answer is to prevent car trouble latter on down the road, read on.
Do you have a security system on your computer to prevent
viruses? Yes? Read on.
Do you go to the dentist or medical doctor about once a
year to prevent a major issue with your teeth or body? Yes?
Then why wouldn’t you go to a veterinarian to prevent
disease in your dog or cat? Preventive Care is a proactive approach to your pet’s
health. Your pet often will not indicate anything is wrong. He or she does not
say “I am not feeling so hot today”. Unlike humans, animals will often hide
pain or discomfort, so there may be no outward signs anything is wrong. Regular
wellness visits to your veterinarian to prevent disease allows you to be sure
your pet is in good health.
Blood tests, diagnostic procedures, and examinations are
performed based on your pet’s age, breed, life style, behavior, diet and history.
For example, a five year old unsprayed female Beagle would not get the same
examination as a thirteen year old neutered male Labrador.
A typical annual wellness examination on an old patient
may consist of a blood health screen, urinalysis, thyroid test, parasite check,
glaucoma screen and a heartworm test. Based on the history or findings, further
testing may be necessary. All those tests usually don’t add up to one serious
disease diagnosis and treatment. Preventive medicine is always less costly than
treating a major crisis.
The Benefits of Preventive Care are:
1. Pets
get better, more comprehensive care instead of a hit or miss approach.
2. Owners
can anticipate the cost of preventive care and plan in advance.
3. Diagnosing
a little problem is always more rewarding than treating an emergency.
4. Regular
visit also provide your veterinarian with better knowledge of your pet’s habits, general
health and temperament, and can reduce stress of an office visit for you and
your pet.
Health Care Plans
At Providence Veterinary Hospital, we offer several
health care plans for your cat or dog.
We have puppy plans, kitten plans, adult cat and dog
plans. Please ask the receptionist to review the ones you are interested in
studying. All plans have a approximate built in 40% discount on items in the
plans.
Pets should receive a veterinary examination at least
annually and for some animals, more frequent visits may be appropriate.
The Providence Veterinary Hospital Blog is a publication of Peter Herman, VMD, at the Providence Veterinary Hospital, 2400 Providence Ave. in Chester, PA. Contact Dr. Herman at 610-872-4000 or visit us at http://www.providencevet.com.
