Dr. Danielle Cain recently wrote an article for Lowcountry Dog. Dr. Cain is a veterinarian at "The Animal Hospital," a family veterinary practice in North Charleston and a member of the Coosaw Pointe Business Association.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Most people would agree that it is better to prevent disease than to cure or manage disease. The same benefits of preventative care exist for dogs as for people! Just like their owners, dogs can avoid many eventual medical and surgical problems through annual examinations.
During an annual exam, expect your vet to ask lots of questions. The purpose of this history is to help veterinarians get to know the patient and their environment (the home, yard, other pets, diet, medications, and chronic problems).
There are many subtle symptoms that you may notice, but consider unimportant or behavioral. Something as simple as urination of more dilute urine and/or increased thirst can alert a veterinarian to underlying problems.
In addition to ruling out disease symptoms, the veterinarian can review basic care and make sure everything is on track during different life stages. We can usually suggest a food that is most appropriate for each individual pet, a tailored flea and tick control program, or recommend certain exercise regimes. The consultation and exam provide major advantages compared to a visit at the vaccine clinic. The findings and suggestions discussed at this consult are as likely to prevent long term problems, in many dogs, as the vaccinations themselves!
The second important part of the annual consult is the exam itself. Veterinarians look at hundreds of pets each month and are trained to notice problems that owners may not notice at home. Dental disease is one of the most common problems that we find in pets. Many people know their dog's breath smells bad, but they view a dental scaling and polishing as a form of grooming. Tarter and gum inflammation can lead to heart or liver disease, chronic body inflammations, and more. Broken, dead, or diseased teeth lead to infections and often need to be extracted. Dental pain may alter eating habits leading to weight loss and debilitation.
The exam also leads to recommendations regarding other illnesses like heart disease, skin disease, weight management, joint support, exercise, training/behavioral problems, and more. In addition, many experts recommend blood chemistries and complete blood counts on every pet, every year. This blood work provides clues regarding hidden infections and organ health, as many illnesses produce no physical symptoms in the early stages. When organic problems or infections are detected early we have much more success diagnosing, controlling, and curing the disease.
Vaccines are the most commonly recognized need for an annual visit to the veterinarian, but they are not more important than the exam itself. Don't get me wrong, we have virtually eliminated Distemper virus in dogs by vaccinating them, and we should continue, but times are changing. We used to vaccinate every year, but veterinarians have discovered that it is likely safer and just as effective to vaccinate every three years (with most vaccines). The American Animal Hospital Association Vaccination Guidelines reflect this recommendation. There are some vaccines, like Bordatella (Kennel cough), that need to be administered more frequently.
Some dog owners have expressed concern about the possible side effects of vaccines and have opted not to give them. This can be dangerous and leave a pet open to infection, so I would not recommend skipping vaccinations altogether. If there is any concern, please discuss anti- body titers (a measure of the body's capability to fight off a disease) with your veterinarian. Then, we only need to booster the vaccine when titers are low. Heartworm testing, fecal (stool) examinations, blood chemistries, complete cell counts, X-Ray, and Ultrasound are wonderful advances in preventative veterinary medicine. These diagnostic tests help veterinarians find problems that no owner or doctor could see, hear, or feel. Here in the Lowcountry the mosquitoes are rampant! Those that transmit heart- worms are here all year long, and all dogs need to be on prevention all year long. Even dogs receiving their monthly heartworm protection can occasionally have one baby heartworm slip through and cause an infection. Dogs can live from months to years with no apparent symptoms, while heartworms multiply and damage the heart and lungs. Occasionally, the preventative can cause problems in dogs that are infected with heartworms so the American Heartworm Society recommends annual testing.
Intestinal parasites are another problem that can escape detection and therefore fecal/stool testing is recommended every year by the CDC. Puppies will sometimes have diarrhea from worms, but many dogs never show symptoms. Some worms are easily seen in the stool, like tapeworms, or roundworms, but there are many other worms that are not visible. Some are microscopic, and some can infect people too! The list includes rabies and bird flu, but the most common disease that people become infected with, are parasites like roundworms and hookworms. Testing for parasites once yearly is a part of the veterinarian's oath to protect not only your dog, but your family too! The next time your dog goes to the vet to receive his or her "annual shots" make sure that you are taking advantage of all the latest technologies and research that have been developed to keep your dog healthy for the years to come. Consultation, examination, and diagnostics will lengthen, and perhaps save your dog's life. When it comes to health, treatment "after the fact" is far more costly. Remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Sources:
- www.aahanet.org/resources/guidelines canine.aspx
- www.heartwormsociety.org/
- www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/asc ris/prevention.htm
- www.cdc.gov/healthypets/Merial_CDCB och_rsgWEB.pdf
Dr. Danielle Cain is originally from Long Island, NY where she grew up riding horses, rehabilitating wild animals with her family, and fostering stray dogs and cats. She completed a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry at the University of Delaware. After veterinary school at North Carolina State University, she completed a rotating medicine and surgery internship in San Diego, and worked as a relief vet for several general and emergency practices in California. She then relocated to Charleston, where she lives with her two rescued cats, Unaand Bagheera, and her goldfish BigFish. Dr. Cain is a veterinarian at "The Animal Hospital," a family veterinary practice in North Charleston.