Your pet is your best friend and constant companion, and you will do anything to ensure they stay by your side for as long as possible. The best way to ensure your pet’s longevity is through routine wellness exams and preventive care. This proactive approach to your furry pal’s veterinary care can prevent many serious diseases that can impact your pet’s health and shorten their life span. Our team at The Old 41 Animal Hospital explains how you can prioritize routine wellness care to ensure your pet stays comfortable, happy, and disease-free for years to come.

Vaccinate your pet against infectious diseases 

Your pet’s vaccinations are immensely important for their healthand that of your familybecause they can prevent many common infectious, often deadly, diseases. By stimulating antibody protection, a vaccine triggers your pet’s protective immune response and prepares their immune system to fight a disease’s infection. Core vaccines can prevent your pet from contracting the following diseases: 

  • Rabies — This virus attacks the central nervous system and is transmitted through bite wounds. As a zoonotic disease (i.e., transmittable from pets to people), the rabies virus is a serious public health threat and is often fatal in pets. 
  • Distemper — This virus, which affects the respiratory and nervous systems, can be spread through direct contact with an infected pet or object, airborne exposure, or the placenta. The virus is often fatal, and pets who survive will likely have lifelong neurologic issues.
  • Parvovirus — Parvovirus targets rapidly dividing cells such as those in the digestive tract and bone marrow. Dogs can contract the disease through contact with contaminated feces and body fluids. Unvaccinated puppies and young dogs are most at risk for developing this potentially fatal condition, and some die despite aggressive treatment
  • Infectious canine hepatitis  — Infectious canine hepatitis is caused by an adenovirus that is spread through contact with an infected dog’s urine, nasal secretions, and ocular discharge. After recovery, a dog may have blue eye (i.e., clouded corneas) and long-term kidney damage.
  • Canine parainfluenza virus — Parainfluenza is a common respiratory pathogen, but can become serious or cause pneumonia in some pets. 
  • Feline viral rhinotracheitis  — Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) is caused by a feline herpesvirus, leading to respiratory disease in cats and kittens. Many infected cats become lifelong carriers and experience flare-ups when they are sick or stressed. Infected cats can also shed the virus although they may appear healthy, potentially spreading the disease to unprotected cats.
  • Feline calicivirus —  A major cause for upper respiratory infections in cats, calicivirus is highly contagious. Signs can range from mild to severe and include fever, oral ulcers, and pneumonia. After recovery, a cat can become a carrier, having the ability to infect other cats, in addition to experiencing chronic sneezing, watery eyes, and severe gingivitis. 
  • Feline panleukopenia — Panleukopenia in cats is similar to parvovirus in dogs, and has a high mortality rate in young, unvaccinated kittens. This virus typically causes diarrhea, vomiting, and depression, and also attacks the white blood cells, leaving your cat vulnerable to secondary infections. The virus is spread through contact with an infected cat’s saliva or feces, and can also be transmitted indirectly through contaminated surfaces.

Protect your pet from parasites

Many infectious diseases are transmitted by fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and intestinal worms, but year-round parasite preventives can protect dogs and cats from diseases. Preventives protect your pet from the following parasitic diseases:

  • Heartworm disease — Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and can develop in pets several months after they contract immature worms from infected mosquitoes, who pick up the immature worms after biting an infected animal. The worms make their way to the pet’s heart and lungs, where they grow up to a foot long and cause irreversible, life-threatening damage.
  • Tick-borne diseases — Ticks can transmit a host of alarming conditions, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 
  • Flea-borne diseases — Fleas and their bites may cause itchy and irritated skin. Some pets have severe allergies to flea saliva, which causes extreme itching, skin sores, and hair loss. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases to your pet, some of which are also transmissible to you. Common flea-borne pathogens include:
    • Cat scratch disease
    • Murine typhus
    • Plague
    • Tapeworms
    • Mycoplasma

Maintain your pet’s dental health 

A pet’s dental health is closely linked to their overall health, as oral bacteria can cause serious conditions such as organ disease. Dental disease is one of the most common pet conditions, but you can prevent or slow the disease’s progression by caring for your pets’ oral health:  

  • Toothbrushing — Brushing your pet’s teeth daily removes plaque before it hardens into tartar. 
  • Approved dental health products — Dental health products included on the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s (VOHC’s) accepted product list are proven to reduce plaque and tartar accumulation, and effectively battle dental disease. 
  • Professional dental care — In addition to at-home dental care, your pet needs regular professional veterinary dental care, including oral exams, dental cleanings, and treatment.

Take a proactive approach to your pet’s health and well-being by protecting them from preventable diseases. Schedule your pet’s wellness exam with The Old 41 Animal Hospital team.