Pet Wellness Care and Disease Prevention

One of the cornerstones of wellness is the prevention of disease through pet vaccines. Depending on the type of pet you have, your pet’s age and lifestyle, and whether your pet lives indoors or spends most of his or her time outdoors, Dr. Powers at Ten West Bird and Animal Hospital will develop an individual wellness plan unique to your dog or cat.

Regular veterinary exams are the first step toward ongoing health and longevity for your pet. We recommend bi-annual visits for both dogs and cats of all ages. We also recommend very specific tests for pets 7 years of age and over. Most senior pets are at risk of some type of age-related disease processes, and there are laboratory tests specifically designed to identify these health problems.

Vaccines and parasite preventives are the next wellness item and the most important preventive act you will take for your pet’s health — some vaccines are even regulated by law, such as the rabies vaccine. With your pet’s lifestyle in mind, Dr. Powers will select vaccines with revaccination rates of anywhere from 1 to 3 years in frequency of administration, based on proven science and reasonable expectations of exposure to disease. Your pet should not be treated as a package — because of this, we make recommendations based on your pet’s specific needs and not a cookie-cutter wellness, one-size-fits-all program. Our staff will be happy to explain all selected immunizations and parasite testing that is needed based on your pet’s lifestyle.

In some cases, pets are able to pass certain diseases on to humans, especially to children or those with compromised immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a wonderful, easy-to-understand website, Healthy Pets, Healthy People, that offers general animal care information about companion and wild animals and the diseases they carry.

For more information about preventive care for your dog or cat, you will want to read this overview of the AAHA's Preventive Healthcare Guidelines.