With the new year approaching, more and more of us may be thinking about our own New Year's Resolution! Have you ever considered making one for your pets as well? The new year is a time to reflect and learn, and what is better then helping your furry best friend live longer! We've compiled a few simple New Years Resolutions for our pets that could just help them live longer!
1. Maintaining Their Vaccine Schedules.
Keeping pets up to date can arguably be the best path to a healthy and happy life. From diseases that are uncurable like Rabies to devastating ones like Parvo and Distemper, getting your pet vaccinated helps protect them from all sorts of horrible illnesses. Many of these vaccinations last for upwards of 3 years! Our recommended vaccines are, of course, Rabies, DAP, or Distemper vaccine which includes protection against Distemper, Parvo, and Adenovirus, K9 Influenza, and Bordetella or Kennel Cough. We also recommend a yearly fecal exam to make sure your pet is not suffering from any internal parasites as well as a yearly heartworm test. Other vaccines we recommend based on lifestyle are Lyme and Lepto.
A yearly heartworm test is a very important part of maintaining your pet's health, especially in Georgia, where the weather never gets cold enough to kill all mosquitoes. Due to this we also recommend year-round heartworm prevention. If for some reason your pet is on heartworm prevention and you have a yearly negative heartworm test but your pet tests positive, most prevention manufactures will cover the cost of treatment. They will not if your pet does not have a history of negative tests leading up to the positive one.
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. The virus is secreted in saliva and is usually transmitted to people and animals by a bite from an infected animal. Once the outward signs of the disease appear, rabies is always fatal. This is the only vaccine required by state law in Georgia.
Canine Distemper is a highly contagious, hard to treat disease which can often be fatal. Symptoms include lethargy, fever, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, and convulsions. Distemper can also attack the nervous system, leaving behind permanent damage in fully recovered dogs.
Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that can affect all dogs, but unvaccinated dogs and puppies younger than four months old are the most at risk. Parvovirus is spread through infected feces and can remain in the environment for many years. This disease also comes with a high fatality rate and treatment can be long and difficult.
Adenovirus or Canine Hepatitis is spread through saliva, infected urine, or feces and can cause liver failure and damage to the eyes.
Canine influenza or dog flu is a highly contagious viral infection affecting dogs and also cats.
Bordetella is a highly contagious respiratory disease in cats and dogs caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica. It causes inflammation of the trachea and bronchi.
Lyme disease is an illness that affects both animals and humans – what is known as a zoonotic disease – and is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Transmitted through tick bites, the disease can be difficult to detect and can cause serious and recurring health problems. Therefore, it is best to prevent infection by taking appropriate measures to prevent tick bites and, for dogs, possibly vaccinating against the disease.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by infection with Leptospira bacteria. These bacteria can be found worldwide in soil and water. There are many strains of Leptospira bacteria that can cause disease. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be spread from animals to people. Infection in people can cause flu-like symptoms and can cause liver or kidney disease. In the United States, most cases of human leptospirosis result from recreational activities involving water.
2. Maintaining Their Parasite Preventions.
As mentioned above, in Georgia the weather never really gets cold enough to kill all the mosquitoes. Due to this, we at GVA feel it is necessary to keep all pets on yearly heartworm, as well as flea and tick, prevention. Heartworm is a devastating disease where treatment includes injecting poison into their body to kill the parasite. The treatment is invasive, costly, and extremely hard on the pet. Movement is restricted for months while their body expels the dead heartworms that are clogging up not only their heart, preventing it from beating properly, but their other veins in their body.
The cost of treating heartworms is about $900 whereas a year of preventions for a medium-sized dog is only around $130. The great thing about Sentinel Spectrum, which we recommend at GVA, is they are always running promotions and rebates. We even offer an injectable Heartworm prevention called ProHeart that lasts for either 6 or 12 months so you don't have to worry about forgetting!
Just as with Heartworms, Flea and Ticks can be a year-round nuisance. With Fleas come all sorts of skin issues and even allergic reactions and with ticks, come lots of yucky diseases such as Lyme Disease.
Watch as Dr. Stephens talks more about Heartworm Disease in the video below or learn more on our Heartworm Page.
3. Staying Active and Keeping A Healthy Diet.
Approximately 25-30% of the general canine population is obese. Obesity can cause major health issues just like it can with humans. From early onset arthritis or joint issues keeping your pet active can help extend their life! Instead of making your new years resolution to head to the gym, include your pup in your workouts! Most vets recommend at least 30 minutes to an hour of activity daily. This being either walks, playtime, or more structured events like agility. Some breeds such as labs or poodles on average require more exercise than say a pomeranian. Keeping pets active and busy will also decrease the likelihood of them developing bad behaviors such as chewing or barking.
Some easy ways to keep your pet active include mastering basic obedience, going on short walks throughout the day, playing fetch, or going to a dog park! As a reminder, dog parks are not for every dog. Make sure you are up to date on all vaccines before going and that your dog enjoys other dogs and strange people. Always watch your dog. Think of it as you are watching your child at the park!
A lifetime study in Labrador Retrievers found that dogs who were trim lived on average 2 years longer than their just slightly overweight siblings!
In regards to your pet's diet, make sure you are feeding an age-appropriate dog food. Puppy food will have a lot more calories compared to adult food. Lifestyle will also play a role in which food your pet will need. Is your pet out hunting with you or running agility courses daily? Then find a high-calorie food made for active dogs. Is your pet home with you or alone most of the day and is only active on the weekends or are they in their golden years and taking things a bit slower? Then find a lower calorie dog food made for low activity adults or seniors. We are more than happy to help you find the best food for your pet, whether it be from us or not! We carry high-quality pet food in our practice and will work with both you and your pet to find the best diet just for them.
4. Good Dental Hygiene
Dental hygiene is something we humans are always taking care of but did you know your pet needs regular dental cleanings just like you? Bad breath is never normal and is often an early indicator of dental disease. Pets often break teeth or form abscesses without obvious symptoms, and we may not notice until the damage is advanced. Bad breath is the most common early warning sign of dental disease.
It's important to start young when it comes to good dental habits. Dental treats and chews help to clean tartar off teeth before it gets too advanced. We also have water additives that help keep your pet's teeth nice and clean as well as pet-friendly toothpaste so you can brush their teeth at home.
Eventually, most pets will need their teeth cleaned. We recommend yearly and sometimes biannual dental cleanings for pets prone to dental disease.
Watch Dr. Amber Williams below as she outlines our dental care and dental cleanings.