Staying on top of your pets’ health can be a challenge and costly. Just as humans are due for an annual wellness check, pets are too.
Ingleside Animal Hospital Veterinarian Dr. Brian Serbin said there are three common, and costly, problems he sees. The good news is they are all preventable.
“The wellness check is a way for the vet to examine the mouth, the skin, the heart, and the body condition,” he said.
The body condition can be a problem that leads to many other problems.
Dr. Serbin sees many dogs and cats who are obese.
“People don’t think about obesity as a medical issue,” he said. “It can reduce the lifespan of your pet up to 15 percent so I think it’s important people realize this and do the appropriate thing.”
He suggests getting your pets outside for regular exercise and measuring out their food.
Another all-too-common problem is dental disease.
“75 percent percent of the pets who walk through the door have underlying periodontal disease.”
If you notice any redness on the gums, it’s time to get them in. A cleaning will cost you a couple hundred bucks, but more serious procedures can be in the thousands.
The third common, but often preventable problem, is parasites.
Giving your pet a monthly chewable to protect them will run you about $100 a year, but once they catch something, like heartworm or fleas, treatment could cost $800.
