HOW TO GET ALONG WITH YOUR VETERINARIANWoodside Animal Clinic - Veterinarian In Royal Oak, MI USA

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Prolonging the Life of a Dog or Cat

Posted on 2011-05-04 10:18:05

Prolonging the Life of a Dog or Cat

What are the most important things an owner can do to prolong the life of their dog or cat?

Feed your pet a highly nutritious meat based, whole grain, chemically free diet supplemented with raw meat and steamed vegetables.
Perform regular home dental care and bring your pet in for an annual dental prophylaxis.
Give your pet a weekly home exam and learn to recognize early signs of illness
Learn your pets normal behavior and normal physiology (ie urinating, defecating, eating, drinking, breathing) so that you will recognize when he or she begins to act abnormal.
Feed your pet supplements including, digestive enzymes, trace chelated minerals vitamins, probiotics, fatty acids, antioxidants.
Maintain your pet at a lean weight and exercise regularly.
Provide your veterinarian with a detailed, accurate history whenever your pet becomes ill. Keep a diary
Have your veterinarian perform a yearly physical and regular annual blood, urine, and stool screens to obtain a normal base line or to catch hidden problems.
Provide fresh air, fresh water, sunshine, love and companionship
Widen your concept of health care to encompass alternative medicine

What are the most common mistakes pet owners make with regard to their pets health?

If they have a multiple pet household and notice that there is vomiting, diarrhea , or urinating outside the litter box they do not isolate the cats to discover which at is having the problem
They mistake straining to urinate for straining to defecate.
Poor appetite and weight loss is either not recognized or not taken seriously enough
They are so fearful of anesthesia that they never have their pets teeth cleaned
They believe that the terms "premium" and "natural" insure their pet is receiving a healthy diet
They over feed their pet
They do not take repetitive vomiting as seriously as they should
They do not allow their veterinary to perform preventive blood and urine screens
They do not follow their veterinarians instructions - for example
- Medications not given at proper frequency
- Medications not given long enough; they do not come back for refills
- They do not come in for indicated recheck exams
- They stop medication when symptoms disappear
- They use left over medication to treat a new condition that they think is the same as a past condition
- They give their veterinarian a poor, inaccurate or misleading history (husband or child is sent in with pet without proper information)
  - They have not isolated sick pet from other in house
  - They let sick pet go outside
  - They don't know which leg pet is lame on
  - They do not bring in past history from previous vet
  - They provide misleading information
    - They are embarassed about their neglect and try to cover up
    - They are poor observers because not home enough, too busy, or multiple pets
    - They misinterpret their observations - ie straining equals constipation
    - They forget important information because they have not written it down
    - They say that the wrong leg is lame because they face the animal and use they right or left rather than the pets.