Park Hill Vet: Things Your Vet Wants You to Know, Part I
Don’t Look To Dr. Google. Regular Check-Ups And Good Oral Health Care Are Key For Pets
By Margot K Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ
For the GPHN
There are things that every pet owner should know in order to take the best care of their pet/s. All are pretty common sense — but that sometimes flies out the window when you are worrying about your pet, or you go down the Google, TikTok or Insta rabbit hole.
Regular Veterinary Visits Are Crucial
Based on age and/or health status, every dog or cat needs to see their veterinarian for an exam every six to 12 months. Aging pets or those with chronic health concerns should be seen every six months while younger, healthier pets can be seen annually. A lot of us think “my pet seems just fine and doesn’t need to see a vet unless they are sick.” Nature doesn’t work that way and small, unseen issues can rapidly turn into an expensive health crisis. A regular schedule of examinations not only keeps a pet current on preventive care needs but allows early or earlier detection of illness or disease. Having data such as blood work, urine screening and fecal testing when a pet is healthy gives a baseline for what is normal and when things are changing from age or illness.
Oral Health Care Is Essential
Oral examinations and professional dental cleanings along with daily home oral care are essential to keeping the body healthy. Maintaining good oral health includes brushing and other strategies to help prevent periodontal disease, which can lead to painful and pricey treatment if left unchecked. In a perfect world our cats and dogs would have thumbs and brush their own teeth as frequently as we humans do. Bad breath, gingivitis and brown tartar on teeth are not normal – think of the standard for human smiles, it should apply to the pets in our care. Early acclimation to home oral care and regular cleanings truly add years of health and longevity for pets.
Dr. Google Doesn’t Know It All
Fake pet news, marketing too good to be true and other misinformation abounds on the internet. That doesn’t mean all online resources are bad, but your veterinarian’s long years of education and expertise built on the many nuances of individual pets’ health care and diseases should be valued over a TikTok or Reddit post.
Research prior to a veterinary visit is wonderful and your veterinarian should discuss with you, but also check for what “vetted” resources might be noted in the clinic or on the practice website. With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the knowledge that AI is only as good as the information fed into it as well as risk of AI hallucinations, trust that your veterinarian along with some solid online resources are going to be much safer than a social media “influencer’s” favorite home remedy or product push.
A few well-vetted resources are listed below. Next month we’ll have more things that every veterinarian wishes their clients knew for the health of their pets.
Resources
• Your Vet Wants You to Know podcast: yourvetwantsyoutoknow.com
• Veterinary Partner: veterinarypartner.vin.com
• Cornell Vet Health
For Dogs: vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information
For Cats: vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com.