by Emma Riley Sutton

Created on: June 03, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2008

The best way to keep your pets healthy is by a taking advantage of all the advancements in preventative veterinary medicine. This is the branch of veterinary medicine that specializes in preventing illness. That has a wonderful sound to it - preventing illnesses in our pets. What a relief to know that many of the ailments, disorders, and diseases can be stopped before they even develop. There are many ways preventative veterinary medicine can help our pets avoid illness as well as simple steps pet owners can take on their own to keeps their pets healthy.

Vaccinations are an important part of preventative veterinary medicine. Having your pets vaccinated is one of the easiest ways to help you keep you pet healthy. Animals of all species - dogs, cats, horses, rodents - all benefit from being vaccinated. For exotic pets - hedgehogs, reptiles, sugar gliders, etc. - vaccinations are also advantageous for them. Always ask your veterinarian what vaccinations your pets need and be sure they all have all them.

Preventative veterinary medicine also includes keeping your pets free from parasites. Parasites include worms (hook, round, ring, heart, etc), fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. With the exception of mosquitoes, the parasites listed above all live on or in our pets. All of the parasites can call illness and death. Simple treatments can not only kill the parasites, but keep them from coming back. There are mosquito repellents made for pets. My veterinarian suggested that I give my dog a garlic tablet every day to help keep the mosquitoes (as well as fleas and ticks) from biting her. It works well. Of course, speak with your veterinarian before giving you pets any medications!

Proper dental care is essential for preventing illness. Follow your veterinarian's advice on how to care for your pets teeth. Without proper care, a pet can loose it's teeth and develop gum disease. Abscesses and infections can cause serious problems. All of these things can cause your pet extreme pain (think of your last tooth ache) and that can lead to your pet not eating. Infection from the abscessed tooth can get into the pet's bloodstream. This can lead to death.

Another part of preventative veterinary medicine is regular check-ups with your veterinarian. By having your pets seen on a regular basis, your are given a heads-up to potential problems. Blood work, fecal tests, other lab work as well as a good "once over" by a veterinarian can stop many problems from getting out of hand. A thorough exam

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