With dog owners spending approximately £1,875 per year (based on stats from 2022), owning a pet can be a costly business. In the current financial climate, it can be tempting to skip some of the ‘routine’ stuff to save a bit of money here and there. We’re going to explore why that mindset could actually end up costing both you and your pet so much more. Let’s explore the value of preventative care further.
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What is preventative care?
Preventative care does exactly what it says! It is a proactive form of treatment aimed at preventing illness or disease from happening in the first place. Doing this will help to keep your pet happy and healthy, reducing the risk of needing treatment and even hospitalisation for illnesses. Types of preventative care include –
Vaccinations
Many of the diseases we vaccinate against are potentially fatal and some are also zoonotic, meaning that you could catch them from your pet too e.g. leptospirosis. This means vaccinations are extremely important for both cats and dogs.
If your unvaccinated pet is one of the unlucky ones and becomes poorly with canine parvovirus or feline infectious enteritis for example, then you could suddenly be up against a large vet bill to help them recover. Hospitalisation for supportive care and treatment can add up, especially if your pet is in for several days.
Obviously, the financial concerns are one aspect, but the emotional impact of a sick pet is another. Sadly, some pets don’t recover from these preventable diseases, despite the vet’s best efforts so vaccination is the best way of protecting your pet.
Anti-parasite treatments
Parasite treatment is often one of the first things that cost-concerned pet owners might skip. However, there is a whole array of different creepy crawlies out there that could call your pet home including –
- Fleas – Small, shiny brown, wingless insects that feed on your pet’s blood. These can cause intense itchiness and hair loss, as well as anaemia in smaller pets.
- Ticks – These external parasites attach to your pet when they are very small, but grow larger as they feed from their blood. Ticks can carry infectious diseases which can be passed on to our pets through their saliva.
- Mites – There are several different types of mites, including Sarcoptes and Demodex which can cause mange. These tiny parasites can cause extreme itchiness, hair loss, and secondary skin infections.
- Roundworms – These worms can be caught by ingesting eggs from the environment, or they can be passed from mother to puppy or kitten. Roundworms can cause weight loss, diarrhoea and possibly obstruct the intestines in extreme cases. The larvae of these worms are associated with eye problems in humans.
- Tapeworms – Tapeworms are long, flat, and segmented and remain attached to the inside of your pet’s digestive tract. These segments can pass out through your pet’s anus appearing like wriggly white grains of rice. These segments release more eggs into the environment.
All these parasites have the potential to make your cat or dog very unwell (either directly or through transferring other infectious agents), and in some cases could cause a risk to human health too.
Neutering your pet
Neutering (de-sexing) your pet is a way of reducing their risk of certain health complaints.
A good example of this is entire male cats (toms). They are far more likely to roam and be hit by a car than their neutered counterparts. They are also more likely to catch diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) through mating and fighting.
Pyometra (infected womb) occurs regularly in older entire female dogs, as well as mammary tumours. Male dogs can also have their own problems, such as prostate issues and testosterone-related tumours.
Don’t forget that one of the biggest financial drains that could occur in your entire pet is pregnancy! Rearing puppies and kittens can be an expensive business, especially if your pet needs help to give birth. An emergency, out-of-hours caesarean section could be in the thousands.
The timing of neutering your pet does need to be balanced against some of the recently studied data. There is evidence that neutering too soon in some breeds could lead to joint issues and certain cancers. It is worth discussing the ideal timing with your vet.
Regular check-ups
Checkups are also an important part of preventative health care. When your pet has their vaccinations, they will also receive a physical examination, which is just as important as the vaccine itself. This appointment allows your vet to check your animal over for any early signs of ill health or indications of an underlying problem. Common issues like weight changes and dental disease can be spotted and tackled quickly. More regular check-ups may be advised for very young or elderly animals.
Laboratory screening tests
Routine blood and urine samples could be advised by your vet, particularly in older pets. These can identify issues like diabetes, kidney failure or liver disease at an earlier stage in the disease meaning action can be taken sooner. Screens also exist for infectious diseases in animals that travel abroad or who are at an increased risk of developing cancer. Animals can appear clinically well but their labwork may tell a different story.
Veterinary laboratories, such as Idexx, provide an array of panels and your vet will be able to advise you on what is most appropriate for your pet. Your vet will also be the one to interpret the results and discuss any ongoing steps with you.
Some tests being marketed directly to customers online need to be viewed with caution, particularly ones that claim to be able to screen for certain health conditions. There is a lack of regulation around these tests, which could lead to meaningless results and delay your pet getting appropriate veterinary attention. If you want to do screening tests, always speak to your vet for their recommendations.
So, is preventative care worthwhile?
The answer is undoubtedly yes! Preventative care will help to keep your pet healthy and will also be more cost-effective in the long run than trying to treat them if/when they get sick.
Hopefully, you are a bit clearer about the various types of preventative care on offer, but don’t hesitate to speak to your vet for more information. Many vet practices offer plans to help spread the cost of things like vaccinations and ant-parasite products which can make things a bit easier for owners too.
It is also worth noting that pet insurance companies may stipulate the need for regular vaccinations or check-ups, so you could risk invalidating your policy if you aren’t being proactive. Check the small print in the terms and conditions if you are unsure.
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