The importance of preventive care for your pet in Jacksonville, FL

The importance of preventive care for your pet in Jacksonville, FL

The health of your pet is at the heart of all we do at San Marco Animal Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. Yet, our team at San Marco Animal Hospital realizes that budget plays an important aspect too. Concerns over cost should never stand in the way of your furry loved one getting the care they need to stay happy and healthy.

One of the best ways to keep your wallet happy and your pet healthy is to maintain all of those “run-of-the-mill” annual and routine visits. Just as preventive check-ups, screenings, and exams are vital to your health, preventive care is also crucial for your pet’s health. These visits also support your financial wellness by catching problems early and treating them before they become a major financial burden or emergency.

By doing all this, you can prevent problems that require treatment, and through early detection of problems, you keep more money in your pocket and more years with your pet. Moreover, you help your pet avoid the trauma and pain of conditions that may lead to a need for extensive treatment and the risks that might be associated with invasive procedures. The joy and time you and your pet share are ultimately priceless, and we understand this. That is why at San Marco Animal Hospital, we provide your furry best friend with care that won’t break your bank.

Examples of preventive care available at San Marco Animal Hospital include:

• Grinding and clipping nails – Prevents nails overgrowing into the paw pad, from putting painful pressure on toe joints, compromising your pet’s natural alignment, and increasing his or her risk of injuries. It also helps prevent us people from getting unwanted and accidental scratch marks!
• Anal sac expression – When expressed properly, this can prevent anal glands from becoming impacted, infected or even ruptured. Dogs can also develop masses within the gland, so routine rectal palpation is essential for early detection.
• Ear cleaning – Removes dirt, debris, and wax build-up; helps prevent infections and helps check for other problems (such as polyps) within the ear canal.
• Vaccinations – Helps your pet’s immune system recognize diseases, fight off harmful invaders, and reduce the severity of illnesses (such as canine parvovirus and feline distemper)
• Microchipping – Electronic identification helps to reunite your pet with you should he or she ever unexpectedly get lost. Collars may break. Tags can be damaged or fall off. But, once registered, the microchip is a reliable way to trace your pet back to you. So, you can have a joyous reunion!
• Spay/neuter – Beyond responsible ‘population control,’ pets that aren’t spayed or neutered are at increased risk of developing severe medical conditions such as:
  • Mammary gland cancers, which can grow quite large to the point of rupture, causing bleeding, infection, pain and ultimately become untreatable
  • Pyometra (an infection of the uterus) that can lead to septic shock and even death if left untreated (females)
  • Prostate enlargement that can cause severe pain and lead to compression of the urethra. This can cause a medical emergency in which your pet cannot urinate and most commonly occurs amongst male pets.
• Routine blood work – A crucial part of annual “well” exams, routine blood work allows us to monitor your pet’s “normal” blood work values and screen for potential abnormalities. It also helps us detect diseases early, such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, or autoimmune diseases. Early detection of these abnormalities can be vital but also much less expensive to treat if caught early.
• Parasite testing – Fleas and ticks, roundworms and hookworms, and a range of other parasites can carry serious diseases, some that can infect people too! These parasites are easily preventable and treatable. However, if left unchecked, they can cause health problems, including anemia, weight loss and nutrition deficiencies.
• Routine dental cleaning – Scaling and polishing regularly assures your pet’s teeth and gums are healthy for comfortable chewing, early identification of tooth root abscesses and other problems before they also wreak havoc on overall health. As with humans, gum disease is associated with kidney, liver, and heart conditions.
• Heartworm Testing – In Florida, there is no mosquito season, and unfortunately, we have these pesky little bugs year-round. Not only can mosquitoes carry infectious organisms to people, but they can also carry infectious parasites to our dogs and cats, specifically heartworms. While preventing heartworms is relatively inexpensive and easy, once infected, treating the disease can be very costly and painful. Ask us about Proheart, an injection that eliminates the need for monthly oral heartworm medication and keeps your dog protected from heartworms for six months!

These and other types of preventive services more than pay for themselves by maintaining your pet’s quality of life, avoiding traumatic and costly experiences as well as potentially eliminating the need for high-risk treatments. Call us at 904-516-9767 to schedule a visit at San Marco Animal Hospital. Don’t forget to ask about our wellness plans, which include all your pet’s yearly preventive care that allows for an affordable monthly payment, rather than all upfront!