An ounce of prevention…
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My six-year-old dog is healthy and trouble free. In fact she hasn’t needed to go to the vet in over three years since she had a broken dew claw. I was wondering, why does my dog need to be seen by the veterinarian if she isn’t sick? My boyfriend and I have different opinions on this. I think it is OK to wait until she needs to come in for something, but he keeps asking me to get her a check up just to make sure she is up to date on everything she needs. Please let us know what your advice is. – J and K, Sonoma.
Dear J and K: If your six-year-old dog hasn’t been seen by a veterinarian in three years, then I would agree with your boyfriend that she should be examined and receive her necessary preventative care, because in my opinion she is “overdue.” Of course without sounding brash or pushy, the operative words here are “necessary” and “preventative” care rather than “when she gets sick” or “needs to come in for something” care! I do commend you for at least getting her in three years ago when she had the broken dew claw – for that is a painful problem that needs veterinary help.
I remember one time several years ago a man walked into my office and said that his hunting dog had “hurt itself” the week before but “now it is worse” and “could I take a look at it.” The dog had broken his left femur and part of the bone was sticking out through the skin. I noticed a white goo on the tip of the bone and asked if the pus had been there for a long time. “Oh no, that is the neosporin I’ve been putting on it, hoping it would heal up!!”
The point is, people who choose to have a “wait and see” attitude with health care of any kind run the risk of waiting until a condition is much more severe than if they act proactively and prevent health problems from becoming serious in the first place. Specifically, I’m speaking of vaccines which can prevent your pet from catching life-threatening disease, yearly anti-parasitic medication that prevent intestinal worms from infecting her. In addition, most veterinarians consider “basic” medical care for dogs in this area to include heart worm testing and prevention because this blood parasite is deadly, spread by mosquitoes, and endemic in this area
While I know I can come across as a hard-ass in my column at times, I also want to tell you that I DO realize that in these difficult economic times, it is not easy for all of us to drum up the money we need for what I call “basic care.” That is why I offer vaccine clinics and savings days at my hospital. People on tight budgets can still afford to get the basics for their pets. It is important for pet owners to be educated as to the dangers their animals face if they do not receive the basic protective “annual” preventative care they need – so I hope my words encourage you to have your pet updated as soon as possible. You will spend less on reasonable budgeted preventative care than you will on emergency care if she becomes very sick and needs a life-saving work-up. Whether you want high-level human quality care for your pet or the minimum basics needed to keep her happy, I hope you and your boyfriend can merge your different pet-care beliefs into a harmonious plan that will really keep that great dog of yours “healthy and trouble free” for a long, long time.
– Dr. F
