And the million dollar question is..."When do I need to go to the vet?"
How can we, as vets, plan a preventative care program if you, the pet owner, don't know what REALLY is important? Then there is the whole other massive topic of illness. The problem is staring you in the face, or on your foot with the diarrhea puddle on the carpet you just stepped in, you find yourself wondering do. Do I ignore it, panic or call the vet?
For those that have come to my clinic, you know me and what to expect. For those of you who haven't met me yet, I am to say the least, sometimes overwhelming. The reason behind this is I do something that unfortunately many of my colleagues in both human and veterinary medicine don't do, I explain a lot. I tell you what to expect if you do or don't do things and I give lots of examples and usually even more choices. Even with all this information and the holy grail...Internet access, to give us factual and multiple opinions on everything related to our concerns or interests, it's not difficult to still get lost. All of us do, especially if we are worried about our little fluffy (or smooth or wiry) pets.
So what is the cheapest and easiest thing to do. Look at your pet daily!! Not just look, know what his or her eyes look like, do the ears smell or are they red? Does your pet shake their head or scratch one area more then another? Have you looked to see if there is a lump or bump or change of color to what ever you are looking at? Breath smell? What is that thing? What do they do that is weird? Can you keep a diary or log of when/how they sneeze or are stiff..worse after exercise? tired after a normal walk? If you can't explain it, take a picture or video of it. No, we can't diagnoses everything from a video but it can help when you are trying to describe that cough/gag or weird seizure like thing and guide you so together we can come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan. If you notice a problem early and we treat it promptly it is so much better for you and your pet! You save so much money and grief and your pets are saved discomfort with early detection yet the annual (twice a year for sick or geriatric pets) is the MOST ignored thing you can do. Shot clinics don't save you money! They don't examine your pet. We at Alta Vista Vet Clinic, are about the total picture...the care for your pet for the long haul.
Just remember the old adage that prevention is key. I recommend routine exams to potentially catch a problem early. It is worse when the problem explodes. By then it's too late to get insurance, they won't cover preexisting problems and the emergency vets may be nice, but they aren't worried about your personal budget.They are their to fix your pet, at the emergency room rate. You may not want to put your pet under the stress of anesthesia for that dental cleaning when it is just routine..so what is going to happen if you don't brush daily? The Tooth Fairy isn't going to help so the expensive dental becomes a multiple extraction or root canal issue for ten times more discomfort to your pet and your pocket book. Do the laboratory workup so we can establish baselines. Maybe that kidney enzyme elevation is an infection because it was normal last month..or is it chronic disease because they have been gradually increasing over the last few years and we need to change the diet and perhaps initiate some home care like subcutaneous fluids. I see so many people that decline things or don't come in until it is an emergency because they just don't catch things early. Look at your pet, schedule an exam regularly and ask questions. We are here to help.
Having your pet live a long healthy life means EVERYTHING to me but I have to add the nice cards and cookies you bring sure put smiles on my staff's faces right along with the tail wags, purrs and puppy kisses.
