May 5, 2016
Your Best Friend’s Best Friend
Gracie has a great veterinarian. I am sorry, but I can’t tell you which one she sees. That would get me into a lot of trouble. But, of course Gracie’s vet is not only an outstanding professional, but also a great supporter of the Ottawa Humane Society and the humane and veterinary communities in Ottawa. I feel lucky to live in a community where this describes so many veterinarians that you can’t likely guess who takes care of our demanding little Siamese.
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| Too many pets, especially cats, don’t have a veterinarian. |
If you don’t have a regular veterinarian or haven’t taken your best friend to one since she was spayed, then I am hoping you will find one soon. Too many pets, especially cats, don’t have one, and there are so many reasons they should:
Early disease detection: problems detected in early stages are more likely to be treated and resolved with less cost, less difficulty and better success; detecting problems before they become critical can help avoid unexpected costs.
Preventive medicine: vaccination and parasite prevention such as fleas, ticks, heartworm, intestinal parasites, etc. can prevent life-threatening — and very expensive to treat — diseases.
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| Pets should visit their veterinarian regularly. |
Nutritional counselling: keeps animals in optimal body condition to help prevent obesity related medical conditions such as joint problems and feline diabetes.
Detection and prevention of dental disease: veterinarians can suggest various ways of preventing dental disease in your pet as well as perform a thorough oral exam to help detect existing dental disease.
Behavioural counselling: veterinarians can offer advice on various behavioural concerns and can help rule out underlying medical causes for these behaviours; sometimes veterinarians will prescribe medications to help with behaviour problems.
Your pet’s veterinarian is literally a life-saver. Find a good one and take your little friend regularly. She is worth it.
Bruce Roney
Executive Director