We all know that heart-sinking feeling when our dog gets ill or injured or has a sudden emergency. But lets step backward in time before that illness or accident, and take a look at ways it might have been prevented.
Too many of us dont think a lot about preventive care; instead, we only take action when our dog is clearly sick, badly injured, or due for a vaccination. But thats backward-looking care, when we should be looking forward.
One of the most important preventative steps is to take your dog for annual veterinary checkups. (If your pup is a senior, you should be looking at vet visits twice a year, since older dogs are more likely to suffer from life-threatening health issues like cancer, heart problems, or kidney disease. Theyll also help you catch age-related problems such as hearing or vision loss, cognitive issues, arthritis, and obesity before they become acute.)
Comprehensive veterinary exams can also give you an opportunity to have a frank discussion with your vet about your dogs lifestyle, activity level, mental health, life stage, and behavioral questions. Talk too about what vaccinations and preventative medications are essential for our specific area, and which ones you can skip. For instance, because Lyme disease is endemic in Nevada County, many vets recommend annual Lyme boosters. Another example is heartworm: because this disease can be fatal, its crucial that your dog begins and stays on heartworm preventative for her entire life. Your vet can also help you decide when to spay and neuter your dog, and can do routine procedures like checking to make sure his microchip is scanning properly. (Your dog IS microchipped, isnt he?)
Another prevention suggestion that you may not have thought about is keeping your dogs toenails trimmed. A too-long toenail can easily get snagged, resulting in a painful, torn nail.
Remember that many potential problems can be alleviated if your dog understands basic commands like sit, come, stay, and leave it. These commands arent just a matter of good manners: they can literally save your dogs life if he gets away from you and starts to dart into the road, or puts something dangerous in his mouth.
In the car, always secure your dog with a harness and dog seatbelt, or in a crate or carrier thats strongly fastened in the car. Never let your dog be untethered or uncrated in the open bed of a pickup truck. (In fact, its illegal in California to have an untethered dog in the back of a pickup.) And speaking of cars, remember to NEVER leave your dog alone in a parked car during warm weather unless youve taken strong precautions to keep him cool. Ill talk about some of these ideas in a future column.
Make sure your yard is secure: check your fencing regularly for things like holes, downed sections, and areas where your dog could scoot underneath and get out. Make sure any gates cant be opened by a curious or rowdy dog. Reliable fencing also prevents other animals from getting in and initiating a fight, or in the case of wild animals, badly injuring your dog. And dont rely on so-called invisible or electronic fencing: while it may keep your dog contained (or it may not: many a dog has broken through the electronic barrier and either disappeared or been hit by a car), it wont keep other dogs or animals from coming into your yard and potentially attacking your dog.
Keep all medications out of reach of your dog. Particularly deadly are meds like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and ADD/ADHD medications. Even common over-the-counter meds like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen can cause serious and even fatal effects if your pup ingests them. And something you think of as harmless like a multivitamin or nasal decongestant can also cause serious health problems for your dog.
The same is true for dog treats, or any type of food your dog might find tasty. Dont assume that your dog probably cant reach a counter or table, or get into a bag of chocolate chips. Most of the time, gorging on a half-full bag of dog cookies will only result in a bout of vomiting or diarrhea, but theres a chance it could trigger a potentially deadly condition like pancreatitis or bloat.
Try to brush your dogs teeth. Dogs can suffer from dental problems just as humans can, and the problems it can cause arent restricted to only their teeth: the bacteria created by periodontal disease can enter the bloodstream and travel to areas like the heart, the liver, and the kidneys. If your dog absolutely refuses to let you get anywhere near him with a toothbrush, try a dog chew specifically made to address plaque and tartar buildup. There are several on the market, but some are more effective than others, so talk with your veterinarian about what she recommends.
So remember: prevention really IS the best medicine!
Joan Merriam lives in Nevada County with her Golden Retriever Joey, her Maine Coon cat Indy, and the abiding spirit of her beloved Golden Retriever Casey in whose memory this column is named. You can reach Joan at joan@joanmerriam.com. And if youre looking for a Golden, be sure to check out Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue
Originally posted here:
Joan Merriam: Prevention is the best medicine - The Union
- Preventive or Preventative: Is There a Difference? - Merriam-Webster - January 21st, 2023
- Nurses: The Frontlines of Preventative Care - Bradley University Online - November 24th, 2022
- Functional Medicine of Idaho | Preventative Root Cause Medicine - October 29th, 2022
- This Indigenous Scientist Helped Save Lives as Covid Devastated the Navajo Nation - Scientific American - October 13th, 2022
- As governor calls for better mental health services, Healthy Wyoming says Medicaid expansion needed - Oil City News - October 13th, 2022
- Clinisys formed to help companies manage 'revolution' of lab science - OutSourcing-Pharma.com - October 13th, 2022
- Ainos Announces Positive Results from Additional Preclinical Study of Its Low-dose Oral Interferon Formulation Against New Variant Virus - Omicron -... - October 4th, 2022
- North Korea tells officials that 350,000 people died of diseases this year - Radio Free Asia - October 4th, 2022
- Episode 45 - Preventative Medicine: the Mediterranean Diet and the ... - September 25th, 2022
- Women's health got worse in 2021, global survey finds - WXOW.com - September 25th, 2022
- Wolf Creek PCN expands programming geared to health improvement - Lacombe Express - September 25th, 2022
- 1 in 10 Adults and 1 in 5 Teens Have Symptoms of Depression, What We Know - Healthline - September 25th, 2022
- Three tips to keep youth athletes in top nutritional shape this school year - The Philadelphia Inquirer - September 25th, 2022
- A blood test that detects cancer without symptoms could be a game changer for Louisiana - NOLA.com - September 25th, 2022
- Eric Idle on Surviving Pancreatic Cancer - TIME - September 25th, 2022
- Attacks on hospitals and healthcare in Ukraine: Joint Submission to the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine,... - September 25th, 2022
- Spending on Food and lifestyle for preventive wellness is better than spending on medicines and treatment - The Financial Express - September 25th, 2022
- Exercise is Preventative Medicine - myBurbank.com - September 16th, 2022
- Best preventative medicine, health screening and anti-ageing clinics for HNWs in 2022 - Spear's WMS - September 16th, 2022
- The high hospital bills we make victims of rape and sexual violence pay - Vox.com - September 16th, 2022
- Press Release: CHMP recommends approval of Beyfortus (nirsevimab) for prevention of RSV disease in infants - StreetInsider.com - September 16th, 2022
- Why Now is the Time to Double Down on Virtual Care - HIT Consultant - September 16th, 2022
- Pickleball injuries are on the rise: 5 preventive tips to keep you on the court - The Manual - September 16th, 2022
- Opinion: From the Great War to the pandemic, doctors and nurses have always carried a heavy burden - The Globe and Mail - September 16th, 2022
- Can Sustainable Initiatives Benefit Your Team's Mental Health As Well As The Environment? - MinuteHack - September 16th, 2022
- Management of Chronic Migraine in Children and Adolescents | PHMT - Dove Medical Press - September 16th, 2022
- Workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy | JMDH - Dove Medical Press - September 16th, 2022
- Men at The Emeline: how preventative medical care can help keep you on track - Australian Jewish News - August 30th, 2022
- Study: PCPs Need 26.7 Hours Per Day to Provide Recommended Care - Healthcare Innovation - August 30th, 2022
- New Guidelines Target Preventing Obesity In Midlife Women, But The Conclusion Is Somewhat Controversial - Suggest - August 30th, 2022
- Colleges need to prepare for monkeypox to spread among students, infectious disease experts say - PhillyVoice.com - August 30th, 2022
- BHERC Presents Its First Health Matters Film Screening and Panel Focused on Mental Health During The 28th Annual African American Film Marketplace and... - August 30th, 2022
- The Antitumor Effects of Quercetin - The Epoch Times - August 30th, 2022
- Why 4mg of folic acid will dramatically reduce the risk of birth defects during pregnancy - iNews - August 22nd, 2022
- Cure Is An Absolute, But Prevention Is The Ideal Vasanthi Ramachandran - CodeBlue - August 22nd, 2022
- GET PREPPED FOR A HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE SCHOOL YEAR - PR Newswire - August 22nd, 2022
- Researchers examine link between pesticides and thyroid cancer risk in Central California area - EurekAlert - August 22nd, 2022
- 5 Ways Your Body Is Telling You That You Need More Potassium, According to a Cardiologist and a Dietitian - Well+Good - August 22nd, 2022
- Restore Hyper Wellness Announces First Half of 2022 Performance Results with Over $60M in System-Wide Sales & Official Announcement of its Medical... - August 22nd, 2022
- Quest Diagnostics Aims to Close Gaps in Maternal Healthcare with New Obstetrics Test Panel that Includes Hepatitis C Screening - PR Newswire - August 22nd, 2022
- Flu Viral: Here Are The Most Common Queries Answered - NDTV - August 22nd, 2022
- Letters to the Editor, Aug. 19, 2022 - Toronto Sun - August 22nd, 2022
- Gambia: How Covid-19 vaccine contributes to the immunization of the most vulnerable - - Voice Gambia Newspaper - August 22nd, 2022
- The Effect of Maintenance Treatment with Erdosteine on Exacerbation Tr | COPD - Dove Medical Press - August 22nd, 2022
- Diagnostic Robotics has AI catching health problems before they take you to the ER - TechCrunch - August 14th, 2022
- Roches Xofluza issued FDA approval to treat influenza in children aged five years and older - PMLiVE - August 14th, 2022
- Ananta Medicare Provides Preventative Health Solutions to the World - PR Newswire - July 19th, 2022
- 5 "Health Tips" That are Terrible for Over 50s Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - July 19th, 2022
- 'Death Cap' Mushrooms Pose Threat to Dogs - University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine - University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary... - July 19th, 2022
- What Medicaid expansion means for new moms in Virginia - CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR - July 11th, 2022
- Healthcare for the Busy Bee - Flathead Beacon - July 11th, 2022
- The COVID BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are highly transmissible. Here's what else people in CT need to know. - CT Insider - July 11th, 2022
- NHS to test using drones to fly chemotherapy drugs to Isle of Wight - The Guardian - July 11th, 2022
- The Role of Smoking and Body Mass Index in Mortality Risk Assessment for Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients - Cureus - July 11th, 2022
- Family Health Care Atlanta | Primary & Preventative Medicine - July 3rd, 2022
- Preventative medicine in Rochester Hills MI - July 3rd, 2022
- RIVERVIEW PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS AVAILABLE TO OVERSEE YOUR HEALTH NEEDS - kroxam.com - June 22nd, 2022
- Prevention is the best medicine | Caseys Corner - Oroville Mercury-Register - June 22nd, 2022
- With Father's Day in mind, Mayo Clinic doctors remind men to be mindful of their health - WQOW TV News 18 - June 22nd, 2022
- Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare will be presented this fall to Health Equity Leader Dr. Mona Fouad - City-sentinel - June 13th, 2022
- Margolius named Cleveland director of public health - Cleveland Jewish News - June 13th, 2022
- Three things to know about COVID-19 at this time: Dr. Robert A. Salata - cleveland.com - June 13th, 2022
- Remission seen in every rectal cancer patient in small study of drug - The Hill - June 13th, 2022
- University of Vermont: Advancing healthcare through impactful medicine - Study International News - June 13th, 2022
- On Three Different Continents, Rural Health Strains under the Weight of the Coronavirus - Scientific American - June 13th, 2022
- Do You Suffer from Knee Pain Due to Inflammation or Arthritis? Taking More Walks Will Help, a New Study Shows - Yahoo Life - June 13th, 2022
- Benign Breast Lumps | Health, Medicine and Fitness | siouxcityjournal.com - Sioux City Journal - June 13th, 2022
- 'We are definitely missing cases:' Just a fraction of COVID-19 cases reported in Washington - KING5.com - June 13th, 2022
- Flea-borne typhus outbreak puts three Aucklanders in hospital - Stuff - June 13th, 2022
- Promoters of Preventive Health A Key Role in Nursing - wknd. - May 15th, 2022
- What we know (and don't know) about North Korea's Covid outbreak - WREX.com - May 15th, 2022
- Metabolic Health and Skin Care: What to Know - WWD - May 15th, 2022
- VERIFY Fact Sheet: COVID-19 treatments - VERIFYThis.com - May 15th, 2022
- Twitter: AI applications in healthcare and more - Pharmaceutical Technology - May 15th, 2022
- How Jefferson Health is harnessing philanthropy to address health disparities - Becker's Hospital Review - May 15th, 2022
- Digital Health Companies Bring Paradigm Change Across the Health... - Healthcare Tech Outlook - May 15th, 2022
- We all have a heros journey and our job is to triumph over our tragedies - Kitimat Northern Sentinel - May 15th, 2022
- Doctor Reveals How Woke Activists Have Infiltrated Medicine - Daily Signal - May 15th, 2022
- Study: Serious COVID-19 Outcomes Are More Likely Among Unvaccinated With Heart Issues - Pharmacy Times - May 15th, 2022
- What are the Key Opportunities on Offer for Self-care Medical Device Manufactures Exclusive Study - PharmiWeb.com - May 15th, 2022