The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is celebrating National Pet Week May 5-11, 2013. This year’s theme is “Love Your Pet, See Your Vet.” While many people consider their pets to be part of their family, many of those pets don’t receive proper preventative veterinary care (ie wellness exams, vaccinations, parasite prevention, etc).
Common excuses for not visiting the veterinarian include:
- My pet is healthy, so it doesn’t need to go
- My pet is indoor only and doesn’t need shots (very common with cats!)
- My pets never leave my yard
- Veterinary visits cost money
Routine health care and regular visits to your veterinarian can help your family pet(s) lead longer, healthier lives. Vaccinations and parasite prevention help keep your pet healthy. Often, these routine visits and preventative care can detect a problem early, rather than waiting until your pet is extremely sick. And yes, even indoor only pets need vaccinations and parasite prevention. Did you know you can carry diseases and parasites home to your pet without knowing it?!
Help us celebrate National Pet Week and our bond with our pets by learning about responsible pet ownership and caring for your pet. We will be posting information this week from the AVMA on preventative care, responsible pet ownership, finding a veterinarian, and more.