Don’t skip annual vet visits

A research report released by Hill’s Pet Nutrition South Africa, suggested that half of all pet parents don’t visit the vet regularly for check-ups or vaccinations and over a third of pet parents only visit the vet when their pet is showing visible injuries or illness.

Dr Barry Dallas, from Hill’s, said that this is not for lack of love for our pets, but rather busy lives that lead to vet visits often falling by the wayside.

Dallas added that these statistics are alarming as pets can be masters of disguise when it comes to hiding pain or illness.

“They rely solely on us to look after them and besides for providing good, nutritious food, affection, an enriching living environment, regular exercise and a safe and warm place to live, annual vet check-ups should be a priority.

“As humans we don’t wait for something to go wrong before we take ourselves or family to the doctor; we go for regular check-ups. So why wait until something is seriously wrong before taking your pet to the vet?”

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Prevention is better than cure and it’s much less stressful taking your dog or cat for their yearly check-up versus them having to go through scary treatments that will ultimately require a lot more vet visits and may be costly.

Why then are so many South African pet parents missing their regular vet check-ups? We live in a time when information is at our fingertips; literally at the click of a button you can find a ‘diagnosis’ for a symptom. The same way you’d approach Dr Google to diagnose your own symptoms, pet parents are following suit when it comes to their pets.

“There is a lot of misinformation on the internet and looking at your pet’s symptoms in isolation can be dangerous. The experience of a veterinarian allows for a holistic and comprehensive approach that can never be replaced.”

While it’s positive to note that just over 50 per cent of the respondents believe their pet’s vaccinations are important and are diligent about having them done annually, 27 per cent don’t get them done on a yearly basis and frighteningly 20 per cent haven’t had their pets vaccinated since they were puppies or kittens.

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 or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za

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