why preventive care is important for pets of all ages

When puppies and kittens are little, they need lots of support. Vaccinations, spaying or neutering, deworming — you know, all the things that set them up for good health as they move into adulthood. That’s why our Puppy and Kitten Optimum Wellness Plans®️ offer all of these essential services and more. 

But did you know we have plans designed to grow with your pet as they grow? Our Active Care Plus plan not only includes the amazing services listed above and then some (how awesome are unlimited office visits and 24/7 Pet Chat™?), they also include yearly professional dental cleanings, which are recommended after your pet turns the age of two. 

To dig into why preventive care is essential for your pet from the wild early years all the way to the chill later ones, we chatted with our super awesome vice president of client experience, Dr. Ari Zabell.

What are the benefits of preventive care and why should clients renew their pet’s OWP? 

The tricky thing about preventive care is it only works if you get it. We know that waiting for pets to get sick — and then providing care — can result in worse disease and increased costs. This is especially tricky for young adult dogs and cats who are just past their puppy and kitten needs and not yet showing any significant signs of aging. Arguably, this is a critical time to monitor and identify health issues that might plague them for the rest of their life. Veterinary visits for these young pets help us identify weight issues as they age, early stages of dental disease, or even orthopedic problems. It also gives us the opportunity to ensure their regular preventive care, like vaccines and parasite prevention, is provided according to their needs, environment, and lifestyle. It’s a critical opportunity for clients to discuss all these issues and more with their veterinary team to understand best how to support health for their pets throughout their lives.

Why are dental cleanings important for pets after two years of age? 

Similar to people, pets are always developing tartar on their teeth. This tartar is the first stage in developing dental disease. Arguably, it’s a bigger risk in dogs and cats since they don’t brush their teeth every day like most people do. But even most people who brush their teeth every day know that professional cleaning at the dentist is still valuable. And a professional cleaning is definitely more important for our pets that don’t brush daily, whose mouths we can't see deeply into without the benefit of anesthesia. 

What are the benefits of an Active Care Plus plan?

Optimum Wellness Plans in general make it easy and affordable to provide preventive care to our patients. The Active Care Plus plan includes the standard preventive care we all know, like comprehensive exams, blood work, vaccinations, and deworming, plus a dental cleaning, which is a critical aspect of preventive veterinary care.

Any last thoughts on preventive care?

Preventive care is a discipline, just like exercising and watching your diet, that needs to be developed when pets are young and the habits of pet ownership are being developed. Each visit a client makes with their pet to a veterinary hospital is an opportunity for the pet to receive care and for the client to receive advice on how to best take care of their pet.