Importance of Prevention: A Note from The MED

Hello all! Hope your New Year has started out on a "paws"itive🐾! This week our focus is on proper prevention for your canine and feline patients. We are not "kitten" around with this one! 😹

• The Vets Wellness Guideline Goals: Protect, Promote, Prevent and Maintain Healthy Patients through all stages of life

• During your veterinary visits with your clients and patients, data suggests that clients only take away 25% of the information you provide to them. It is recommended to divide the information into smaller portions during each of the visits to make the information easier to digest.

• The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) website has a plethora of information regarding parasites and vector born diseases. There are prevalence maps broken down by specific county to demonstrate to your clients why there is a need for prevention. In fact, Heartworm has been diagnosed in all 50 states in 2022, even in the dry desert climates of Nevada and Arizona; where 1 in 300 dogs tested positive for Heartworm. Heartworm is a preventable disease with the administration of oral, topical or injectable preventatives.

• The cost differential between monthly prevention, and treating a Heartworm positive pet is astronomical. The yearly total for Simparica Trio oral prevention for a 25# dog is approximately $560 versus the cost of an initial treatment for a Heartworm positive dog, which is around $4500. And that is only if the treatment is effective the first time, the cost will only go up for additional treatments needed.

• Internal and external parasite prevention is extremely important due to the possible zoonotic nature. Routine Physical Examinations and Fecal Testing can assist you in diagnosing both internal and external parasite infections. The Vets Wellness Guidelines provide you with specific recommendations and timing of these specific tests and examinations. The CAPC website has a variety of articles related directly to external parasites as well as vector borne diseases all at your fingertips.

• Living by the adage, "more is missed by not looking then not knowing" is something to keep in your Veterinary Toolbox, as this will assist in making sure that every patient of The Vets receives a Gold Standard of Care. Next week, we will provide you with recommended IDEXX reference lab tests, as well as Continuing Education opportunities for additional information.

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References:

https://capcvet.org/

Site accessed 1/4/2023

Kutzler, M.E. P. (2011). Small Animal Pediatrics. Elsevier Health Sciences (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/978-1-4160-4889-3

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