An ounce of prevention is worth…
Everything. 
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but when you stop and think about it, how can you put a price on good health? A happy, healthy life is truly priceless. One of our guiding principles at Den Herder Veterinary Hospital is prevention. We feel strongly the costs of preventing illness far outweigh the costs of treating an illness. We invite you to read here about our preventive medicine philosophy, explore our Education Center for information specific to your dog or cat, and as always, feel free to speak with the doctors about a plan tailored to your faithful companion.
With our emphasis on preventive medicine, we have certain objectives for any cat or dog regardless of their breed, background or situation. The same core ideas could be said for humans— we need to eat high quality healthy food, drink enough water and try to exercise when we can. We also need to see our doctor for checkups and when the time comes, we need tests to let us know how things are going on the inside. Many of you reading this have likely had your cholesterol, blood sugar or thyroid checked at some point. Your pet is no different. Diet, exercise, regular checkups and routine diagnostics go a long way on the road of prevention for animal and human alike.
In addition to these core aspects, we take it one step further and offer recommendations tailored to your pet’s specific breed. For example, 36{cc651acb8fd21d18461bab90e3951e117ad976e0f5f2bec6fa2ec763fee94208} of all dogs have pancreas issues. This can often be symptom free and go undetected for years. If left unchecked, your pet may develop diabetes or immune suppression issues. While any dog could have pancreas trouble, certain breeds are more at risk for pancreas issues (e.g., Yorkies, Schnauzers and Boxers) and we may recommend checking them more frequently. Other breed specific examples: many Cockers are predisposed to glaucoma. Shih Tzus and Lhasas are prone to “dry eye.” Knowing this allows us to check for these routinely to best care for your pet and prevent all we can.
If your dog is a “Heinz 57” variety or a mix of breeds, we have information for you as well. Your dog may or may not be predisposed to certain issues, but we can give an educated guess based on size and appearance. If your dog is a known blend of breeds (e.g., Pugle or Cavachon), you may want to read up on the breeds that comprise your dog.
Cat owners—we haven’t forgotten you! Most of our feline friends, regardless of their breed or background, can be candidates for a bladder infection or kidney disease at some point in the life course. With bladder infections 60{cc651acb8fd21d18461bab90e3951e117ad976e0f5f2bec6fa2ec763fee94208} of cats and dogs may become infected at birth. These pets may experience more frequent bladder infections than others. Routine blood and urine testing tells you how the internal organs are doing and whether or not your cat has a UTI. Most cat owners will agree, we don’t like learning about a UTI by finding accidents outside the litter box. Kidney problems, when caught early, can often be kept in check with a simple change in diet. This adds years to your pet’s life, increasing health and happiness for very little cost.
We are excited to share with you how far that ounce of prevention really can go next time you are in.
