I am very pleased to have Dr. Doug Kenney guest post today. He has very kindly written a blog post on pet wellness and why wellness care is so critical to a pet's long-term health and life span.
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I appreciate the opportunity to write a blog post during Embrace’s Wellness Month because
veterinarians have a unique perspective when it comes to wellness care that pet owners don’t have. Daily, we see patients that are injured or sick needlessly from a wide variety of causes. Sadly, we see pets die that didn’t have to. Why? Because the illnesses or injuries that affect these pets could easily have been prevented saving the pet much pain and suffering and the pet owner much money.
The essence of wellness care is prevention. The old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly true. Wise pet owners recognize that it is much better and much less expensive to prevent diseases than try to cure them.
Dr. Rex Rigg’s post earlier this month gives excellent examples of how early detection of disease through wellness screening can increase the length and quality of your pet’s life.
It is very important for pet owners to build a relationship with a veterinarian and hospital staff who know them and their pets personally. Together, you form a partnership with the goal of keeping your pets healthy so that you and your pets may enjoy many happy years together. In my opinion, this relationship is best forged with wellness care.
How does this partnership work to benefit your pet? An example is the prevention of the most common disease that affects dogs and cats, periodontal disease. Your veterinarian helps by performing regular dental examinations and teeth cleanings. However, home care, by regularly brushing your pet’s teeth, is also needed to prevent this disease.
It’s great to have pet insurance in case you need it for a serious illness or injury, but it’s even better to prevent problems by making wellness care a priority. Embrace’s Wellness Rewards program helps you do just that. See Laura’s explanation of
why Embrace offers wellness coverage and the
details of how the program works in a couple of earlier posts this month. Since most pet owners will easily spend $200 annually on wellness exams, vaccinations as needed, lab tests, dental cleaning, heartworm and flea and tick preventatives, etc., you’re guaranteed to come out $51 to the good by getting this coverage*.
* for annual pay policies (monthly pay policies gain $21)
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Dr. Kenney graduated in 1977 from the Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine. He practices small animal medicine and surgery at Frayser Raleigh Animal Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. His main interests are wellness care and preventative medicine and showing pet owners how they can save money on their pet's healthcare. He also has an interest in pet health insurance and how it can be beneficial to veterinarians, pet owners, and their pets. He authors a blog at http://www.petinsuranceguideus.com.
