Use a Caring Veterinarian in Bowie to Keep Those Pets Healthy

by | May 4, 2017 | Animal Helath

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There are numerous benefits to owning a pet. The animals that people bring into their home can provide them with warmth and companionship. In fact, some studies have shown that owning a pet reduces stress and may even help people live a little longer. However, pet ownership comes with some responsibilities as well. For instance, the owners of dogs and cats need to have them spayed or neutered to avoid unwanted pregnancies. These procedures can also curb some other undesirable issues. Letting a veterinarian in Bowie neuter a male reduces the animal’s tendency to roam and makes them less prone to fighting. Spaying a female may help extend their life by lowering the chance of uterine cancer.

Perhaps the most important reason to take that pet to the veterinarian is vaccinations. There are number of possible vaccines to prevent disease and they are broken down into core and non-core groups. Core vaccines are recommended for any cat or dog with an unknown vaccination history. They are used in the prevention of serious illness and many of the diseases they prevent have a high morbidity rate. The core set for canines include canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus (CAV), and rabies. A booster should be given after one year and then the vaccine given again at three year intervals. An experienced veterinarian in Bowie will recommend that puppy vaccinations start at 6 to 8 weeks with the final booster given at 16 weeks. Vaccines for felines follow the same trend. Feline core vaccines include feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV1), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and rabies.

Cat lovers know that their pets can suffer some serious problems if they are not cared for properly. One issue that can occur is UTI or urinary tract infection. Thankfully there are things that the pet owner can do to reduce the chance of UTI. First, keep plenty of fresh water available and make sure it has very few chemicals or the cat may refuse to drink it. Second, select a high quality dry food. Poor pet food can cause the cat a lot of unnecessary problems. Feed the animal some moist food every day. Learn more about protecting the health of those pets from the caring people at our website.