Vaccinations protect your pets before they get potentially fatal diseases. Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is also important to prevent serious conditions. Good dental habits will ensure healthy teeth and gums in the long term.
Preventative care is key to keeping your furkid healthy and well! Find out more about our preventative care services at Paws N’ Claws Veterinary Surgery, located in Yishun and Upper Thomson.
What are vaccines?
Vaccines are health products that trigger protective immune responses in pets and prepare them to fight future infections from disease-causing agents.
Vaccinations can lessen the severity of future diseases, and certain vaccines can prevent infection altogether. Today, a variety of vaccines are available for use by veterinarians.
Why vaccinate your pet?
Prevention is better than cure! Vaccinations protect your pets before they acquire potentially fatal diseases, such as canine parvovirus. They also need time to take effect — do not wait till the last minute to get your furkid vaccinated!
Core vaccines are mandatory to build the immune system towards diseases, while non-core vaccines are administered based on the pet’s lifestyle and exposure.
Vaccinations for pets also help to prevent zoonotic diseases (passed from animal to human) from spreading.
Learn more about canine parvovirus, which most commonly affects young, unvaccinated dogs, in our article here.
Protecting your pet from fleas, ticks, heartworm
Besides vaccinations, other forms of preventative care for your furkid includes monthly flea and tick prevention.
Flea bites are not just uncomfortable for your pet, but also the leading cause of tapeworm, a parasite whose larvae is carried by fleas.
Meanwhile, ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and other serious conditions.
In addition, a bite from a mosquito can result in annoying itches and more serious parasitic diseases for your pets. In dogs, heartworm disease is the primary concern. Heartworm is a serious condition that results in severe lung disease, heart failure, organ damage, and death. Caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis which can be spread through the bite of a mosquito.
Once your pet is old enough, it’s important to start using a monthly flea and tick preventive medication to help ensure that they won’t be affected by fleas or ticks in the future. Many of the treatments available and are effective for preventing both fleas and ticks, as well as heartworm.
Dental health
Your pet’s teeth and gums are another important part of their overall health, as dental problems can cause (and be caused by) other health issues.
To check for early signs of any dental issues and keep your pet’s mouth healthy, a veterinarian should check the teeth and gums at least once a year.
However, if your furkid has any of the following, it’s recommended that you schedule a check-up sooner:
- Bad breath
- Broken or loose teeth
- Extra teeth or retained baby teeth
- Discoloured teeth
- Tartar covering teeth
- Abnormal chewing or drooling
- Dropping food from the mouth
- Reduced appetite or refusal to eat
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Swelling around the mouth
Learn more in our article: Caring for your pet’s dental health
Fear-Free veterinary care for your furkid
At Paws N’ Claws Veterinary Surgery, our services include preventative care, such as puppy vaccinations, heartworm prevention, and flea & tick prevention.
We also offer dental care to keep your furkid’s oral health in tiptop shape, hospitalisation care, microscopy and diagnostics, teleconsultation, in-house blood lab tests, routine consultation, surgeries, and more.
Have a question? WhatsApp our friendly staff at 8891 4417 (Upper Thomson) or 8809 0787 (Yishun clinic).
Alternatively, please fill in the form below to send us a query.
