Are you on the lookout for the most overlooked pet health problems? These issues can have a major impact on your pet’s length and quality of life. Be sure to add them to your list of things to pay attention to.
1. Dental care
Roughly 80% of pets have some form of dental disease by the age of 3. If dental problems are not corrected, serious consequences can occur. The ligament around the tooth may loosen, leading to painful chewing and eventual loss of teeth. The bacteria surrounding the tooth can enter the bloodstream, traveling to the heart, kidneys, liver, and other major organs.
Taking your pet in for routine examinations and following your veterinarian’s recommendations for dental care can help you to combat this one.
2. Lumps and bumps
Get all new lumps or bumps that you notice on your pet checked out! A lump may be an infection, a reaction to something foreign in the body, or a form of neoplasia (cancer). Neoplastic growths can be benign (harmless) or malignant (aggressive). Many are not serious, but catching a “bad” growth early is important.
3. Weight
An estimated 54% of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese. Extra weight for pets has many of the same serious consequences that are seen in people. Pets who are overweight are at increased risk for osteoarthritis, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory disease, cranial cruciate ligament injury, kidney disease, and many kinds of cancer. Being overweight decreases a pet’s life expectancy by up to 2.5 years.
During routine wellness examinations your veterinarian will assess your pet’s weight and help you to formulate a weight loss plan should you need one.
4. Ear infections
An external ear infection, or “otitis externa,” is one of the most common problems your veterinarian sees. It can be allergic, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic in origin. Symptoms include shaking the head, scratching at the ear(s), having foul odor, abnormal discharge, redness of the ear, and/or holding the head or ear in an abnormal position of the head or ear. While ear infections are generally not life threatening, they are uncomfortable and should be seen by your vet immediately.
5. Water intake
Paying attention to your pet’s water intake may be one of the most important things that you do on a daily basis. Changes (increased or decreased water intake) can be a sign of many problems, including kidney disease, diabetes, high thyroid hormone, lower urinary problems like bladder infections, high calcium, liver disease, systemic infections, and Cushing’s syndrome, among others. Letting your veterinarian know about this symptom right away can help to pinpoint a serious problem.