5 Pet Diseases That Wellness Care Can Prevent

Wellness care plays a vital role in preventing common and potentially severe health conditions and diseases. Discover how a consistent investment in your pet’s routine wellness—including annual exams, vaccines, blood work, and screening tests—can protect your dog or cat from five life-altering conditions.

1. Dental disease

Dental disease is one of the most common pet health conditions that can have serious consequences. Dental disease can lead to chronic pain, tooth decay and loss, and systemic infections that can affect your pet’s kidneys, liver, or heart. Yearly dental exams during your pet’s wellness visits can help identify early changes in your pet’s oral health. Routine cleanings under anesthesia allow your AAHA-accredited veterinarian to effectively remove accumulating plaque and tartar before significant damage is done. Regular at-home dental care (e.g., brushing your pet’s teeth, feeding a dental diet) and professional dental cleanings and X-rays ensure your pet’s teeth and gums stay healthy and reduce the risk of severe and progressive disease.

2. Obesity

Obesity in pets isn’t a matter of appearance—obesity is a disease that affects both their quality and length of life. Excess fat tissue releases inflammatory substances that cause inflammation throughout the body and can contribute to serious health problems, such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease. Regular wellness exams allow your veterinarian to evaluate your pet’s body condition and offer personalized nutrition, exercise, and weight loss recommendations. These measures can help your pet achieve and maintain a healthy weight at every life stage, promoting overall wellness, comfort, and vitality.

3. Viral and infectious diseases

Infectious diseases, such as rabies, parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia and leukemia in cats, can be life-threatening. However, they are largely preventable with vaccines. Routine vaccinations—including boosters—are essential for protecting your pet from many serious diseases. Your AAHA-accredited veterinarian will provide a vaccination schedule tailored to your pet’s age, lifestyle, and health status and review this protocol at each life stage. Keeping up with vaccinations ensures your pet is protected from common and dangerous diseases.

4. Parasitic diseases

Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and intestinal worms can cause a range of health problems, from skin irritation and digestive upset to dangerous diseases, such as heartworm disease, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fortunately, these parasites can be prevented with year-round flea, tick, and heartworm preventives. Additionally, routine screening tests, including heartworm and tick-borne disease testing and intestinal parasite screenings, will be part of your pet’s routine wellness visits.

5. Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition that affects the kidneys’ ability to filter waste products from the blood. Without regular wellness care that includes physical exams, blood work, and urinalysis, CKD can go undetected for years. Unfortunately, 75% of kidney function is lost by the time affected pets show visible illness signs. Routine veterinary care can detect CKD in its earliest stages, allowing for timely intervention and disease management. Although CKD can’t be cured, effective treatment with medication and diet can slow its progression, allowing pets with CKD to enjoy a greater quality of life for longer.

Wellness care: An investment in pet health

Routine wellness care is anything but routine. It’s a powerful and effective method for preventing many common diseases and ensuring your pet’s overall health and well-being. Invest in your pet’s wellness by committing to routine exams, vaccines, dental care, and preventive treatments by your AAHA-accredited veterinarian.