Dr. Cynthia Maro: Follow these pillars of health to prevent illness in your pets

True preventive health care in humans and animals is superior to waiting until illness or disease occurs and then trying to cure it with medications and surgery. Those measures are often life-saving, but the old saying still applies, an ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure.

In my practice, I cite four pillars of health to pet parents who want their pets to enjoy a good quality of life:

• Excellent nutrition and supplements
• Healthy amounts of exercise and interaction
• Maintenance of spinal, joint and immune health through regular spinal manipulation/chiropractic care
• Judicious monitoring of health and preventive methods, including vaccines, and parasite preventive

Throughout my career as a veterinarian, I have found it beneficial to my patients when I pay attention to the quality of their diets, their spinal health and their emotional well-being. A veterinarian who takes a more holistic approach will address those items, and advise pet parents on the types and frequencies of vaccines necessary, specifically for their pet.

Excellent Nutrition

Excellent nutrition is becoming harder for all of us to obtain. Many factors affect the nutritional value of all foods, including soil microbes and minerals. Changes in those levels are impacting our entire food chain.

In addition, chemicals applied to crops, both before and after they are harvested, are impacting human and animal gastrointestinal health and our ability to absorb nutrients found in the foods.

The combination of lower nutritional value and poor absorption means that both pets and people benefit from organic, grass-fed and homegrown foods. But, even when processed dry kibble is eliminated from pets’ diets, supplements in the whole food ingredients must be fed.

When I perform nutritional analysis testing on my patients, I find 100% of the pets I test need more omega-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, microminerals (calcium and magnesium) and whole food vitamins.

The amounts of those items I recommend are based on the test results for each pet, but it’s important to note that even when pets eat foods that are considered complete and balanced, they need more nutrients than they can get out of the food.

Exercise and Interaction

A pet’s daily exercise and activity should take into consideration their breed and natural drive/motivation.

For example, a herding or retrieving breed will desire to do a lot of activity. Without lots of interaction and opportunities to run throughout the day, they will often become annoying to their owners. And like bored, intelligent children, they will become bored and either destructive to their environment or themselves.

When it comes to cats, the example I use is the Burmese breed. They are extremely affectionate and love lots of human interaction. I tell cat owners, if you are away from your home for long periods, be sure you get two Burmese cats. Without companionship, this breed becomes depressed and lonely. That may lead to overgrooming or chronic health problems.

Be certain to research types of pets and breed characteristics before deciding to become a pet parent. Once you commit to adopting a pet, find good outlets for their drive and motivation.

Animal Chiropractic Care

People often express two misconceptions about chiropractic care for both their pets and themselves:

1. Concerns over the need for ongoing care – if they get one adjustment, they’ll have to keep going.
2. If there isn’t an outward sign of pain, chiropractic care isn’t necessary.

My response to these concerns is that chiropractic care is about preventing arthritis and joint problems, in addition to supporting immune health and full musculoskeletal and nervous system function. And though chiropractic care can reduce pain, regular adjustments can prevent pain syndromes from starting.

I recommend that all pets be evaluated for chiropractic care from their first visit and receive adjustments when subluxations are detected by the veterinarian who has specific advanced training in animal adjusting.

Many of my patients who’ve received adjustments throughout their lives have no evidence of arthritis well into their teens.

Judicious Preventive Care Programs

There are many vaccines, flea and tick preventives, heartworm and internal parasite preventives for cats and dogs. My recommendations for all these wellness care products:

1. Discuss your pet’s lifestyle and risk of exposure, as well as risk of reactions, before consenting to vaccines.
2. Avoid giving more than one vaccine at a time.
3. Have regular wellness bloodwork performed before using medications – some pets react to medications and preventives when there are low-grade health problems.
4. Purchase flea and tick preventives directly from your veterinarian based on their recommendations.
5. If you suspect your pet is having a vaccine or drug reaction, notify your vet and report any possible adverse reactions to the drug manufacturer.

True wellness care is much more than an annual trip to the vet for a “shot.” You and your pet will benefit from improved quality of life by being attentive to the pillars of health.

Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you’d like to have addressed, email ellwoodvet@msn.com.