Risk to pet health as half of owners skip vet visits

Half of all pet parents don’t visit the vet regularly for checkups or vaccinations, and over a third of pet parents only visit the vet when their pet is showing signs of visible injuries or illness.

This is according to a research report released by Hill’s Pet Nutrition South Africa.

Dr Barry Dallas, from Hill’s, says this is not for lack of love for our pets, but rather busy lives that leads to vet visits often falling by the wayside.

Dallas adds that these statistics are alarming as pets can be masters of disguise when it comes to hiding pain or illness.

“They rely solely on us to look after them and apart from providing good, nutritious food, affection, an enriching living environment, regular exercise and a safe and warm place to live, annual vet checkups should be a priority.

“As humans we don’t wait for something to go wrong before we take ourselves or family to the doctor; we go for regular checkups, cholesterol tests, etc. So why wait until something is seriously wrong before taking your pet to the vet?” asks Dr. Dallas.

Picture: iStock

“Prevention is better than cure and it’s much less stressful taking your dog or cat for a yearly checkup than them having to go through scary treatments that will ultimately require a lot more vet visits and may be costly.”

Why then are so many South African pet parents missing their regular vet checkups? We live in a time when information is at our fingertips; literally at the click of a button you can find a diagnosis for a symptom.

The same way you’d approach Google to diagnose your own symptoms, pet parents are following suit when it comes to their pets.

“There is a lot of misinformation on the internet and looking at your pet’s symptoms in isolation can be dangerous. The experience of a veterinarian allows for a holistic and comprehensive approach that can never be replaced,” says Dallas.

While it’s positive to note that just over 50%  of the respondents believe their pet’s vaccinations are important and are diligent about having them done annually, 27% don’t get them done on a yearly basis and 20% haven’t had their pets vaccinated since they were puppies or kittens.

This winter, Hill’s is encouraging pet parents to take their dogs and cats to the vet for a checkup.

Go to Visit the Vet and find out how to save up to R950.

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