It's getting warmer and we all want to be outside, including our pets and that's why spring is an important time for pet care. Dr. Taneeka Bautista, Director of Veterinary Quality at Banfield Pet Hospital - the nation's leading provider of preventive veterinary care, shares some pet care tips and tricks for the spring season. After being indoors for much of the winter, spring is a time when we emerge to soak up the sunshine with our pets. This of course presents a whole new set of things you need to be aware of, from seasonal allergies to communicable diseases, so it's always a good idea to take a beat and reevaluate your pet's health. At Banfield Pet Hospital, they are all about delivering top-notch preventive veterinary care and achieving the best outcomes for our beloved pets. The best way to keep our pets healthy is to prevent problems before they arise and one of the easiest and most affordable ways to do this is through a wellness plan. You can talk to your vet about options, like Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan. These customizable packages let you budget for routine care, including annual exams, bloodwork, vaccines, dental cleanings, and more, making pet care a breeze. With the sunny skies, everyone--including our pets--starts socializing and traveling more, which can sometimes lead to communicable diseases, especially for dogs. Regular checkups and keeping their vaccines up-to-date helps ensure your pets stay healthy and happy. Watch for and talk to your veterinarian about any changes in behavior, loss of appetite, coughs or other respiratory issues - all of which could be symptoms of an underlying issue. Another treatment you should make sure your pet is up to date on is flea, tick, and heartworm medication. While fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes can be a year-round problem, they start coming out more in the warmer weather. In fact, according to the American Heartworm Society, more than a million pets in the U.S. have heartworm, and cases are on the rise. The good news is, you can easily prevent these with topical, oral, or injectable treatments, keeping your pets safe and protected. Similar to humans, we see allergic skin disease emerge in spring leading to skin and dermatology issues; such as itchiness and ear problems. Stay vigilant and talk to your vet to keep your furry friends comfortable - you can even use telehealth apps like Banfield's Pet Chat for 24/7 pet health advice from a veterinary professional. It's a great time to check up on your pet's dental routine. Taking care of their teeth at home is super important for their overall health but annual professional cleanings should also be part of their holistic dental care. Another thing to consider is upping the activity to keep your pet's extra pounds in check. Many pets are less active in the cooler months or around the holidays. Regular physical activity is essential for keeping your pet healthy and happy. With over 1,000 locations across the country, Banfield makes sure you have access to your pet's medical records and high-quality care no matter where you are. Pet owners can learn more about Banfield's services at banfield.com .
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Dr. Tanika Bautista, Director of Veterinary Quality for Banfield Pet Hospital,
00:07and spring is a very important time to consider pet care for your pet. If your pet's been indoors
00:13for the winter time, they may be coming out and enjoying the sun, and they're getting exposed to
00:19things that they may not have been exposed to in the winter. That includes the environment,
00:23sometimes pets can develop an environmental allergy, and also communicable diseases that
00:29they may not have been exposed to. So when the pet is coming in the spring for their office visit with
00:35a veterinarian, they can have a tailored preventive care package and plan created for them that meets
00:41the needs and lifestyle of the pet, and makes it easier to decrease the chance of a preventable
00:47condition developing. So it's really important to keep pets healthy, and the best way to do that is
00:52to prevent concerns from arising in the first place. And the veterinarian can make a preventive care
00:59plan recommendation for pets. At Banfield Pet Hospital, we have an optimum wellness plan. That
01:06is a package of preventive care that is customized and tailored to meet the needs of your pet. And it
01:13also includes, for example, unlimited office visits, an annual dental cleaning, blood work, fecal
01:20examination, deworming, and flea tick and heartworm prevention can also be included as well. The reason
01:27that I mentioned flea tick and heartworm prevention is because pets can be exposed to even more
01:33parasites in the springtime. That includes fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. And unfortunately, these
01:39parasites can transmit other parasites and illnesses to pets. So by putting your pet on a preventive care, you're
01:48decreasing the chance of that occurring. Mosquitoes can transmit heartworms to pets and heartworms are a parasite
01:56that lives in the heart of dogs and cats. And unfortunately, it can cause heart disease and it can be a fatal
02:03condition for pets. And it looks like this. So by putting your pet on a preventive, that decreases the
02:09chance of them developing that condition. And then also vaccinations are really important too because pets can be
02:15exposed to the environment and there's viruses in the environment and also other animals that can carry
02:20viruses as well. So throughout the year, this preventive care is recommended. In addition, it is recommended
02:27that pets have an annual dental cleaning. And that can be a visit that's set up at that spring visit with
02:35the veterinarian. It is in addition to the home dental care that's recommended for pets. The reason that
02:42dental care is so important is it decreases the chance of periodontal disease and it allows for the
02:48veterinarian to have a floral exam. And then also weight management is really important to keep an eye
02:55on as well. So in the wintertime, pets are not as active, they're more sedentary, and they can put on
03:02some pounds. And so in the spring visit, veterinarian can take a look at the pet's weight and body condition
03:09and make the right recommendation for the pet. So all of these things are really important throughout the
03:14year and can be a really good reset in the spring visit with the veterinarian. So for more information,
03:21you can go to Banfield.com. There is information online about our optimum wellness plans and there
03:28is the ability to look into the right wellness plan for your pet. Also, you can see a lot of really great
03:34educational information and find the Banfield location that's nearest to you. We have over a thousand
03:40Banfields in the United States in 42 states and so you can make an appointment online at Banfield.com.