Pet Health Checklist Provides Preventive Guidelines For Owners (NAPSA)—According to a recent survey, dog and cat owners ranked “maintaining their pets’ health” as the biggest challenge of owning a pet today. But it doesn’t haveto be, particularly if pet owners apply a promising trend in humanhealth to their pets: preventive health care. The Purina Pet Institute has created a health checklist entitled “Caring for Your Dog/Cat at Any Age: The Purina Pet Institute’s Health & Wellness Checklist” to help pet owners better understand the positive impact preventive care can have on their pets’ health. This quick-and-easy reference tool is available in both dog and cat versions and is organized by age—with individual sections for puppies or kittens, adults and senior pets. The free checklist focuses on two of the most powerful elements of preventive health care for pets: 1) regular veterinary exams and 2) routine wellness check-ups at home. “Just as in human health, genetics plays a significant role in a pet’s health and life span. But genetics is only part of the picture,” says Aine McCarthy, DVM, executive director of the Purina Pet Institute. “Pet owners who invest in a lifelong preventive wellness program for their pet give them a powerful defense against serious problems that have the potential to shorten their healthy years.” Routine Veterinary Care Imagine aging 15 years in just one year, or entering your “senior years” when you’re only seven years old. Because cats and dogs age at a more accelerated rate than we do, they experience an extraordinary amount of change in a very short period of time. The dog and cat checklists are organized by age of the pet to help pet owners keep up with these changes and provide care appro- Home wellness check-ups should be a regular part of your pet’s overall health regimen. priate for eachlife stage. When should you spay or neuter your cat? What are the most important vaccinations your pet should have and when should he receive them? When should a puppy begin training classes? These are some of the questions addressed in the veterinary guidelines portion of the checklist. Other information in the veterinary section includes: Descriptionsof each life stage; The difference between core and non-core vaccinations; Recommendedlifelong vaccination schedule for kittens/puppies, adults and seniorpets; How often your pet should visit the veterinarian and tests to expect at each visit; Suggested questions for your veterinarian; * Guidelines on pet-proofing your homefor safety; Suggestions for monitoring your pet’s weight; Advice on cleaning your pet’s teeth; Tips on grooming. Regular Health Check-Ups at Home Forming a good relationship with your veterinarian and providing regular veterinary care are crucial elements of a pet wellness program but they are only the beginning. Routine wellness check-ups at homeare also important. Home check-ups supplement a pet’s regular veterinary care and give pet owners a better chance of discovering a problem before it escalates into something more serious. The portion of the checklist devoted to at-home health includes easy-to-remember acronymsto help dog and cat owners identify what to look for when giving their pet a check-up at home: C.A.N.I.N.E. H.E.A.L.T.H. for dogs, which stands for Coat, Activity, Nose, Instinct, Nutrition, Ears, Habits, Eyes, Attitude, Lumps, Teeth and Healthy Hug (a Rib Check to assess a dog’s weight and body condition). C.A.T. S.C.A.N. for cats, which stands for: Coat and body, Activity, Teeth, Senses, Changes, Attitude and Nutrition. Weekly home health check-ups are recommended for puppies, kittens and senior pets, while once a month is sufficient for adult pets. Because regular grooming of pets has important health benefits, one of the best ways to perform an at-home check-up is to make it part of a regular groomingsession. To order the free, printed checklist while supplies last, send your nameand addressto: Caring for Your Dog at Any Age OR Caring for Your Cat at Any Age (please designate dog or cat), Nestl Purina PetCare Company, Suite MPR, 2M, Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, MO 63164. In addition to the free checklist, pet owners can find information online at www.purina.com in the Purina Pet Institute section of the Web site. The online version offers additional information on pet care basics such as pet selection, supplies, homesafety, behavior and training, nutrition, obesity prevention and grooming.
