Fido Barks: Celebrate National Pet Week

Pet owners love to show their pets affection by showering them with toys, fancy collars and even clothes. Admit it. You have some sweaters for your dog or cat hidden in the closet. Don’t even bother denying it. A recent survey indicated dog and cat owners spent $5 billion on gifts for their dogs and cats during the 2012 holiday season alone!

So during National Pet Week May 5–11, 2013 the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) created this year’s theme, “Love Your Pet, See Your Vet,” to remind you that regular veterinary medical checkups can detect disease early and keep your pet healthy and happy for many years to come. Think about it. When was the last time you took your vet for his annual check up (or yourself for that matter)?

Lucy, my Boston Terrier, goes for her annual check-ups, and I am so glad. Last time seemed perfectly fine, and then we discovered she had somehow contracted giardia and tape worm. Ugh. I guess that’s what happens when your dog spends lots of time in the woods, munching on grass and drinking from open water sources. I’d hate to think what would have happened if we hadn’t caught them as soon as we did.

“Regular veterinary visits are important because many times pets will hide symptoms of illness, so you need your veterinarian’s skill and expertise to keep your pets healthy,” says Dr. Douglas Aspros, president of the AVMA. “Providing pets with regular preventive care is the key to a healthy and long life for your pet, and it can save you hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars by preventing or identifying problems earlier, when they may be easier to treat and less expensive to solve.”

For more information about National Pet week, please visit http://www.petweek.org/. And for goodness sake, take your pet in to get checked out. We’re so glad we did!