Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Free health checks for cats and dogs - what we found
By Diez, M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2015·Department of Animal Production (DPA)·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Health screening to identify opportunities to improve preventive medicine in cats and dogs.
Plain-English summary
A recent health screening campaign found that many cats and dogs are not receiving important preventive care. Out of over 5,000 pets checked, 34% of dogs and 36% of cats were overweight or obese, and many pets were also found to have dental issues. Alarmingly, 67% of cats had not received flea control, and 59% were not vaccinated. This highlights the need for pet owners to prioritize regular veterinary visits to catch health problems early and improve their pets' overall well-being.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the results of a prevention campaign in terms of participation and pet health status and to identify opportunities to improve preventive medicine in cats and dogs. METHODS: An awareness campaign was designed to highlight the role of veterinarians and emphasise the benefits of a veterinary visit. Owners were invited to make an appointment for a free pet health check in a voluntarily participating veterinary clinic. Observations recorded by the veterinarians were entered in a database and subsequently analysed using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 5305 completed health check forms were analysed. The percentages of overweight and obese dogs and cats were 34 and 36%, respectively; this was the most common finding, followed by dental calculus (31% in dogs, 21% in cats). In total 67% of cats did not undergo flea control and 59% were not vaccinated. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Opportunities for increased quality of care are numerous given the high percentage of intact, unvaccinated or non-permanently identified pets and the low level of worm and flea control. Animal health should benefit from preventive measures, and improved management can be undertaken after early detection of diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25958785/