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Here at East Sacramento Veterinary Center, we love spreading the word about the importance of preventive care. But we know that pet health issues can happen despite those annual wellness appointments. That’s part of preventive care, after all—it doesn’t just help your pet avoid health issues. It also helps us catch them early if your pet does develop them. So, what are the most common pet health problems to look out for? 

Here are 5 common conditions we see at our clinic.  

Few of us have the willpower not to overindulge during the holidays. There’s just so much to eat, particularly hard-to-resist foods that happen to be loaded with calories. Our pets know how much we love to eat because they watch our every move, especially if we’re poking around in the fridge. Just as they mirror our emotional states, pets tend to crave the same things that we do during the holidays. The best way to counter their hankerings is to offer tasty pet snacks that don’t add to their waistline.

The welcoming aromas of pecan-topped sweet potatoes, roasted turkey, and homemade pumpkin pie might attract more than people to your Thanksgiving table! When your pup or cat stares upward in anticipation, it’s easy to cave to their cuteness. But should you?

This holiday season, the team at East Sacramento Veterinary Center reminds all pet families of the importance of Thanksgiving pet safety. With a little pre-planning, your pets can enjoy their own safe and nutritious Thanksgiving dinner. 

The fact that there are many unknowns can make a cancer diagnosis much more challenging. Because each case is unique, it’s not always clear how cancer will affect a pet’s lifestyle and lifespan. There is definitely room for hope, but it’s important to move quickly toward an effective medical plan after the initial diagnosis. Cancer in pets can be treated (and even cured), and many animals maintain a high quality of life throughout the ordeal.

If your dog or cat spends any time outdoors, checking for ticks should be an important daily task that you practice. Ticks are dangerous and can pose a threat to humans and pets alike, causing thousands of tick-borne illnesses and infections every year. While ticks can be more active during the summer, some kinds of ticks are active year-round! 

Finding and removing ticks can be an unpleasant experience. Luckily, the team at East Sacramento Veterinary Center is here to help with these important tips you need to know about tick removal:  

Fleas are nasty little parasites that can bite and suck blood, which leads to itching and discomfort for your pet. They can cause diseases and can even bite humans! To keep their pets and loved ones safe and healthy, every pet owner should familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of a flea infestation. 

What can start out as excessive itching and scratching can turn into hair loss and major irritation for your dog or cat. The team at East Sacramento Veterinary Center has put together some ways to identify if fleas have made their home in your pet’s fur (or elsewhere in your household), and how to get rid of them. 

Many pets have a tendency to track flying objects with the intent to chomp on and swallow them. It may seem odd, and it’s definitely a little gross, but it is a fairly normal behavior in the animal world. Dogs and cats seem to enjoy snatching up flying insects. If you’ve been cautiously observing this behavior, and wondering why your pet eats bugs, we’ve got the scoop.

A normal part of your pet’s wellness exam involves looking at the condition of the teeth and gums. The presence of tartar, cracked teeth, or reddened gums can definitely lead us to suspect that bigger problems are at play. Because the damage caused by periodontal disease occurs below the gum line, however, a pet dental exam gives us greater access to understand the extent. 

Starting Early

Young animals lose their baby teeth when adult teeth grow in. A pet dental exam can be helpful to ascertain if the teeth are growing in normally. At this point, we can also help owners establish good practices at home. We can also look closely for any of the following:

Responsible pet owners know to keep up with their regularly scheduled pet wellness exams, but have you ever wondered why we want to see your pet yearly (or more often)?

Besides your pet’s yearly vaccinations (an important component of overall health), the pet wellness exam gives us a chance to establish a health baseline for your pet. Animals are genetically predisposed to hide signs of illness or injury until a condition is advanced, and an annual exam is the best way to catch and treat any problems early. Your pet’s wellness exams are tailored to your specific pet, and designed to support health and wellness through each phase of their lives.

At East Sacramento Veterinary Center, we pride ourselves on the incredible relationships we are building with our pet patients and their families. Although we strive to make our environment as relaxing and pet-friendly as possible, we understand that not every patient enjoys visiting us. In these cases, you may want to consider veterinary house calls.

Veterinary house calls allow your pet to receive exceptional care, with the old-fashioned feel and convenience of a home visit. Are veterinary house calls right for your pet?