Over the past ten years Dr. David Ball has had many clients come through the doors of his practice at the Gulf Shore Animal Hospital in Naples. Since his patients can't speak for themselves he relies on their owners for help. But how much does the average pet owner really know about animals? Listed below are some common health and behavior misconceptions that people have about their pets.
1. Cats don't have to worry about getting heartworm.
Heartworm is one of the greatest risk to dogs and now veterinarians are finding to cats as well. "The saltwater mosquito is the one we are having so much trouble with." says Ball. "It is probably the number one carrier in Southwest Florida for heartworm disease."
Even if you think your pet won't get bitten because he hardly goes outside remember that mosquitos can find their way into your house. Ball suggests giving heartworm medication year round to both cats and dogs.
2. Neutering will make my dog slow down and not be as hyper.
"That never happens." says Ball. "Their focus changes but their still as hyper." A male dog is driven by his hormones. Once you fix him, although it can take several months for those hormones to leave the system, "the real dog can come out." jokes Ball.
3. Getting a yearly vaccination is the most important health requirement for my pet.
In the past this use to be true but today a yearly physical exam is more important. Ball says that the amount of animals with kidney or heart problems far surpass those that come down with any of the infectious diseases that we vaccinate for. Geratic animals (7 to 10 years old) should especially be examined yearly since things start to fail around this age. The sooner a problem is detected, the more that can be done about it. Especially since a lot of the treatments for terminal diseases require something to be done at the home level, such as a change in diet or activity, says Ball.
4. I only have to worry about fleas in the summer.
"Our worst season is in the winter." says Ball. "It's not in the summer at all." In fact, when the summer rains start, like they are right now, the flea population decreases dramatically.
5. There's no way you can live in Florida without having a flea problem.
"It is possible to have a pet here in Florida and never have a flea on them." says Ball. "You have to be diligent."
In the past flea control was frustrating. Most of the products out there really didn't do that great of a job. But within the past few years there have been major advances in flea control with the introduction of new products like Program, Frontline, and Advantage which are available through veterinarians. "Virtually within 3 months the fleas are gone." says Ball. "And not with a lot of effort like before."
6. I have to wait until my puppy is 4 months old before enrolling him in an obedience class.
Up until now most veterinarians have told owners to wait until their puppy is through with all it's shots, at sixteen weeks of age, before entering him into class. Now that's changed.
A young puppy is very impressionable and during "that 4 weeks time, between 12 and 16 weeks, (the puppy) is gathering a lot of information about what it can get away with and what it can't." says Ball. "Your really coming from behind if you wait until their 16 weeks of age" before enrolling them in a class.
7. If my puppy eliminates inside the house I should rub his face in it.
"The dog has no idea of why your doing that, even if it seems obvious to us." says Ball. Humans can make conclusions based on information but dogs can't. They only deal with what's happening in the present, not what's happened in past.
8. My dog is trying to "get even" with me.
Uncharacteristic behaviors such as eliminating on your bed or destructive chewing happen because your pet is frustrated that your not around. It's not that he's trying to "get even."
"We tend to think that our animals think like people." says Ball. But what we really should be doing is thinking like them in order to understand them better.
9. My pet gets bored with the same food, he needs variety.
It hasn't been proven that pets get bored with the same food but it has been shown that "the healthiest ones are on a premium diet and stay on that diet without the benefits of little dressings from the table or whatever else we bring back from the restaurants." says Ball.
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