SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Maintaining pet health at every age and every stage
By Jamie Williams
Main Street Vet
Your BFF (best fur friend) relies on you
to help them stay healthy at every age and
every stage.
Puppies – Yes, you cannot wait to share
all this cuteness with the world, but wait!
Their immune systems aren’t ready for
dog parks, beaches, or exposure to dogs of
unknown vaccine status. Make sure your
pet care facility (including your veterinarian’s
office) requires full vaccinations. Your
fur-baby isn’t fully protected until about
2 weeks after their last round of vaccines,
so limit them to safe spaces and fully vaccinated
fur-friends in the meantime.
To give your puppy or kitten the best
protection from potentially life-threatening
diseases like parvovirus and leptospirosis,
ask your veterinarian about their
vaccination plans. Many, like Main Street
Vet, offer Puppy/Kitten Packages to help
your save money and stay on track.
Wellness – The two best ways to keep
your adult pet well and happy are annual
check-ups and weight management.
Your veterinary team will monitor your
pet’s medical progress at every regular
office visit. Checking their teeth, coat,
ears, eyes and weight may seem “routine,”
but by conducting a variety of screening
measures, your veterinary team is actually
catching health concerns early, when
they are most treatable. Your annual visit
also establishes a relationship with your
veterinarian that is the foundation for
trust and decision making should your pet
encounter an urgent medical situation of
any kind.
Daily walks or active playtime, along
with a sensible food plan (and no table
treats!) are typically all your adult pet
needs to maintain a healthy weight.
Overweight pets risk a shortened lifespan
by up to 2 years, and often suffer from
conditions like diabetes, urinary disorders,
tumors, heart disease, and orthopedic
disease. Just like us, being overweight
84 LAKE OCONEE LIVING | WINTER 2021
reduces their quality of life and increases
their need tor medicine, treatments, and
office visits.
By treating your best fur friend, and
yourself, to time outside - playing catch,
taking a walk in the neighborhood, even
going for a swim - and monitoring their
diet, you do your BFF a great service for
their overall wellness and long-term happiness.
Senior Pets – Like us humans, pets
need a little more attention as they age
into their golden years. Starting at about
6 years old, talk with your veterinarian
about senior wellness visits and what
screenings are appropriate for your BFF.
Main Street Vet offers a Senior Wellness
Plan to help keep you on schedule and
save money.
There is something so special about
every stage of your pet’s life. Cuddling up
to that puppy coat, the snuggly softness of
a new kitten, the daily routine of coming
home to your family’s most reliable source
of unconditional, tail-wagging love and
excitement, and locking eyes with the
companion who has been there with you
through the years.
Pets are our connection to the kind of
perfect love we are all called to practice. In
all ages and stages, take good care of them
and they will take care of you!
Dr. James Williams examines Max at
Main Street Vet in Madison.