Animal Health SmartBrief Special Report: Small-Animal Wellness Exams, Part II

Animal Health SmartBrief Special Report: Small-Animal Wellness Exams, Part II Small animals, including cats and dogs, should visit their veterinarians at least yearly. Senior pets should have twice-yearly visits, and pets that have illnesses or conditions should visit veterinarians more regularly. Part I of this Animal Health Special Report, published Monday, discussed the importance of wellness exams, including dental care, for dogs of all ages, and also explained the needs of senior dogs. Part II, below, will highlight how veterinarians and cat owners can keep pets happy and healthy. If you don't receive Animal Health SmartBrief on a daily basis and find our report on Small-Animal Wellness Checks useful, sign up for this timely e-newsletter. Animal Health SmartBrief delivers the stories making news in your profession directly to your inbox -- for FREE. Our commitment to safety and innovation is unmatched. No other lepto vaccine is made with our exclusive, technically advanced subunit purification process to deliver a "smooth" injection. Click here to learn more and watch a short video illustrating this unique technology.   For Veterinarians  Veterinarian-client-patient interaction during wellness exams Veterinarians communicate differently during appointments for specific health problems, shifting from the more relaxed style exhibited during wellness visits, according to this study. There was twice as much verbal interaction with the pet in wellness visits, including social talk, laughter, reassurance and compliments toward the client and pet. Read more in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.    Resource: AAFP-AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines  The AAFP-AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines present information about optimal health care for cats throughout the life stages. This resource discusses wellness exams, including the topics of nutrition and weight management, behavior, vaccines and dental care.    Are your patients safe from lepto? To be safe, a lepto vaccine must deliver effective protection from all four of the serovars contained in Duramune® Max 5/4L, including today's most common lepto causes, grippotyphosa and pomona. A patient with incomplete lepto protection is a real-life safety concern. Click here to learn more.     For Pet Owners  What to expect at a wellness exam and more  This article explains what pet owners can expect from a wellness exam. Be prepared to give a complete history of your animal's health history, and this is the time to discuss unusual behavior you might have noticed. Read more atHealthyPet.com.  AVMA: Caring for your senior cat Dr. Gerard Beekman, a veterinarian with Coastal Cats Feline Health Care in Maine and co-author of the AAFP Senior Care Guidelines, discusses how best to care for an older cat in thisAVMA podcast.    Pet insurance grows in popularity amid health care costs Pet insurance is popular, however, according to one article, only one in 20 pets are covered by health insurance. Some plans include coverage for routine care, including annual checkups, vaccines, blood work and flea, tick and heartworm prevention. The Pocono Record (Stroudsburg, Pa.) (tiered subscription model) (1/4) , WRAL-TV (Raleigh, N.C.) (1/3)    More Resources  AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines.  2008 AAFP Senior Care Guidelines.    SmartStat  In 2006, owners took their dogs to veterinarians more than twice as often as cats. Source: AAFP-AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines.