(ARA) - Americans love pets - to the tune of 62 percent of all households with at least one pet in residence, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Statistics show that 72.9 million homes accommodate approximately 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats.
With so many four-legged friends among us, pet health is a concern from coast to coast. To help you protect your pet's health and well-being, Dr. George Banta, department chair of the Veterinary Technology program at Brown Mackie College - Akron, offers professional advice.
kAmQ|2?J @H?6CD 4@>>@?=J @G6C=@@< E96 H6:89E @7 E96:C A6ED[Q D2JD k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]3C@H?>24<:6]65F^2<C@?]2DAIQmq2?E2k^2m] QxE :D >F49 >@C6 4@>>@? 7@C 2 9@FD69@=5 A6E E@ 36 @G6CH6:89E E92? F?56CH6:89E]Q '6E6C:?2C:2?D ;F586 H6:89E 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? D4@C6] %9:D D42=6 2DD6DD6D 2? 2?:>2=VD 286[ H6:89E[ 96:89E 2?5 AC@A@CE:@?D @7 >FD4=6 2?5 72E] !6ED H:E9 =62? 3@5:6D 2EE2:? 2 >@C6 :562= 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? D4@C6] QxEVD ?@E D@ >F49 E96 ?F>36C @7 A@F?5D[ 3FE 9@H 6249 2?:>2= 42CC:6D E96 H6:89E[Q D2JD sC] q2?E2] Qx7 E96 2?:>2= =@@<D =:<6 :E DH2==@H65 2 H2E6C>6=@?[ E92EVD 2? :DDF6] ~? @E96C 92?5[ :7 =@@<D =:<6 92D?VE 62E6? :? EH@ H66<D[ E92EVD 2=D@ 2? :DDF6]Qk^Am
kAmp DEF5J 4@?5F4E65 3J D4:6?E:DED 2E E96 !FC:?2 !6E }FEC:E:@? #6D62C49 s6A2CE>6?E 2?5 DA64:2=:DED 7C@> F?:G6CD:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D D9@HD E92E =62?6C A6ED =:G6 23@FE EH@ J62CD =@?86C E92? @G6CH6:89E A6ED] %96D6 6J6\@A6?:?8 C6DF=ED AC@>AE >2?J A6@A=6 E@ E2<6 2 D64@?5 =@@< 2E E96 7@@5 E96J AC@G:56 7@C E96:C A6ED] Qx D66 A6E 7@@5 :? 7@FC 42E68@C:6Di 8C62E[ 8@@5[ x 5@?VE <?@H 2?5 ?@E 7@C 2 5625 2?:>2=[Q q2?E2 D2JD] Qx =:<6 w:== $4:6?46 s:6E[ tF<2?F32[ x2>D[ 2?5 #@J2= r2?:?] x H@F=5 2C8F6 3:8 ?2>6 3C2?5D =:<6 !FC:?2 2C6 7:?6] tG6? H:E9 BF2=:EJ 7@@5[ 8@@5 H6:89E >2?286>6?E DE:== 56A6?5D @? E96 2>@F?E @7 7@@5 J@FC A6E 62ED]Qk^Am
kAmq2?E2 C64@>>6?5D 7665:?8 A6ED EH@ D>2== >62=D 2 52J C2E96C E92? @?6 =2C86 >62=] $@>6 @H?6CD 7:== E96 3@H= 2?5 =6E E96 A6E D6=7\7665[ @C 8C2K6] Q$@>6 2?:>2=D H:== 62E E96 4@CC64E 2>@F?E[Q ?@E6D q2?E2] Q~E96CD H:== <66A 62E:?8 H96? 7@@5 :D 2=H2JD 2G2:=23=6] x7 2 A6E :D @G6CH6:89E[ :E :D 36DE E@ @G6CD66 E96 A@CE:@?D @7 6249 >62=]Qk^Am
kAm(92E 23@FE EC62EDn |2?J @7 FD @776C 2 EC62E 2D A@D:E:G6 C6:?7@C46>6?E :? EC2:?:?8 @C 9@FD63C62<:?8 @FC A6ED] q2?E2 25G:D6D 8:G:?8 2 <:33=6 @7 7@@5 :?DE625 @7 2 A6E 4@@<:6] (96? :E 4@>6D E@ E23=6 D4C2AD[ q2?E2 D2JD[ Qp=>@DE ?6G6C] %23=6 D4C2AD 42? FAD6E 2 A6EVD DE@>249 2?5 42FD6 5:2CC962] x? 255:E:@?[ >2?J 7@@5D 2C6 E@I:4 E@ A6ED] v2C=:4[ @?:@?D[ 8C2A6D[ C2:D:?D 2?5 49@4@=2E6 42? 36 5625=J E@I:4]Q %23=6 D4C2AD H:E9 9:89 72E 4@?E6?E[ DF49 2D C@2DE EC:>>:?8D @C 2 92> 3@?6[ 42? 42FD6 G@>:E:?8 2?5 5:2CC962] Q%96C6 :D 2DD@4:2E:@? H:E9 DF556? 9:89 72E 4@?E6?E 2?5 A2?4C62E:E:D[ 2? :?7=2>>2E:@? @7 E96 A2?4C62D H9:49 42? =625 E@ =:76\E9C62E6?:?8 4@>A=:42E:@?D[Q 96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmtI6C4:D6 8@6D 92?5 :? 92?5 H:E9 2 8@@5 5:6E] QtI6C4:D6 96=AD DEC6?8E96? E96 3@5J 2?5 :D 8@@5 7@C E96:C >:?5D[Q q2?E2 D2JD] $:>:=2C E@ 49:=5C6?[ :E :D 36DE E@ 8:G6 J@FC A6E E:>6 E@ 5:86DE 27E6C 62E:?8 367@C6 E@DD:?8 9:D 72G@C:E6 32== 2C@F?5] Q~=56C 5@8D 2?5 42ED 92G6 2 E6?56?4J E@ 56G6=@A 2CE9C:E:D] {2C86 5@8D[ DF49 2D v6C>2? D96A96C5D[ =23C25@CD 2?5 8@=56? C6EC:6G6CD[ 2C6 AC@?6 E@ 9:A 5JDA=2D:2] z66A:?8 E96> =62? 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 C68F=2C 6I6C4:D6 42? >2<6 A6ED @7 2?J D:K6 >@C6 4@>7@CE23=6 2D E96J 286[Q 96 4@?E:?F6D]k^Am
kAmq2?E2 C64@>>6?5D C68F=2C 4964<\FAD 7@C A6ED 2?5 2??F2= G244:?6D] QxE :D 62D:6C E@ <66A 2 A6E 962=E9J 2?5 AC6G6?E 5:D62D6 E92? :E :D E@ 5:28?@D6 2?5 EC62E 2? :==?6DD[Q 96 D2JD] #68F=2C G:D:ED E@ E96 G6E6C:?2C:2? AC@G:56 E96 5@4E@C H:E9 32D6=:?6 3=@@5 H@C< 7@C J@FC A6E[ >2<:?8 :E 62D:6C E@ 5:28?@D6 2?J AC@3=6>D E92E >2J 56G6=@A] u@C @=56C A6ED[ 96 25G:D6D EH@ 6I2>D 2 J62C] Q%9:?8D 42? 92AA6? BF:4<=J] %96 62C=:6C 2 AC@3=6> :D 56E64E65[ E96 D@@?6C EC62E>6?E 42? 368:?] xEVD 2== 23@FE BF2=:EJ @7 =:76]Qk^Am
kAm~?6 :>A@CE2?E A6E D276EJ AC642FE:@? E@ <66A :? >:?5 :?G@=G6D 9@FD69@=5 A@:D@?D] p?E:7C66K6 2?5 C2E A@:D@? 2C6 EH@ @7 E96 >@DE 4@>>@? A@:D@?D C68F=2C=J 7@F?5 :? 9@>6D] QxE 5@6D?VE E2<6 >F49 E:>6 7@C 2?E:7C66K6 E@ 364@>6 =6E92=[Q q2?E2 D2JD] Q~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ >2?J C2E A@:D@?D 42? 36 G6CJ :?D:5:@FD[ E2<:?8 2D >F49 2D 2 H66< 27E6C 6IA@DFC6 E@ D9@H 4=:?:42= D:8?D] |@DE 2?:>2= A@:D@?:?8 42? 36 EC62E65 :7 42F89E 62C=J]Q %96 p>6C:42? $@4:6EJ 7@C E96 !C6G6?E:@? @7 rCF6=EJ E@ p?:>2=D Wp$!rpX @776CD 2? k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2DA42]@C8^A6E\42C6^A@:D@?\4@?EC@=^H92E\E@\5@\:7\J@FC\A6E\:D\A@:D@?65]2DAIQm2?:>2= A@:D@? 4@?EC@= 9@E=:?6k^2m 7@C A6E @H?6CDi WgggX cae\ccbd] %96C6 :D 2 766 E@ A=246 E96 42==] x? C6EFC?[ J@F 86E F?=:>:E65 4@?DF=E2E:@?D H:E9 6>6C86?4J G6E6C:?2C:2?D[ H9@ 2C6 @? 42== ac 9@FCD 2 52J[ bed 52JD 2 J62C]k^Am
kAmpD< 2?J A6E @H?6C 23@FE E96 36?67:ED @7 92G:?8 2 5@8 @C 42E] |2?J 56D4C:36 E96:C A6E 2D A2CE @7 E96 72>:=J] QtG6CJ 4=:6?E E6==D >6 E96:C A6E :D E96 36DE A6E @? E96 A=2?6E[Q D2JD q2?E2] Q%92EVD 9@H :E D9@F=5 36]Qk^Am
