Preventative Health Care
Our primary prevention goal is all about protecting health and preventing the onset of disease. It involves taking action before there is any sign of disease or injury.
Examples include:
- vaccination to protect against the effects of a disease agent (virus or bacteria)
- good nutrition
- dental care
- neutering
- parasite control (eg fleas, ticks, heartworm)
- discussing potential risks to avoid (eg lilies for cats and grapes for dogs)
Early detection of developing diseases is another form of prevention (before symptoms appear). It involves screening tests and procedures to detect serious conditions as soon as possible so we can intervene to slow or stop progression and maybe even reverse the disease.
Examples include:
- regular general examinations
- pre- anesthetic blood testing of organ function prior to surgery or dental procedures
- pre-anesthetic chest x-rays in older patients to screen for heart or lung changes
- detailed discusions about the early signs of disease to should watch for, and what type of treatment to seek
Ongoing prevention is all about reducing the impact of an ongoing condition. This involve drug and non-drug management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, thyroid disease and arthritis.
Examples of non-drug management include:
- weight management plans for overweight patients with arthritis
- using the Freestyle Libre continuous blood glucose monitor with regular check-ins to fine tune diabetes management
- prescription diet recommendations that may improve symptoms of a chronic condition