"But Dr. Jen... What Do You Do For Your Own Pets?"

As a veterinarian, I get asked this question by clients, friends, and family. And I am here for it, because in my opinion, preventing bad things is less expensive in the long run, better for my pet's health, and easier for me.

Meet Rosie. 42 pounds of adorableness. Let's be honest, she should probably be under 40. That's a work in progress.

Rosie is 6 years old. As a 6 month old, she chewed up something she shouldn't and had to have emergency surgery at the local emergency vet to remove it. Since then, fairly smooth sailing.

She's very active and loves to chase balls and frisbees, which means she strains joints sometimes. When I notice her limping, I give her a few days of rest and Carprofen (a pain reliever specific for dogs) until she improves.

Every year, I make sure Rosie is up to date on her DAPP, Rabies (3 year), and Leptospirosis, which are considered core vaccines for dogs. I also vaccinate her for Bordatella and Canine Influenza -- although she doesn't go to groomers or dog parks, I work one day a week with the local shelter, and there are a lot of canine respiratory diseases that go around there, so I want to be sure she is protected in case I bring something home on my clothes.

Rosie gets an annual heartworm test. And, I have her on a monthly oral preventative for heartworms that also covers fleas (right now, NexGard Plus, because I need coverage for ticks too because sometimes we go camping or hiking in North Georgia).

I also pay monthly to have pet insurance for Rosie. After paying out of pocket for that emergency surgery for her at 6 months old, it seems like I ought to have a better plan. As active as she is, if she tore her CCL, insurance would help us be able to pay for it.

I maintain a relationship with a full service vet (the one who did her surgery) so that when she needs something more than I can provide her with my in-home practice, she has a place to be seen. Starting in a year or two I will start doing regular senior bloodwork for her there, looking for blood markers that help me track her kidney function.

Right now her teeth are great - I brush them about once a week, and really need to do it daily. Eventually, she will probably need a dental, which for dogs and cats requires anesthesia. I will take her to her full service vet for that.

With these basic preventative approaches, it is my hope we keep Rosie healthy and happy for many years to come!