National Pet Wellness Month

BANFIELD, THE PET HOSPITAL® ADVISES ABOUT PREVENTIVE PET HEALTHCARE DURING
NATIONAL PET WELLNESS MONTH IN OCTOBER
Banfield’s Pet Wellness and Preventive Healthcare Initiatives Maximize Pet Lives

Portland, Ore.—Friday, Sept. 26, 2008— October’s National Pet Wellness Month aims to educate Pet owners about the importance of preventive pet healthcare including: disease prevention, a healthy aging process, and the importance of twice-a-year wellness exams. Banfield, The Pet Hospital® understands the value of promoting Pet wellness. In fact, we designed our veterinary practice around it and lead the veterinary healthcare industry regarding preventive care. Our practice set the standard for the Pet healthcare industry by creating preventive Pet healthcare protocols such as twice yearly exams.

Our driving inspiration has always been to minimize disease and injury, improve Pets’ quality of life and help Pets enjoy healthy lives for as long as possible. Routine preventive healthcare can help detect, treat and ideally, prevent health problems before they pose a risk to Pets. Banfield recommends comprehensive physical exams twice yearly, keeping up-to-date with vaccinations, checking for breed-specific health issues, regular internal organ screenings, routine dental hygiene and evaluating a Pet’s nutritional needs. During each visit, our Banfield veterinary hospital team will ask you a variety of questions about your Pet’s behavior, lifestyle, travel history and other factors. Your veterinarian will then use this information to develop an individualized preventive healthcare program that’s right for your Pet.

The most important aspect of providing the highest quality of preventive veterinary care for Pets, according to Karen K. Faunt, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM (Small Animal), Vice President/Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Banfield, The Pet Hospital, is forming a personal, longstanding relationship with your veterinarian. “We partner with our clients regarding their individual Pet’s needs during each visit to our hospital. Our team members provide our clients with specific educational information and resources and on-going support to help their Pets stay healthy for life.”

Dr. Faunt would like to share the following tips with you to keep you and your Pet healthy.

Keep these preventive healthcare tips in mind to help your Pet live a long, healthy life:

Regular Veterinary Healthcare—Banfield recommends wellness examinations by a veterinarian at least twice per year.

Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans®—packages of veterinary services that include the preventive care Banfield recommends each year. By utilizing the services provided in the Wellness Plan, such as free office visits, vaccinations and discounts on other veterinary services, Pet owners can be sure they are doing everything possible to prevent diseases and catch problems early.

Nutrition and Exercise—It is important that Pet owners adjust their Pet’s diet and exercise routine throughout his/her life stages, according to the recommendations of a veterinarian.

Vaccinations—Pets should be vaccinated to protect them from contagious and potentially deadly diseases. Vaccines can lessen the severity of diseases and certain vaccines can prevent infection altogether.

Parasite Prevention—Use flea and tick treatments or medications as recommended by your veterinarian to control both internal and external Pet parasites and to prevent disease.

DataSavant, Banfield’s knowledge division, analyzes millions of Pet medical records stored in the practice database. According to evidence generated by DataSavant’s from 2006, the following purebred dogs are among the highest risk for periodontal disease: Toy Poodles, Pomeranians and Yorkshire Terriers. Some of the top breeds that are at greatest risk for atopic dermatitis (skin allergies) are: Jack Russell Terriers, Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus. Some of the top zoonotic diseases (those which can be transferred from Pets to Humans and vice versa) in cats are: Tapeworm infection, Roundworm infection and Ringworm infection. Some of the top zoonotic diseases in dogs are: Roundworm infection, Hookworm infection and Tapeworm infection.

“It’s especially important to be mindful of risks and health issues associated with particular breeds, since many of the issues are both common and treatable if caught early,” said Elizabeth Lund, DVM, MPH, Ph.D, senior director of research, Banfield, The Pet Hospital. “Veterinarians should also advise Pet owners of the risk for zoonotic disease and the simple prevention strategies to minimize that risk for the Family and Pets.”

If you would like more information or would like to speak with one of our spokesdoctors about Wellness and preventive healthcare or vaccinations, our practice communications team would be happy to assist you. Please contact our News Media Hot Line 888-355-0595 (no sales calls, please)