Preventive medicine and wellness testing has proven to be of great benefit to people and pets.  Avoiding disease in the first place is obviously superior to trying to reverse the course of illness when it occurs.  Propernutrition, vaccination strategies, disease screening, and prophylactic care such as dental cleanings are all vital to ensuring good health and longevity.  Routine preventive care is key to a better quality of life overall.

Disease prevention starts at a very young age.  Puppies and kittens are very susceptible to contagious parasites and viruses.  They should be tested and treated for worms and protozoa that invade the intestinal tract.  Parasites can cause anemia and death in large numbers.  Many take weeks to incubate and begin shedding eggs in the stool, so several fecal analyses should be performed during the first 16 weeks of age.  Most of the intestinal parasites are not visible in the stool with the naked eye.