July is almost over! So to wrap up our monthly theme of keeping warm over winter we thought we’d discuss health checks for your pets over the cooler months. In some of our previous posts we have talked about how the winter months are often harder for the body to cope with, as more energy is required to keep the body warm! This can mean that your pet is more prone to becoming unwell, or that any underlying issue that they were hiding comes to the surface. Given winter can be a tough time on the body if you are ever worried your pet is unwell please call the clinic on 3217 3533 to discuss with one of our friendly nurses! We hope everyone is keeping warm!
The cooler weather that comes with winter puts additional stressors on everyone’s bodies – including those of our pets! Some particular health issues that we see exacerbated with the cooler weather include:
- Arthritis: the cool weather can be hard on the joints, and often arthritis will worsen over winter. This sometimes calls for adjustments to medications or the environment to manage animals more effectively.
- Infections: any infection that is brewing can worsen over winter, as the body is working harder, and therefore opportunistic infections are more likely to take over!
Although the two above are seen commonly through winter, any health issue that your pet may have can worsen with additional stress on the body. It is a good idea with older animals that we see them for health checks every 6 months to ensure that they are coping year round. Feel free to call the clinic with any questions!
