In April Banfield Pet Hospital ® released a comprehensive pet health report comprised of medical data from 2.5 million dogs and nearly 500,000 cats. The State of Pet Health® 2016 Report, analyzes data from 3 million total pets cared for in 2015 in Banfield’s 925 hospitals spanning 43 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
This report was created to help educate pet owners and raise profession-wide awareness for some of the most common and important diagnoses affecting the health of pets in the United States.
Findings pertaining to Nevada:
Diabetes mellitus: Nevada is listed as one of the five states showing the greatest prevalence of diabetes in dogs in 2015. The report suggests that diabetes is rising in pets. Canine diabetes has increased by 79.9 percent since 2006, while the prevalence of diabetes in cats has increased by 18.1 percent over the same time frame. Modifications to the diet can play a major role in the treatment and management of this disease.
Heartworm disease: This is a very serious yet preventable condition affecting pets and can be fatal. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause permanent damage to the lungs and heart before a pet shows any symptoms. Nevada is the state with the lowest prevalence of heartworm disease.
Dental disease: One of the most common disorders among cats and dogs affecting 68 percent of cats and 76 percent of dogs under the age of three. It increases to 88 percent of cats and 93 percent of dogs over the age of three. Nevada was listed as one of the states with the greatest prevalence of dental disease in both cats and dogs.
Other diseases and categories discussed were Otitis externa (ear infection), fleas and ticks, and Internal parasites,
For more information about this interesting and informative study:
For the full State of Pet Health 2016 Report, please visit http://www.banfield.com/state-of-pet-health