Dr Liesel van der Merwe is a small animal medicine specialist. Send her your questions: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr Liesel van der Merwe

I thought it would be a good idea to make a checklist for pet management in 2024 – sort of new year’s resolutions, money permitting. But, if we plan ahead, we can often manage to squeeze the little bit extra out of that salary stone.

My own dogs need a dental, so that’s some outlay as I don’t have my own practice. I really do feel your financial pain. If we delay, however, problems do just get worse. So, a plan and a budget and investing in a medical aid or savings account are probably the way to go.

Number one: Make sure your dogs are sterilised if they are not breeding bitches or males. There are many factors for or against sterilisation; some are behavioural and some are medical, but older intact male dogs are very prone to prostatic disease and infections and bitches are prone to uterine infections.

Both these conditions can cause severe sepsis in the patient and in the case of the bitch, emergency surgery is usually required. It is saddening when we end up euthanizing these dogs due to the cost of surgery when a routine spay would have prevented the problem in the first place.

Number two: Young dogs have accidents and fights; older dogs get more chronic diseases. Medical aid packages are designed to cover a range of benefits; some only accidents and others are fully comprehensive. It may work out financially to spend money on a medical aid if you have only one or two pets. This is if you can afford a monthly amount, but cannot afford a large immediate amount required for emergency surgery, for example.

Number three: Evaluate your pet for chronic conditions, especially as they get older. We often don’t notice insidious changes over time. What you think of as ageing may be something which can be managed. In large breed dogs this is typically pain from arthritis in various areas: knees, hips, elbows and lower back being key. This can occur even in relatively young dogs.

Anti-inflammatories are readily available and safe for daily use. Additionally, newer pain control monthly injections are also available. Don’t let you animal live in pain. Make sure and have a vet check-up done and even a treatment trial to see if there is a difference in attitude and behaviour.

Number four: Obesity is a major problem in our pets – dogs and cats. Comfort eating is a problem in people and we are inclined to confuse feeding with love in our pets as well. If your dog doesn’t have a waist and if you cannot feel the ribs – it is obese.

You should be able to see a waist and see the outline of ribs or at least easily feel them if you run your hands along your dog. If you have to press down to feel the ribs, your dog is fat! Try for the best quality food you can afford. These will have fewer carbohydrates and better quality protein and you will generally feed less.

Don’t snack; spend the extra money on a premium diet. If you want to give treats, give very small treats. Break the beano bone in half. It’s the action of the treat, not the amount you feed, which is effective. Additional to this is exercise. Walking is good for you and your dog. For cats – I make them jump for their food unless they are old.

Number five: The dental. I am constantly amazed at how terrible some clients allow their dogs’ teeth to get. These are often lap dogs and the halitosis is so bad that you can smell the dog from several feet away. I cannot imagine how the owner manages with the dog sitting on the lap.

There definitely seems to be individual variations in which dogs develop gum disease. Only two of my dogs, and these are the younger two, have problems. If left unmanaged, the gum disease can start causing gum recession and this exposes part of the tooth root, which means that the animals are even more prone to plaque build-up.

Additionally, the oral infection causes discomfort and pain. The dog will be happier without any teeth rather than having a mouth full of loose teeth and infected gums. Obviously this problem will not be fixed forever; it is part of routine care. Ask the vet to remove any teeth affected by gum recession from the beginning. This will increase the interval between treatments.

Number six: Identification. Microchip your pets. It is not expensive and is a massive help when they get lost. Collars and tags can fall off. I suggest both – a collar and tag will enable someone to phone you immediately; the microchip is embedded and permanent. Your information on the company database must be accurate as well. Make sure you update any changes.

Number seven: Vaccination is especially important in young dogs and puppies and need to be given on the follow-up dates exactly – especially in the first two to three years. These are not suggestions; vaccines need to be boosted at specific times to allow them to last longer in the body and mount a better defence. Rabies vaccinations are also legal requirements.

Start thinking and planning around these issues so that you aren’t caught unawares and don’t allow a small problem to develop into a crisis.