Here’s why:
• Regular routine examinations and laboratory work can identify medical problems early that left undiagnosed can progress to more serious forms of the disease.
• More advanced disease is more difficult and costly to treat.
• Medications to prevent heartworm disease, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks can only be obtained through a primary care veterinarian. These products help to prevent serious diseases caused by these organisms.
• Primary care veterinarians can perform spay, neuter, other routine surgeries and dental procedures that cannot be performed in an urgent care and are much more costly in a referral specialty hospital.
• Complications associated with advanced disease can often be prevented with routine care.
• Without a primary care provider, a pet will need to have follow-up with the urgent care practice or 24-hour emergency facility – this can be more costly and time consuming.
• Pet’s without a primary care veterinarian will often need to seek more costly treatment with a 24-hour care facility for procedures and treatment that cannot be provided in the urgent care setting.