Today, most pet owners truly care for their pets. They notice when something is wrong. They worry. They look for help. They do their best in the moment. This is reactive care. It starts when problem becomes visible, when behaviour changes suddenly, when pain can no longer be hidden. It is not wrong. It is necessary. Sometimes it is lifesaving. But it is not where the story has to begin. Preventive care begins much earlier. With knowing what is normal for your pet. With knowin

There is a moment in veterinary practice that stays with you. When an owner quietly says: “I didn’t know.” Not loudly or defensively. Often with tears in their eyes. Sometimes in silence. These words are never about indifference. They come from shock. From pain. From the sudden understanding that something important was missed. And almost always, they are followed by the same thought: “If I had known earlier…” As veterinarians, we hear this more often than people imagine. Bec

One of the most important questions pet owners can ask is also one of the simplest: Is this normal? In practice, I see this question coming up again and again, yet often later than it should. Not because owners are careless, but because “normal” is rarely understood clearly. Many changes happen slowly. A pet eats a little less. Sleeps a little more. Moves a little differently. Behaves just slightly not the same. And because these changes are gradual, they often become the new

Loving a pet feels like the most important thing. And in many ways - it is. Love is what makes us choose better food, worry when something feels off and look for help when we don’t understand what’s happening. But love alone doesn’t always protect. Love, without understanding, often turns into fear. Many owners love their pets deeply, yet still miss early signs, delay decisions, or act too late. Not out of negligence, but because these signs are rarely obvious until a probl

As a veterinarian, I don’t look only at my patients. I also look at their owners, who love their pets so much. And what I see most often in their eyes is worry. They are overwhelmed. Conflicting advice. Endless online opinions. And very little time during vet visits to ask all the questions that truly matter. As well as very little to no time to answer them in a way that makes the worries fade away. But where is this worry coming from, and what can we do about it? Is it helpf