In the old days , dogs were used to get rid of garbage so other vermin would not be attracted to our homes. But now dogs have safe , nutritious foods available. We see unintentional poisonings all the time. Be just as careful what your dog or cat has access to as you would your child. Dogs and cats get the same dental diseases that we do.
Cats even get more painful cavities that form at the roots of the teeth.
Most of the diseases we vaccinate for are airborne. Unless there are so many worms in the intestinal tract that there is little room left , the worms will stay attached to the intestinal lining and feed on the blood or food that is available there. When we run a stool analysis , we look under the microscope for the eggs of the different worms to identify them. We can catch an infestation much earlier therefore treating for them before the pet gets very ill. Most of the time this means that the dog has impacted anal sacs that need to be expressed or treated.