Bare minimum once a year but, more realistically, I think twice a year is probably a better schedule to fall into because it allows the dog ... they grow so rapidly and change so rapidly, much more so than us. Seeing an animal on a twice-yearly basis will definitely give you a better chance to pick up on conditions as they emerge, and not once they've been there for six or nine months or even a year.

I highly recommend having your dog spayed or neutered.

Dog preventative care is anything that we do medically speaking that prevents disease. So the most common things would be vaccinations, heartworm preventatives, and perhaps flea control. It involves products that we can give or administer that will prevent disease down the road.

There are different thoughts on that, and, honestly, it's whatever is easier for you to feed and what the cat's preference is. Some cats never touch canned food, while other cats like it. It's a matter of what you want to feed them and what they do best with as far as if they have any vomiting, diarrhea, or other issues with certain types of foods. With dental tartar, some cats do well with any kind of food. It's a matter of personal preference. The biggest thing is making sure that you are feeding a high-quality diet.

Feeding a commercial cat food diet is going to be the best way to ensure a balanced diet. Home-cooked diets don't always have all the essential nutrients that cats need, such as taurine, which they don't make on their own. Feeding a commercial cat food that's made by a reputable company and providing food for the appropriate life stage are the best ways to assure your cat is getting a balanced diet.

If you’re feeding them high-quality food, you don't need to give them any supplements. The manufacturers make the foods to contain all the nutrients and everything that they do need. Sometimes, however, they might need a fatty acid supplement or omega fatty acids with certain medical conditions, but that's more for allergy problems. Otherwise, you shouldn't need to supplement your cat’s diet with anything other than their food.