Why prevention matters in animal health

We often notice the value of animal health only when it is under threat.

It happens when a pet falls ill, farmers lose livestock to disease, food prices rise following an outbreak, or an animal disease threatens communities and economies.

By then, the consequences of waiting can be difficult and costly to reverse.

Animal diseases affect families, disrupt livelihoods, threaten food security, strain public health systems, and cause economic losses. In an interconnected world, these risks can spread as quickly as people, animals, and goods move across borders.

This is why prevention matters. Prevention rarely makes headlines because its success is measured by outbreaks that never happen, diseases that never spread, and lives protected before they are put at risk. Yet it remains one of the most effective investments in animal and human health.

The question is no longer whether we can afford to invest in prevention. It is whether we can afford not to.

Protecting our pets start with prevention. For many Filipinos, pets are more than companions, but cherished members of the household. Keeping them healthy also helps safeguard our own health.

Rabies, leptospirosis, canine parvovirus, distemper, and parasitic infestations threaten dogs and cats across the Philippines. Many are preventable through vaccination, parasite control, and routine veterinary care.

Tick-borne blood parasite infections are common among pets in the Philippines. Treatment can cost around P5,000, while severe cases requiring hospitalization, blood transfusions, and intensive care can exceed P20,000. Early prevention can help reduce this financial and emotional burden.

Rabies offers a clear example of why prevention matters. The virus attacks the nervous system and, once symptoms develop, is almost always fatal. What may begin with a seemingly insignificant bite can progress to confusion, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, and eventually death.

Yet rabies is preventable. Immediate wound washing, prompt medical care and postexposure vaccination, alongside vaccinating pets, can prevent the disease from becoming life-threatening.

Despite this, the Philippines continues to lose around 300 to 400 people to rabies every year, with 98 percent of human rabies cases linked to rabid dog bites. Behind these figures are lives that could have been saved through responsible pet vaccination, timely medical care after exposure, and stronger community awareness.

Beyond borders: Protecting livestock protects livelihoods. Animal health includes the animals that feed our communities and support millions of Filipino livelihoods.

Transboundary animal diseases spread through animals, animal products, people, and contaminated materials. An outbreak in one area can quickly affect food production, livelihoods, and communities across the country.

The Philippines has seen this through African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza. The latest Philippine Statistics Authority report valued livestock production at P61.83 billion and poultry production at P79.84 billion. Healthy livestock are essential to farmers, food security, and the broader economy.

Since ASF was detected in the Philippines in 2019, the swine industry has suffered an estimated P50 billion in losses from reduced production, declining farm incomes, and supply chain disruptions. The 2017 bird flu outbreak also cost the Philippine economy as much as P79 billion.

These figures show why prevention costs less than responding to a crisis. Strong biosecurity, disease surveillance, responsible animal movement, vaccination when appropriate, and collaboration with veterinarians can help prevent outbreaks or contain them before they spread.

Healthy animals, stronger communities. When we protect animal health, we protect more than animals.

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Pets bring companionship to families, while healthy livestock support farmers and help keep food on our tables. Keeping animals healthy also helps protect the people who depend on them.

This is what we mean by One Health: the health of animals, people, and the environment is closely connected. Healthy animals are essential to public health and more resilient communities.

We cannot do this alone. Pet owners, farmers, veterinarians, government, industry, and communities all have a role to play in preventing disease before it spreads.

At Boehringer Ingelheim, we believe prevention should be at the heart of animal health. We are committed to advancing preventive practices that keep animals healthy, strengthen livelihoods, and help build more resilient communities.

Perhaps it is time to shift the way we think about animal health.

Instead of asking what we should do once disease appears, we should ask what we can do today to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Because when it comes to animal health, the greatest successes are often the crises that never occur.

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