By Michael Banawa
WE OFTEN NOTICE the value of animal health only when it is under threat.
It happens when a pet falls ill, when farmers begin losing livestock to disease, when food prices rise following an outbreak, or when a disease affecting animals finds its way into headlines because it has become a threat to communities and economies.
By then, however, the consequences of waiting can be difficult and costly to reverse.
Animal diseases do not exist in isolation. They affect families, disrupt livelihoods, threaten food security, strain public health systems, and create economic losses that can take years to recover from. In an increasingly interconnected world, where people, animals, and goods move across borders faster than ever before, the risks can spread just as quickly.
This is why prevention matters.
Prevention is often less visible than treatment. It rarely makes headlines because its success is measured by outbreaks that never happen, diseases that never spread, and lives that are protected before they are put at risk. Yet prevention remains one of the most effective investments we can make in protecting both 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 companion, but cherished members of the household. Keeping them healthy also helps safeguard our own health.
Diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, canine parvovirus, distemper, and parasitic infestation continue to threaten the wellbeing of dogs and cats across the Philippines. Many of these diseases are preventable through vaccination, parasite control, and routine veterinary care.
Tick-borne blood parasite infections, for example, are among the most common diseases seen by veterinarians in the Philippines.1,2 Treatment can cost pet owners around P5,000, while severe cases requiring hospitalization, blood transfusions, and intensive care can exceed P20,000 — a financial and emotional burden that early prevention can help reduce.3,4,5,6,7
Rabies offers perhaps the clearest example of why prevention matters. A bite from an infected dog may appear insignificant at first. Yet rabies attacks the nervous system and, once symptoms develop, is almost always fatal. It may begin with flu-like symptoms before progressing to aggression, seizures, or paralysis. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal, and survivors often suffer severe brain damage.8,9
The good news is that it is also one of the most preventable diseases. Immediate wound washing, timely post-exposure vaccination, and vaccinating pets against rabies can stop the disease before it becomes life-threatening.
Yet the Philippines continues to lose around 300 to 400 Filipinos every year to rabies10, and 98% of human rabies cases are caused by rabid dog bites.11 Every one of those deaths represents a missed opportunity for responsible pet vaccination, prompt medical care after exposure, and stronger community awareness.
BEYOND BORDERS: PROTECTING LIVESTOCK PROTECTS LIVELIHOODS
The conversation around animal health does not end with our pets. It also includes the animals that feed our communities and support millions of Filipino livelihoods.
Some diseases do not stop at one farm, one province, or even one country. Transboundary animal diseases spread through the movement of animals, animal products, people, and contaminated materials.12 In today’s interconnected world, 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 (AI). Livestock and poultry remain vital to the country’s food system and rural economy, with livestock production valued at P61.83 billion and poultry production at P79.84 billion in the latest Philippine Statistics Authority report.13 Healthy livestock are essential not only for farmers, but also for food security and the broader economy.
Since ASF was first detected in the Philippines in 2019, the swine industry has suffered around P50 billion in estimated losses from reduced production, declining farm incomes, and supply chain disruptions.14 Bird flu has also come at a steep cost, with the 2017 outbreak alone costing the Philippine economy as much as P79 billion.15
These figures illustrate an important reality: prevention is often far less expensive than responding to a crisis after it has already taken hold.
Strong biosecurity measures, effective disease surveillance, responsible animal movement, vaccination when appropriate, and close collaboration with veterinarians remain among the most powerful tools available to prevent outbreaks or contain them before they spread.
HEALTHY ANIMALS, STRONGER COMMUNITIES
When we protect animal health, we protect more than animals.
Pets provide companionship and become part of our families. Healthy livestock support farmers’ livelihoods and help keep food on our tables. Keeping animals healthy also helps protect the people that depend on them.
This is what we mean when we talk about 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.
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.
1 Galay, R.L., Manalo, A.A.L., Dolores, S.L.D. et al. Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in canine population and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) ticks from southern Metro Manila and Laguna, Philippines. Parasites Vectors 11, 643 (2018). https://tinyurl.com/28ywpk6f. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
2 Ybañez, R. H. D., Ybañez, A. P., Arnado, L. L. A., Belarmino, L. M. P., Malingin, K. G. F., Cabilete, P. B. C., Amores, Z. R. O., Talle, M. G., Liu, M., & Xuan, X. (2018). Detection of Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Babesia spp. in dogs of Cebu, Philippines. Veterinary World, 11(1), 14–19. https://tinyurl.com/28lh46pq. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
3 Pendragon Vet. What we offer. https://tinyurl.com/2y6b75yc. Accessed Sept. 2, 2026.
4 Pet Express. Veterinary Clinic Services. https://www.petexpress.com.ph/pages/services. Accessed Sept. 2, 2026.
5 Roman, N. Ehrlichiosis and Related Infections in Dogs. https://tinyurl.com/y5hkvvwm. Merck Manual. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
6 Kasondra, A., Gupta, S., Bhai, G., & Saini, V. Therapeutic management of canine ehrlichiosis with aid of blood transfusion: a case report. 10.1007/s12639-016-0813-2. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
7 MSD Manual. Ehrlichiosis in Dogs. https://tinyurl.com/27m7mgo9. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
8 CDC. About Rabies. https://tinyurl.com/29qqshpy. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
9 MSD Manual. Rabies. https://tinyurl.com/23wqzxtv. Accessed Sept. 17, 2026.
10 Philippine News Agency. “PH records 400 annual rabies deaths, 4M animal bite cases.” https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1270326. Accessed Sept. 4, 2026.
11 Philippine News Agency. “Public warned vs. rabies as PH observes Rabies Awareness Month.” https://tinyurl.com/232gj3nh. Accessed Sept. 4, 2026.
12 PubMed Central. Transboundary Animal Diseases, an Overview of 17 Diseases with Potential for Global Spread and Serious Consequences. https://tinyurl.com/26fqjr86. Accessed Sept. 4, 2026.
13 Philippine Statistics Authority. Value of Production in Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Posts 2.9% Growth in the Second Quarter of 2026 (at Constant 2018 Prices). https://tinyurl.com/262rljfh. Accessed Sept. 7, 2026.
14 PubMed Central. African Swine Fever in the Philippines: A Review on Surveillance, Prevention, and Control Strategies. https://tinyurl.com/2co3sez8. Accessed Sept. 7, 2026.
15 The Philippine Star. “Bird flu outbreak cost economy P79 billion in 2017.” https://tinyurl.com/24nq9kbz. Accessed Sept. 7, 2026.
Dr. Michael Banawa is the head of Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Philippines, Inc.