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Making pet parenting easy
10 ways to keep your pet healthy
This entry was posted on 2021-02-22.
1- Know what’s normal
Every pet is unique and no one knows their pet better than you! Always pay attention to subtle changes such as increased drinking of water or food, abnormal bathroom habits or behavioural changes such as hiding. These may be your pet's way telling you something is wrong.
2- Wellness visits and preventative health
Preventative health starts from a young age, beginning with those first sets of vaccinations. These are followed by annual booster vaccinations. These consultations allow the vet to thoroughly check your pet and do screening tests if needed as pets get older. Catching disease early means earlier treatment and in most cases results in a better outcome for your pet.
3-Practice pet safety
The first step to pet safety is proper identification. This can easily be done with collars, identity tags, and a microchip. Microchipping is the most ideal method, as collars easily go missing (especially in cats). Keep toxic substances well out of reach of your pet, remember that this might include delicious human treats such as chocolate and coffee. There are many common toxic substances that pets like to consume and becoming familiar with these is always advisable!
4-Parasite prevention
Many commonly seen illnesses can easily be prevented by regular parasite control. This would include regular deworming to prevent things like diarrhoea. Applying (or dosing) tick and flea medications to prevent potentially life threatening tick borne diseases and flea infestations causing itchy and allergic skin disease. There are many very effective, safe and inexpensive (compared to the cost of treatment for the conditions they prevent) products of the market. Choose the ones that best suit your pet’s needs.
5-Nutrition
It is often said that you are what you eat, and the same applies to our beloved pets. Feed your pet the best quality diet you can afford, as this can lead to many years of health and wellness. Ensure that your pet is eating a nutritionally balanced diet that is correct for its age, breed and lifestyle. It is worth mentioning here that the minimal guidelines for pet foods are quite basic and for this reason choose a reputable brand of pet food so that you can trust the ingredients!
6-Exercise
It is no secret that exercise is crucial for physical and mental wellbeing. Regular walks are a great time to bond and relax together! For cats, exercise may be playing with a laser light or toy instead of a walk, but still lots of fun and a great way to be active while burning calories. Exercise is key in preventing obesity, one of the major preventable diseases seen in pets.
7-Socialisation
There is nothing better than a well balanced, calm and confident pet when out and about. Having a well socialised pet gives them these qualities and prevents fear when confronted by strange new people and other pets. This is important because fear can lead to unpredictable or unwanted aggressive behaviour. Pets should be socialised when young, usually from a few weeks till 18 weeks of age. But this does not mean that adult pets cannot be socialised! If taught correctly, they can always learn new tricks. And who better to help than dog trainers!
8-Tooth brushing and dental care
Regular tooth brushing and daily dental care really plays a vital role in your pets health. Ideally one should start from a young age, and with a little persistence and patience, it’s a relatively easy skill to include in your pet’s daily health routine and really will pay off in the long run. Any brushing is better than nothing! Dental chews, mouthwashes and other products are readily available to help ensure your pet has a healthy mouth and fresh breath. Your veterinarian will always check your pet’s teeth as part of its annual health check- another reason to book that annual visit.
9-Grooming
Daily grooming is an excellent way to spend quality time with your pet while also getting rid of any excess hair while keeping the coat glossy and clean. It also allows you to inspect your pet thoroughly on a daily basis. One can easily pick up any wounds, new lumps or bumps or anything else that may not be normal for your pet. Grooming also involves checking and sometimes trimming your pets’ nails, which is essential especially in our golden oldies. Remember to ask a professional for help if you are not comfortable or familiar with nail trimming.
10-Sterilising
Sterilising your pet is a personal choice but there are many benefits that one should be aware of. It obviously prevents unwanted pregnancies in female dogs and cats, which is a huge problem worldwide. It prevents males from wandering and getting lost or hurt in search of females that may be in season. In many cases, sterilising your pet can prevent cancer and other diseases associated with the reproductive system. It can also reduce unwanted aggressive behaviours.