Regular exams are vital
Your pet can have heart disease, arthritis, or toothache just like you. Your veterinarian should be consulted every year to detect and prevent these problems.
Regular examinations are essential to ensure your pet’s health. Regular vet visits should cover nutrition and weight control as well as recommended vaccinations, parasite prevention, and health screenings.
Spay and Neuter your Pets
Every year, shelters in the United States house between 8 million and 10 million pets. Some pets are lost, abandoned or homeless.
Spaying and neutering your pets is a simple way to reduce that number. This procedure can be done as early as six to eight week old.
Spaying and neutering not only reduces the number of unwanted pets, but also has many other benefits for your pet. Spaying and neutering is also proven to lower the risk of certain types of cancers, reduce the likelihood of your pet getting lost, and decrease the tendency to wander.
Prevent Parasites
Fleas are the most prevalent external parasite that can affect pets. They can cause skin irritation, hair loss, hot spots and infection. Other parasites can be introduced to your dog or cat by fleas. Tapeworms are the most common parasite in dogs and cats. All that is required is for your pet’s to swallow one flea.
Prevention is important all year. It is crucial to maintain a healthy immune system, including regular parasite and flea control.
Keep a healthy weight
Many cats and dogs are obese or overweight. Pet obesity is a serious health risk, just as in humans.
Douglas says that obesity is most often caused by overfeeding. He also adds that pets can live for many years if they are kept trim.
Pets require far fewer calories than we think. A small dog or cat that is inactive may need 185 to370 calories per day; a large cat might need 240 to 350 calories per day. Talk to your vet about feeding recommendations based on your pet’s age, weight and lifestyle.
