Oct 01, 2019 | By, For Pet's Sake
Tips for keeping your pet well during National Pet Wellness Month and all year long
Pet owners know all too well that keeping their animals healthy is a full-time job. With the month of October designated as National Pet Wellness Month, there is an additional focus on that mission, but the idea behind the program is that keeping your pet healthy in all facets of its life should never stop.
Maintaining your pet’s physical fitness is paramount to keeping them healthy throughout their lives. Regular exercise keeps them in good shape, improves their mood, and keeps them focused during the activity. Exercise pairs well with a balanced and healthy diet too. Pets should receive the appropriate levels of nutrients each day, especially when they are young and growing. If your pet isn’t eating regularly, you can try mixing in new food or healthy human options, but it also might be time to visit the veterinarian to rule out more serious explanations.
It’s important to have annual exams with a trusted vet, and to keep track of any unusual behavior or sudden medical issues that need to be examined sooner. During your regular visits to the vet, make sure your pet is updated on all vaccinations, especially in their young stages when they are most vulnerable to major diseases.
General hygiene goes a long way in keeping your pet out of medical trouble. The range of things in this category is seemingly endless, but here are a few main ones:
- Applying flea medication
- Cleaning their teeth and keeping foreign objects out of their mouth
- Grooming their coats and nails
- Regular baths if they enjoy them
Health isn’t just physical. It’s also important to keep your pet mentally fit. There are multiple ways you can accomplish this.
- Teach them new tricks. Animals enjoy learning new things, and they will obviously enjoy getting rewarded for impressing you with what they’ve learned.
- Rotate new toys into the mix, removing old ones that aren’t used very often. Puzzle toys keep your pet’s mind engaged and challenge them more than simple chew toys.
- Spend quality time with them. Chances are that you got your pet to enrich your life and to have a companion around the home. Leaving them alone for too long can sometimes cause them to develop separation anxiety, resulting in bad behavior that can be avoided by simply playing games with them or snuggling on the couch. You don’t have to worry about this too much with cats, but dogs are fairly susceptible to it.
- Introduce them to other animals and people. Socialization is key for young pets, and if a precedent for meeting others is set early in their lives, they will enjoy meeting more animals and people as they grow older.
Be mindful of how your pet looks and behaves this October, and when the calendar rolls over to November, keep those same habits to make sure your pet stays as healthy as possible for the rest of their life.
Have a question about pet health? Want to become the best possible pet parent? Find helpful tips, reminders, and insight to giving your furry friend the best possible care with For Pet’s Sake! Learn more at drdevonsmith.com.
