Pets are part of the fabric of family life for many of us. They’re there for all our ups and downs and completely an extension of the family – so as responsible pet owners, we want to keep them as safe and healthy as we do our children.
Sometimes it’s easy to overindulge our pets or to have good intentions but end up not doing the best thing for them. These simple tips will help to ensure that you care for and protect your family animals and make sure that you’re putting four paws first.
Start With Nutrition
They say that we are what we eat, and the same rings true when it comes to family pets. Ensuring proper nutrition is absolutely fundamental to keeping your dog, cat or even hamster at peak health, so keep them on the right type and serving size of food for their relative size and try to avoid giving too many treats on a regular basis.
Sourcing a healthy dog food or the right kind of grains for a bird is a matter of research and consulting with your animal physician about dietary requirements for the particular breed you have is a great place to start.
Get Them Expert Care
High quality veterinary care can be transformative for your pet’s quality of life, whether it’s simply a routine matter for treatment such as fleas or an ongoing complex health issue that requires close attention.
Every six to twelve months your pet should have a check-up to nip any potential health issues in the bud – a lot of larger vet practices now offer pre-paid health packages to cover this.
Dogs should have their vaccinations up to date and be given prevention for heartworm and ticks. Learn how best to communicate with your vet and understand from them what checks you can be doing at home to ensure all is well between appointments.
Create a comfortable space
As the seasons start to change and we welcome the chillier months of autumn, it’s essential to think of our pets and how they can be kept comfortable as well; checkout FluffyPlanet for the best pet tips and advice.
With summer officially over, some pet owners often feel the need to provide extra warmth or shelter for their furry friends. However, many forget that cats are much more economical with their body heat than dogs during less temperate times.
Both feral and domestic cats will readily bed down in any old, drafty spot if it’s out of the sun – but do not expect the same from a dog! This is especially true when you consider that most dogs are far more cuddly than cats!
Meet Exercise Needs
All animals have a certain level of need for physical activity, and if that need is not being met, very often it will manifest itself as a behavioral problem. So if you’re seeing unusual, lethargic or destructive activities in a pet, it usually makes sense to check in on the levels of exercise they are getting – these can be easily underestimated.
Establish a better routine – with dogs this can be simply upping the number of walks in a day, while for smaller pets it can meaning finding toys or accessories which allow them to work out some energy – such as an exercise ball for small rodents.
If we don’t get enough exercise we feel sluggish and apathetic, so it’s little wonder that the same can happen to our animals. Ensuring that the family pet gets enough exercise is also a great way of bringing siblings together – getting kids involved in helping out and allowing everyone to spend some time bonding and away from the electronics that can so easily dominate our lives these days.
With a little thought, we can improve the lives of our pets and our own lives and become happier and healthier together.