Checking Your Pet’s Health

If you are a pet owner, you know one of the most important factors in your relationship with your pet is their health. Your pet can add a lot of fun to your life as well as being a great companion and keep you safe. You will need to keep an eye out for any changes in your pet’s behavior such as loss of appetite, drinking excessive amounts of water, gaining or losing weight rapidly, behavior that is strange for your particular pet, your pet being overly tired or sluggish, having trouble standing or sitting, or any strange bumps or lumps. Other things to watch for would be if there is any abnormal discharges from nose, eyes, or other openings, any scratching, licking, or biting excessively, or loss of hair. If you notice any of those then you need to contact your veterinarian and let them have a look.

There is one type of illness to keep an eye out for which can effect both cats and dogs. That illness is Heartworm. There is an infection as well as disease. Heartworm infection is where the parasites are, and doesn’t mean that your dog is sick at this point. Heartworm disease is where your pet is sick. You can keep your pet from getting heartworm disease by visiting your vet on a regular check-up as well as giving your pet heartworm treatments you can purchase from your vet.

Other than the major things to keep an eye out for, you also need to do the regular things to keep your pet healthy. The first activity in keeping your animals healthy is to bathe and groom them regularly. If you own a dog then you need to regularly brush, bathe, and take care of its nails. Be sure to protect your dog’s eyes and ears when you bathe it and dry it off, not allowing it to become chilled. If you have a puppy be sure it’s older than 12 weeks before bathing on a routine basis.

If you own a cat, you should brush your cat’s coat regularly, even though they can groom rather well on their own. If you must bathe your cat, be sure to give it something it can cling to; it will hate having a slippery surface underneath it. Use the shampoo that is just for cats and kittens. Put some cotton in the ears to keep water out. Use an ointment that you can get from the vet’s office in case you get water in its eyes. Dry the cat completely and brush out the hair to keep it from getting matted. If you have a kitten, be sure to brush its teeth on a regular basis. Your vet can provide with the correct brush.

The next activity in keeping your pet healthy is to feed them the proper nutrition. If you own a puppy, then you need to provide a high quality diet that is just for puppies. Generally, you should feed your puppy only as much as they can eat in between 5 and 10 minutes at any meal. You will usually feed a puppy 3 times a day between 6 to 12 weeks, 2 times a day when your puppy is between 12 weeks and 6 months, and then 1 to 2 times a day when the puppy is older than 6 months old. If you have a larger dog, you might do better in giving it numerous small meals instead of 1 large.

If you own a kitten, then you need to provide a high quality diet that is just for kittens. The best food is dry because it is more economical and will help with tartar and plaque reduction. You can feed your kitten canned foods as a supplement if you wish. Kittens do not have to have a set mealtime, although if you wish to monitor your kitten’s intake, then the best way is to set a mealtime for your kitten.

If you are feeding your cat canned foods, then you need to set a mealtime because otherwise the food will spoil if left unrefridgerated.

A stainless steel bowl is best because it will not get scratched. Plastic and ceramic bowls can get scratched easily and this will leave room for bacteria to build up, which can cause your pet irritation and cause them to become ill.

Everyday care is essential to happy pets. This gives your pet the opportunity to live long and healthy lives with you as your companion. Please take care of your pets - your friends!