Guarding And Keeping Good Pet Health

Pet health is the subject of much debate in the animal medicinal community. There are many ways to improve the quality of life for animals through the use of corrective surgeries, vitamins, and prescription drugs, just as there are with humans.

However, this type of medicine is much different than human medicine, as many animals have very unique ways of absorbing non-traditional methods of antidote. Many animals also cannot have these kinds of treatments heavily, as their bodies are too delicate to handle even the weakest forms of medication.

Obesity is a unique problem in animals, as it affects only domesticated pets. Dogs, cats, and rabbits can all become affected through overfeeding and under-exercise, which in turn creates added weight that is not needed on the animal. By feeding animals more than they can handle, they will store it as fat, much like humans will. However, since pets cannot often exercise themselves, it is up to their human partners to get them moving once they have become overweight or to safeguard them from it.

Nutrition is a good way to safeguard against many types of preventable diseases that animals may acquire throughout their lifetime. By ensuring that a pet is given good quality, high nutritional content food, they are more likely to live longer and have a better quality of life. There are many diets to choose from, from allergenic appetites to raw food diets that focus on health.

The benefits of a raw diet are easy to see in many kinds of animals, from dogs to horses. Heavily processed or dry, unhealthful food does not do as much good as one would expect. Even packaged foods that are deemed to be rich in vitamins and minerals may do more harm than good in the long run.

As animals age, many of them develop arthritis. This arises from the pet's lifelong use of joints and muscles. Once age begins to climb, these joints and muscles weaken to the extent that it inhibits proper movement, causing pain and suffering to the affected creature.

Dealing with arthritis pain is similar as in humans, often through prescribing drugs and medicines that help to dull pain, but not treat its root cause. This means that animals can suffer long periods of joint wear but have no pain. As such, it is important to make the home more accessible to older animals that may have difficulty maneuvering in their affected bodies. This can include rearrangement of furniture to the installing of carpet, rather than wood, floors.

Discharge from an animal is often unsightly and causes stains, but like with humans, it is a necessary way to remove excess debris from orifices such as the anus or ears. Female dogs that are left intact will go into heat every six months, and discharge is to be expected during this time. As such, hygiene pads reduce the amount of soiled carpeting or other material during this time. Earwax can accumulate in the ears, leading to loss of hearing, that while moderate, accelerates over time.