For many people, getting a pet is like adding a new member to your family. We build ties to the animals in our life just as easily as we form attachments to the people we love, whether it’s something conventional like a cat or a dog, something little like a fish or a spider, or something unusual like a parrot or a lizard.
Best Practices for Pet Care
As an owner of a pet, you want to do all possible to care for your pet, which includes regular, daily activities to keep them happy and healthy. Use these top responsible pet care ideas yearly to ensure a lifetime of happy and healthy cats and dogs.
Veterinary Consultations
Regular veterinary checkups and Pet Routine Exams are the foundation of responsible pet ownership. Because dogs and cats have shorter lives than humans, they should be examined at least once or twice a year.
Depending on your pet’s immunization schedule, they may need to go regularly. At the same time, they’re young, but establishing and maintaining excellent pet health requires regular vet visits as they become older.
Visiting the veterinarian may be, dare we say, difficult. Cats, in particular, may be reluctant to leave the comforts of their home, but there are methods for both of you to lessen stress. It is a good idea to acclimate your kitten to her carrier while she is a kitten (and avoids the running-away-and-hiding-under-the-bed scenario).
Car trips are popular with dogs. Take your dog on pleasure trips so that it doesn’t associate getting into the vehicle with going to the vet. Many pets don’t like going to the veterinarian, particularly if you find a doctor who is a good match for your pet.
Vaccinations
Vaccinating your pets is an important part of good pet care. Schedule a vaccination appointment as soon as you bring your new pet home. During your first appointment, the veterinarian that usually knows internal medicine will establish an immunization program for your puppy or kitten to protect them from sickness and disease.
Vaccinations for pups should begin the first few weeks after your puppy’s arrival. Discuss an appropriate time to arrange that visit with your veterinarian at your initial appointment. They aid in the prevention of infections including rabies, Lyme disease and distemper.
Vaccines for feline herpes virus, feline leukemia, and rabies benefit cats. If you’ve adopted an adult or senior animal, ensure they’re up to date on their vaccinations. Vaccinations must be renewed and aren’t only for puppies. See Riveroakvet.com for more info on pet care.
Spaying/Neutering
Sterilizing your pet minimizes the number of homeless animals and eliminates various health concerns, including complex pregnancies. Spaying your cat (removing the uterus and ovaries) lowers its risk of cervical cancer, eliminates the chance of ovarian cancer, and keeps her from developing “heat.”
This reduces the likelihood of her straying from home in pursuit of a mate, and any surrounding male cats will be less aggressive (and they won’t spray to indicate their territory, which helps you and your furnishings).
Neutering your dog reduces hostility and neighborhood wandering while protecting him from testicular cancer. Because spaying or neutering is a surgical procedure that needs general anesthesia, your pet will likely be hospitalized for at least one night for monitoring and recovery.
Remember that these techniques aren’t only for pet holidays; incorporate them into your normal pet parenting responsibilities, and you and your dogs will enjoy the rewards for a lifetime.