Just like humans, pets can experience a long life full of feelings of being loved, taking walks, and staying healthy. However, they can’t do it all by themselves.
In addition to showering your pets with love and attention, you have a very important responsibility: improving their health. By making sure your pet gets lots of love, you’ll ensure that it can give back with kisses, wagging tails, and friendship in return forever.
Regardless if it is a cat, dog (or other pet) you are planning to adopt, or you already own a pet and want to make sure that you are properly caring for its health, look no further. Read on to learn 4 steps you can take to ensure your pet’s health.
1. Take Your Pet to A Veterinarian Once a Year
An annual health examination by your veterinarian always gives a clear health picture of your pet and early detection of any diseases. Catching the problem right from the start and immediately applying treatment can actually stop a problem from becoming bigger at a later date.
Discovery in terms of veterinary practice at the beginning also increases the probability of looking for an answer and undergoing minimal complications.
Preventive care such as vaccinations, heartworm prevention, and regular deworming will also be carried out during routine visits. Yearly appointments will provide you with a chance to pose your vet any question at any time or to bring up any existing concerns, for example, behavior issues or dieting.
2. Ensure that Your Pets Get a Healthy and Balanced Diet
Dogs and cats are different in many ways in terms of nutrition at different ages. Likewise, young puppies and kittens have a distinct nutritional balance compared to their grown forms.
Weight, breed, and even allergies might affect your dog’s diet, so you should consult your vet before feeding anything unsuitable. Ask your pet’s veterinarian for advice regarding the type of diet that would best suit your pet’s requirements.
3. Keep up-to-date with Necessary Vaccines
Vaccinating your dog against potentially deadly illnesses, including distemper, parvo, and also rabies can protect your pet.
Vaccinations like for rabies and feline leukemia virus (property of the cause for immune suppression and death in cats), as well as other preventive measures against various diseases, should also be done for cats.
Not only do vaccines protect against diseases that may be passed on from animals to animals and from animals to humans, but some of them, such as rabies, are also mandatory by law.
4. Do Not Forget About Regular Dental Checkups
Besides ensuring that your pet’s gum and teeth are healthy, scheduling regular appointments with your Austin vets is equally important.
Your pet’s dental health contributes greatly to its general health. Periodontal disease—an inflammation of some or all of the supporting structures of the tooth—can lead to pain and severe complications, such as kidney, liver, and muscle changes.
In addition to routine visits to the dentist, you must brush your dog’s and cat’s teeth at home as regularly as you can.