4 Tips to Maintain Your Pet’s Health

Pets can prove to be our best friends if ample care is taken for their health. A pet, how small or huge, needs to be taken care of with utmost devotion and regularity. Here are 4 tips that will help you maintain your pet’s health and give them a healthy life.

1. Nutrition is Priority

The first thing is to keep food and water dishes separate. Feed only specially designed foods for your pet and source them clean water. Ensure that your pet can access clean water anytime. Consult your vet for the best diet that your pet can have. 

Don’t ever feed alcohol to your pet and keep your pet distant from cheesy foods. While giving your pet treats, consider keeping a healthy time gap between each one. Avoid giving chocolate to your pet–any kind of pet.

If your pet is a herbivore, consider giving them more green leafy vegetables. Rabbits and hamsters often can survive and fatten up on carbs like rice, but that isn’t necessarily good for them. Don’t force your diet or overfeed your pet

Follow AAFCO and VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) standards if you prepare meals for your own pet or consider buying pet foods that are designed to fit each pet according to their age or weight. But try to avoid raw foods and table scraps as much as possible. They might get overweight due to that.

Follow an established feeding schedule for your pets. 

Buy pet supplies online that comply with VOHC standards and don’t feed items that trigger an allergic reaction. Dairy products aren’t a healthier option for your pet. Consider avoiding them. And don’t change the source of protein without consulting with your vet first. 

Finally, carefully choose vitamins and supplements for your pet and if your pet is diabetic, follow the prescribed diet and avoid feeding processed foods

2. Maintaining Physical health

Most pets don’t live a sedentary lifestyle in the wild. Make exercising a habit for your pet. If your pet is overweight, try feeding them the recommended portion size and play with your pet when they are young to simulate natural training. Walk or play with your pet regularly to keep them fit. 

Don’t delay in visiting your vet if your pet is vomiting or is nauseated in case of accidental feeding of toxic compounds. Try tracing the source of the toxin beforehand. It makes the treatment easier for your pet.

Prepare a first aid kit for your pet if you go hiking with them. While playing with them, intentionally touch their feet and mouth to improve sensitivity for grooming. Also, consider introducing your pet to other similar pets and bring them on a playdate. 

To encourage slow eating, introduce hurdles like balls on their pet bowl or feeding them in small portions. In any case, avoid treating your pet with Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar substance that’s fatal for some pets like dogs.

Keep your pet away from dark surfaces in the sun. It can cause burns and increase the core temperature. While taking them to run, don’t expect your pet to run a marathon alongside you. Small pets, like lap dogs, need bursts of exercise in a short span. As cubs are more energetic, thus they need more exercise in short bursts. 

Slow bike rides along the dedicated bike tracks with your dogs can be quite effective. But introducing an exercising device similar to treadmills that the pets can play and exercise on can be similarly effective. There are specially designed treadmills for dogs. But for hamsters and other small pets, you can try introducing other devices. Don’t make your dog over-exercise. They have deviated from their wild counterparts a long way back and can’t be trained like that anymore.

Let your dog sleep. Although it’s likely that they’d adapt to your sleep cycle, don’t scare them up in the morning. Obesity and sleep deprivation in pets can cause heart diseases, liver problems, and respiratory diseases. Consider keeping your pet on a diet and exercise for their well being. 

If your pet doesn’t like winters, try placing their crib beside the thermostat. But be careful to not burn their coats. In winter, consider making shades for your pets to keep them safe. 

Let your pets follow their natural instinct to explore and hunt. If your pet is bringing you dead sparrows, it’s because they are fond of you. Introduce your pet to water and swimming. Take safety measures and see how they are taking it. Swimming can be a great exercise for pets. Especially dogs.

3. Prioritizing Medical health

Medications and vaccinations are quite critical for keeping your pet healthy and happy. But keep your medications away from pets. Even over the counter ones. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories can cause kidney failure in dogs. Avoid giving your pets anything that may be harmful to humans. Antidepressant medications can also be fatal for pets.

Vitamin-D overdose is a common occurrence in pets. Keep your pet away from gardens if it’s recently been fertilized. The fertilizers and pesticides have a lot of vitamin-D in them. But don’t self diagnose and self medicate your pets. A general medication for dogs can prove to be deadly for cats. 

Keep your vet’s contact details handy and schedule full checkup appointments periodically. Vaccinate your pet as per recommendation as soon as possible. Train your pet to welcome vets into their territory by promoting touch. Some pets might find vet visits stressful. 

Neuter and spay your pets to avoid complicated pregnancies. When in heat, your pet can display unusual behavior. keep an eye out for that.

Potty train and toilet train your pets to avoid infections from occurring from their beds. 

4. Hygiene Health Tips

Our typical hygiene routine–with some tweaks–works for the pets too.

• Brush their coats regularly. 
• Brush their teeth daily. 
• Give them a bath once in a while. 
• Remove the goop around your pet’s eyes carefully. 
• Clean your pet’s ears very carefully. 
• Give them a nail trim. 
• Clean the food and water bowl daily to avoid contamination.
• Clean the litter box daily. 
• Vacuum and disinfectant their beds in between changes.
• Only use soaps and shampoos recommended for pets. 
• Keep their toys clean.
• Wash your hands after touching your pets and before petting them. 
• Let them chew tasty dental care products to keep their teeth healthy.
• Don’t use essential oils on the coats. 
• Feed them in a distinct place and make it a habit. 
• Don’t ban your pet from living outside. Train them well.
• Let them enjoy outdoor time, but make sure to follow it up with grooming sessions.

The Bottom Line

Maintaining your pet’s health is almost similar to taking care of your children. Keep up with the tips mentioned here and you’ll be fine. Shower your pets with love and care, and they’ll return the favor.