Caring for pets can be a rewarding experience. But it also comes with its own set of challenges.
For starters, it’s important to understand an animal’s living requirements so you can provide them with everything they need. This includes food, water and exercise.
Feeding
The way you feed your pet can be important to their health and well-being. Choosing a healthy diet that meets their needs can help your dog or cat live longer and avoid disease.
While there are many options, including homemade diets, commercially formulated foods and treats, and even raw foods, there isn’t one correct answer for every animal. Rather, the right nutrition for each animal depends on age, medical conditions, lifestyle and your personal preference.
It’s important to feed pets at regular intervals, which can make the transition to a new food easier. Feeding your pet at the same time each day also makes it more likely that they will eat all of their food.
Grooming
Grooming is a great way to keep your pet’s coat looking healthy and clean. Regular brushing can remove dead skin and hair, preventing tangles. It also gives you the opportunity to check over your dog’s body for lumps or bumps, or signs of fleas or ticks.
It can also help stop your pet from scratching up your furniture and flooring, causing injury. It can also improve air movement in your dog’s ears, reducing the risk of ear infections.
It’s also important to make grooming a fun experience for your pet, so that it doesn’t become a feared or stressful experience for them. Start by gently handling and brushing your puppy or dog, offering treats throughout the session.
Training
Training your pet is an important part of caring for them. It helps them learn how to behave properly and also gives you control over their behavior.
Like humans, pets learn best through repetition. The more sessions you can repeat, the faster your pet will understand the commands.
It’s also important to schedule training sessions in a quiet, calm place where there’s little to distract your pet. Try not to train if you or your pet are irritable, tired or hungry; it can derail the session.
There are two main kinds of training: aversive-based and reward-based. Aversive-based techniques use harsh punishments or corrections to get your dog to act the way you want them to, while reward-based methods focus on rewarding desirable behaviors.
Health Care
The health of our pets is a top priority for pet parents. Keeping up with routine veterinary visits, vaccinations, parasite control and dental care is essential to their long-term health.
Intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and hookworms, can cause digestive problems and interfere with absorption of nutrients. Fecal tests should be performed yearly (or on the schedule recommended by your veterinarian) to ensure that your dog is not infected with these potentially harmful organisms.
In addition, routine screenings for ticks and fleas are important in certain areas to help prevent the spread of disease to dogs and people. Ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These organisms can travel to the heart, kidneys, liver and other organs causing major problems.
Emergency Preparedness
When a disaster strikes, it’s important to have a plan that includes your pets. Being prepared ahead of time can save lives and reduce human and financial losses later.
Prepare a Pet Disaster Kit that includes copies of your pet’s vaccination records, medical records and insurance policy information, medications and photos of you and your animal. Be sure to include all of this in a waterproof container.
Identify friends and relatives who will care for your animals if you must leave your home. Ask them about boarding facilities and veterinarians they trust to take care of your pets.
If you must evacuate, practice evacuating your home with your pets twice a year. Make a list of pets-friendly hotels/motels and animal shelters along your evacuation route.
