Research has shown unequivocally that sharing your home with a pet can help keep you healthy by reducing stress in your life. However, if we choose to share our lives with companion animals, it becomes our duty to make sure that we provide them with the care they need to stay healthy and happy. The basics that we must provide to our pets include:

Appropriate nutrition. Your pet requires good quality, digestible food and fresh water. With the recent pet food recall, some pet owners have decided to avoid commercial food and instead give their pet table food. The problem with this is that you can inadvertently cause serious health problems if the diet is not properly balanced. Carnivores (meat eaters), herbivores (plant eaters), and insectivores (insect eaters) have very different nutritional needs from humans, who are omnivores (capable of meeting their nutritional requirements through a combination of plants and meats). Few of our pets are omnivores, and if they are fed an inappropriate diet will develop serious health problems over the long term. To further complicate matters, if given the choice between foods that taste good and foods that are healthy, pets will often eat only the tasty things (much like young children!). The nutritional adequacy of high quality pet foods is backed by scientific research and responsible manufacturers have added new safeguards to their processes to ensure food safety. Therefore the best way to ensure that your pet’s diet meets its requirements is to feed a commercial diet that is recommended by your veterinarian. But if you still wish to feed your pet a home prepared diet, talk to your veterinarian, who either can give you recipes that include appropriate levels of nutrients such as calcium or can refer you to a knowledgeable veterinary nutritionist.
Adequate shelter. Today, most pets live indoors so shelter is less of an issue. However, some dogs prefer to live outdoors and must be given housing that is warm, clean, and pest-free. Birds, small mammals and reptiles must be given clean, well ventilated cages that include the proper bedding and lighting to keep them healthy.
Exercise and companionship. Exercise helps your pet maintain muscle tone, keeps its metabolism functioning properly and provides mental stimulation. Provide toys that are appropriate for the pet and exercise the pet at least twice daily. For dogs, it is important to go for at least 2 leash walks per day. Some pet owners will choose to adopt several pets that are compatible with each other to provide companionship when the human family is not home.
Grooming. Grooming includes daily brushing (including tooth brushing), regular nail trims, and bathing when necessary. Brushing removes dead hair and skin cells and stimulates blood flow to the skin. It helps prevent hairballs in pets such as cats and rabbits, and allows you to notice skin abnormalities such as minor lesions or abnormal hair loss. Tooth brushing helps maintain tooth and gum health, prevents premature tooth loss, and may help control breath odor.
Regular health care. Pets age more rapidly than humans. In addition, many animals have evolved to hide signs of illness until it becomes life-threatening. Veterinarians are trained to recognize many of these signs and subtle symptoms at an early stage. Therefore, it is important that your pet, no matter what its species, receives regular (at least once a year) ‘wellness’ examinations by a qualified veterinarian. You can be a partner in your pet’s health care by monitoring your pet’s appetite, elimination habits, attitude, habits, energy and sleep patterns, and telling your veterinarian about any concerns you may have.

Caution: These news items, written by Lifelearn Inc., are licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written permission of Lifelearn Inc. Please note that the news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by our clinic veterinarian.

Preventive Health Care for your Pet