New Year's Resolutions for Pets
Start your pet's New Year off on the right paw with the following tips:
1. Eat a balanced diet. Lay off the high-fat snacks. Many animals can benefit from a grain free diet . Grain free diets help decrease inflammation in the body. Animals with allergies can benefit from this. Offer your pet some canned food daily. Canned food should be offered to all cats on a daily basis.
2. Brush my teeth regularly.. A healthy mouth = a healthy body! Bacteria from infected gums can travel through the blood stream and affect the kidneys, liver and heart. And, I want my breath to smell great!
3. Get rid of those pesky fleas and ticks. Fleas can cause terrible itching and rashes. Many animals are highly allergic to flea bites and get flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas can also carry tapeworm. When an animal grooms the flea off and swallows it they get tapeworm. Ticks carry many diseases such as Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. For tips on flea and tick control call us at (630) 859-0471.
4. Get a pedicure. Overgrown nails make it difficult to walk, and can be painful. They cause painful trigger points in muscles. We can show you how to trim your pets nails!
5. Get more exercise! Go for more walks with your dog. Play with your cat with the laser pointer or feather dancer. Obesity is dangerous to animals too. Obesity increases their chances of arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.
6. Brush up on my obedience training. It's never too late to learn, and you can teach on old dog new tricks.
7. Eat healthy snacks. Healthy snacks for dogs include blueberries, small pieces of apple, broccoli, sweet potato, sardines and pumpkin. Be sure to remove the apple seeds (which are toxic). Healthy snacks for cats include tuna packed in water or sardines.
8. Get a physical exam. Regular checkups are important for pets. Middle aged pets (over 5-7 yrs depending on the breed) and older pets should see the vet every 6 months. Animals are masters at hiding signs of illness until it is too late. Veterinarians are trained to spot signs of illness at early stages.
9. Have a fecal checked for intestinal worms. Pets can pass certain worms on to humans (like roundworm and hookworm). Intestinal worms can make pets miserable, causing vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, poor appetite and abdominal pain.
Questions? Call us at (630) 859-0471 or Email us at Foxridgevet@yahoo.com.
Fox Ridge Veterinary Clinic
Your pet's family Doctor
-since 1994
