Q: I love my dog, Jack, and my cat, Annie. They are important members of my family and I want to keep them with me as long as possible. What are the best ways to help them live long, healthy and happy lives?
A: Now is a great time to make your New Year’s resolutions for pet care.
Begin by resolving to keep your animals’ body weight within the normal range, which is the easiest and least expensive way to prolong their life. Research shows that skinny dogs live up to two years longer than slightly overweight dogs. To determine if your pets are overweight, visit https://www.aaha.org/globalassets/02-guidelines/weight-management/weightmgmt_bodyconditionscoring.pdf.
Activity is important for dogs and cats. Walk Jack daily and enroll him in an agility or obedience class. Exercise Annie with interactive toys, like a laser pointer, that entice her to run around your house.
Environmental enrichment is key to keeping Jack and Annie happy. Learn more at https://indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs and https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats.
Resolve to schedule veterinary wellness exams at least once a year while Jack and Annie are young and every six months when they are middle-aged and older. Regular exams and lab work help your veterinarian identify and fix problems before they become so serious that they affect health, comfort and longevity.
Additionally, your veterinarian will vaccinate Jack and Annie to prevent dangerous infectious diseases and prescribe medications to keep your pets free of internal and external parasites. The bonus for you is that preventing the disease costs less than treating it.
Ask your veterinarian for advice on diet, as good nutrition is essential to a healthy life. Read pet food labels and choose foods that have been proven in animal feeding trials, not untested foods that are simply formulated to a recipe.
Provide good oral care by feeding a dental diet and treats approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (see http://vohc.org/) and brushing your pets’ teeth every day or two days. The neglected gums become infected and the bacteria travel to the kidneys, liver and heart to establish infections there.
Sterilize Jack and Annie if they aren’t already. Castrated men do not develop testicular cancer, are less likely to enlarge their prostates, and are less likely to wander, fight, and be run over by cars. Sterilized women do not get uterine infections, uterine cancer, or ovarian cancer, and they have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer than unsterilized women.
Make an appointment with your veterinarian if you notice any changes in your pet’s physical condition or behavior. Watch especially for vomiting, diarrhea, increased drinking or urination, lumps, coughing, sneezing, decreased energy or appetite, hiding, limping or reluctance to jump on furniture.
Inspect your home and yard for potential hazards. Learn more about poisonous plants at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants. For more information on harmful human foods, chemicals, and other dangers to pets, see https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/.
Prepare for a potential disaster, such as a flood or a fire. Make sure Jack and Annie wear identification tags and have microchips, and that the microchip registry information is up to date. Keep their carriers, leashes, and other gear clean and handy in case you need to evacuate quickly.
These resolutions will help you keep your animals healthy in 2023 and for many years to come.
Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at https://askthevet.pet.
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