How to Make Good Choices for Your Pet’s Health

By FurryFreshness

As a pet owner, the health of your pet is all up to you. It’s important to understand what keeps pets healthy and to make good decisions when it comes to their health and well-being.

There are several things you can do to make sure your pet stays as healthy as possible.

See the Veterinarian

Part of keeping your pet healthy is making sure that they get regular health care. That means taking your

pet to the vet once a year for a health exam. This allows the vet to find any health problems and to treat

them as early as possible. It also means that your pet will get the vaccinations they need to ward off

serious diseases.

There are a lot of fatal diseases in cats and dogs that are easily preventable with

vaccines. And if your pet gets sick, bring them to the vet for an exam and to get treatment when

needed.

Feed Them a Proper Diet

Whether you have a cat or a dog, there is a specific type of diet that is best for your pet as well as foods

that are poisonous to them. Often, it’s tempting to feed them a lot of table food, and many people share

meals with their pets.

However, this is an easy way for your pet to eat things that are outside a healthy diet for them or even something that causes an allergic reaction. It’s also an easy way for your pet to gain an unhealthy amount of weight.

Talk to the vet about the diet that is best for your pet, and avoid table foods and an excess amount of

treats. Sure, your pet loves them, but it can lead to extra weight that puts stress on the joints. If your pet

is elderly or overweight, there are specialty foods on the market that might be better for them to eat.

Give Them Exercise

Cats and dogs both need exercise to stay healthy. Like humans, pets who don’t get enough exercise can

become overweight and unhealthy. For dogs, it’s easy to take them for walks and let them run in a

fenced yard or dog park.

For cats, it often requires the owner to engage them in play such as with a laser pointer or waving a toy that they will chase. Do this daily so that your pet gets plenty of exercise regularly.

Get Your Pet Fixed

Aside from preventing puppies or kittens that might not find good homes, spaying and neutering have

some health benefits for pets. Spaying your cat prevents them from getting cervical cancer and ovarian

cancer. It also keeps them from wandering while in heat.

Neutering a puppy means he will never develop testicular cancer and will show less aggression overall. Spaying females also means no health complications and risks from giving birth.

Brush Their Teeth

You brush every day, but how often do your pet’s teeth get brushed? Dental hygiene is an important

part of a pet’s overall health. Both dogs and cats generally develop some degree of dental disease as

they get older.

Dogs will generally have dental problems during their first three years. Cats will generally

have them during their first seven. It’s important to brush their teeth from a young age so that the

severity of the problems will be reduced. When pets have problems with their teeth it can cause them

pain and prevent them from eating their healthy diet.

When you start brushing when the pet is young, they quickly get used to it and won’t mind it when they are an adult.

Prevent Fleas and Ticks

When pets get fleas and/or ticks, it’s much more than just annoying for them. These pests can spread

serious diseases to pets, some of which can even be deadly.

Talk to your vet about putting your pet on a parasite prevention medication to keep them free from both fleas and ticks. Their health may depend on this prevention.

Only Use All Natural Home Cleaners

This is a big one! And our big mission here at Furry Freshness. It's important to only use all natural, chemical & odor free cleaners in your home.

This is because our furry friends have much stronger noses than we do & chemical/fragrance based cleaners can severely overwhelm them, causing them both health & behavioral issues.