If you’re an animal lover, then you’re certainly going to want to do everything you can to keep your pet with you as long as you can. This means that you may be looking for several different ways in order to keep your pet healthy especially when they get towards older age. The truth is that keeping your pet in good health throughout their life actually starts pretty young and has a lot to do with what foods they consume. This guide will teach you how to keep your pet healthy so they can live the longest and happiest life possible.
Diet
Every animal in existence has different dietary needs that you will need to look into if you’re planning on owning them. Even different breeds of dogs and cats can have different dietary needs from each other. You need to look up what your animal needs to eat based on their breed type. By knowing what’s best for each breed, you can make it a perfectly healthy diet for your pet from the start. Even if you don’t do it from the start, make a huge difference in an older pet’s life.
Once you figure out what to feed your pet, don’t stray from it. A lot of times pet owners will cave and buy cheaper food or try to switch their food around a lot. You need to find a brand that has all the ingredients your pet needs to eat and none of the extra stuff involved. Once you’ve done this, continuously buy that brand and only switch if they have other flavors that have the same nutritional needs that meet your pet’s requirements. Never cheap out on your pets food or you could end up regretting it later on. A lot of cheaper pet foods have additives or unnatural ingredients that can actually harm your pet in the long run.
Lastly, do not give your pet any type of table or human food without thoroughly researching it beforehand. This especially comes into play when the food you were giving them has to season on it. Table food is also known for making pets gain weight faster than normal. While this can be good if a pet has a high metabolism, is underweight, or with a healthy weight, it can quickly tip the scales and have your vet concerned. No matter how cute you think it is to give your dog a piece of cheesecake, don’t do it. Animals generally don’t even have the same taste buds us, so they won’t enjoy the same types of food.
Exercise
Another huge part to keep your pet healthy throughout their life is giving them plenty of exercises. No matter what type of pet you have, they’re going to need some exercise. With many pets, you’re going to want to provide them with a wheel or another way to run around. In this case, you’re even going to need to take them out of the cage regularly so they can stretch their legs and explore new territories. One of the biggest problem people have with small pets that I’ve seen is they get annoyed by things like the wheel. If you’re not prepared to hear some noise throughout night, then I wouldn’t suggest getting a small pet
With bigger animals like dogs or cats, you’re going to need to give them both toys to play with and access to areas to roam around. With dogs, you’re going to need to take them out for walks regularly and with cats are going to need to provide plenty of hunting instances for them to partake in. If your pets aren’t moving around a lot, then you’re going to have to find a way to get them to move whether it’s by dragging them out or working with them to you find a toy that they love. The lazier a pet is early on, the worse there health is going to be when they’re older.
Vet Bills
This is probably everybody’s least favorite part about owning a pet aside from picking up messes. You’re going to need to take your pet to the vet regularly in order to keep them healthy. The bad part about this is going to be rather expensive by correctly giving the care they need. A lot of owners don’t even see a majority of these charges coming when they first adopt. Pets regularly need shots and need to be looked at by a vet to make sure everything is going correctly.
You’re also going to have to provide flea and tick medication for any animal that goes outside. If you have indoor cats or dogs, you may still want to provide this just in case anything gets in your home. Most people don’t think about their indoor pets getting bugs but it’s rather easy since things like mice that regularly carry pests and can easily make their way into your home. The best protection for getting things like this is to be prepared and give your pets the medication they need.
Also, if your pet seems to be discomforted don’t just let them heal on their own. When your cat or dog is limping, you need to take him to the vet to get it checked out. A lot of the times bones can heal wrong or it may be an ongoing health issue that you can’t detect on your own. It may be wise to get your pet checked out once in awhile when things come up but it’s worth it in the end. A lot of the times the weird actions our pets do that we disapprove of like not using the litter box are signs of an underlying problem that a vet could easily be fixed.
The Perfect Combo
You need to do all the things I talk about to allow an order to keep your pet in the best health possible. Also, make sure to spend a lot of time with them each day so they don’t feel as alone. You being around them is going to have a huge influence on their health. If you know you’re not going to be able to be around as much as you want to, always think about getting a second pet if they are a social animal. This can make a huge difference in how long your pet lives for.
