- Schedule two veterinary appointments this year. Pets need regular veterinary care to live long, healthy, happy lives. The best time to bring your pet in is for a wellness checkup. Seeing your pet when he or she is feeling good gives veterinarians a baseline to use in case of trouble. Yearly lab work provides information that can be useful as your pet ages or to detect disease.
- Discuss annual dental cleanings with your Vet. Besides just bad breath, poor dental health can lead to heart, liver and kidney disease.
- Don’t skip out on exercise. Regular exercise maintains a healthy weight, builds strength and endurance and reduces behavior and medical problems associated with inactivity. Depending on breed, age and size, activity levels will vary, but do not let the winter months keep you from jogging or walking your dog. Most dogs will retrieve balls or toys for hours if you will toss it for them! Encourage cats to be active with toys or chasing laser pointers.
- Consider training. Beyond learning the basics of sit, stay and come, effective training can help your pet become asuccessful member of your family and build a strong bond between you. Training can be applied to all ages. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
- Provide heartworm prevention. Heartworm disease, a potentially life-threatening condition, is prevalent in Alabama because of mosquitoes. Heartworms live in the heart, blood vessels and lungs of an infected pet. While treatment is available, prevention is much safer and without side effects. Even indoor pets need to be on heartworm prevention – there are numerous products available including monthly pills, topical options or an injectable from the veterinarian.
-Courtesy Valleydale Animal Clinic, www.valleydaleanimalclinic.com and NexGard
