Pet Health-A Beginner's Guide
Get the Basics Right
Your pet's chances of a long and healthy life can be drastically improved by following these guidelines, which apply to most four-legged pets, especially cats, dogs and rabbits.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are essential to protect against some of the more dangerous diseases your pet might suffer from, including Kennel Cough and Distemper in dogs and cat flu and feline leukaemia in cats.
Kittens and puppies are usually started on a course of vaccinations at about eight weeks of age, and should be prevented from going out or mingling with other animals until the course is complete.
You Are What You Eat
A healthy diet is essential for any animal and domestic cats and dogs are no exception. A balanced diet of good quality pet food is essential - don't feed them on human leftovers, as these will not contain the balance of nutrients required by a cat or dog, and in some cases can prove toxic to them.
Ensure that your pet has its own feeding bowls, and that these are kept clean and separate from yours. Wash your hands after handling and feeding your pet.
Exercise
Regular exercise is essential, especially for dogs, which are not suited to a sedentary indoor life. Different breeds have different exercise requirements, but make sure you understand how much exercise your dog needs to stay healthy.
Cats are generally able to take care of their own exercise requirements, but they do benefit from access to the outdoors if possible.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Dogs and cats are prone to get fleas and worms, and while these problems need not cause excessive concern, it is best to avoid them - if only to keep your house free of fleas. In addition, younger animals can be made ill by worms, although older animals often display no symptoms.
Regular preventative treatments are available for both worms (both tapeworms and roundworms) and fleas. Regular use of these treatments should keep your pet free of parasites.
Pet Insurance
Although it may sound a little extreme, it is worth considering taking out insurance for your pet. If your pet should become ill and require an operation, medicines or extended veterinary care, the bills can be surprisingly high and insurance will take care of these costs.
Pet insurance can also help if your pet goes missing, providing the funds to offer a reward to the finder.
Staying Healthy
A healthy pet will be much happier and tend to exhibit more balanced behaviour, so it is well worth following basic preventative measures to ensure your pet stays healthy. In the long run, this will cost you less and give you and your pet a much happier life together.
Related Tags: exercise, vaccinations, get the basics right
This article is written by Denise Clement who is the co-owner of the ever increasingly popular online website http://www.petsupply-store.com
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