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Tag: new year resolutions

How Are Your 2013 Pet Resolutions Coming Along?

At the start of a new year, it’s always great to have resolutions for each year; have you accomplished yours for you and your pet? With the year coming to an end soon, and crisp weather happening upon us, have you included your pets through your year resolutions?  Since many people use losing weight and exercise as yearly resolutions, why not involve your pet. Most pets love to receive exercise as much as possible and need it just as much as we do. I know with my pets, they love the cold weather, although I don’t really care for it. They have much thicker coats than we imagine, so that sometimes cool and frigid air feels glorious to them. However, there are pets who dislike the cold weather as much as we do, especially little dogs who do not have as much coating as bigger dogs; i.e., Chihuahua, Toy Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, etc.

 

Linda Wilson Fuoco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests several tips on how pets can brace colder weather:

 

  •  Dog or coat sweater helps keep them warm. They can be used for big or tiny dogs.

 

  •  Their feet can get cold too! Did you know that snow can clump and form ice balls between their toes and feet of their pads, which results in walking painful for them. There’s a cure for that too, with Musher’s Secret Wax, which also provides a solution for sidewalk salt and de-icers, which burn and sting your furry pal’s paws.

 

Linda also suggests what vets and other responsible pet owners express often, and I believe that we can’t suggest it enough. Regular monthly and yearly exams are vital and crucial to the well-being of your pet. Don’t overlook their health needs because often times they won’t show any symptoms, as many pets, especially cats, are very good at hiding their ailments. She also notes that it was suggested to her by an animal clinic that it is great to have “yearly or twice yearly blood and urine testing. Blood and urine tests can spot diseases or problems before there are any symptoms.” In addition to the importance of blood and urine work, these tests can “uncover a wide range of problems including anemia, infection or organ disease, as well as bacteria, blood and evidence of infection.”

 

I would have never thought to have my pets tested for blood or urine work in the past, until my cat of almost 15 years took a quick turn for the worse, and came to find out he more than likely had a severe case of heartworms. Although my cat was vaccinated and checked regularly for heartworms, they are much more difficult to detect in cats, as they show no symptoms of distress from heartworms, and the attack of heartworms happen very quickly.

Vow to make the end of 2013 a year of health, vitality and happiness for you and your pet, as you countdown to 2014!

 

Article Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/pets/pet-tales-how-to-make-2013-healthy-happy-669110/#ixzz2IGQXAvg2