As a pet owner, you may want to do everything you can to take care of your pet which involves regular, everyday activities to ensure that they stay healthy and happy. Practice these responsible pet care tips every year for a lifetime of healthy and happy dogs and cats.
Veterinarian Visits
Pet ownership responsibility begins with regular visits to the vet. Given their short lifespan with respect to humans, a pet should get a checkup at least once or twice a year.
Depending on the vaccination schedule of the pet, they may need to go more frequently when they are young, but establishing and maintaining pet health means keeping up with vet appointments as they age. Trips to the vet can, indeed be challenging. Cats, in particular, may behave adversely by leaving the comforts of their home, but there are ways to reduce stress for both the pet as well as the owner. Making a cat used to her carrier when she is a kitten is a good practice and avoids the scenario where it runs away at the sight of a carrier. Dogs, however, are more compliant when it comes to car rides. Take puppies on joyrides, so that it does not associate getting into a car with going to a vet.
Vaccinations
Vaccinating pets is a crucial component of responsible pet care. Soon after welcoming a new pet into the house, schedule an immunization appointment. During the initial visits, the vet will set up an immunization schedule for the animal to protect it from illnesses and disease. This is to protect not only the animal but also the owner of any potential pathogens. Vaccinations for puppies should happen early in the first few weeks after bringing it home. Cats benefit from vaccines that can potentially protect them from feline herpes virus, rabies and feline leukaemia.
Proper Identification
If a pet animal gets lost, having proper identification is the key to getting them back. Start with the basics: a safe, unique collar and a tag that contains all their contact information.
Although ID tags are useful, microchipping the pet is advisable, because there is always the chance of the collar falling off. A microchip, an electronic device about the size and shape of a grain of rice, is implanted under the pet’s skin and can be read with the help of a scanner that pulls up the identification information. A combination of these forms of identification can go a long way to reuniting you with your beloved pet, but this only works if you keep the contact information up-to-date. Make sure to change the information on file with the microchip if you change the address or phone number.
