Every October, National Pet Wellness Month takes place to remind pet guardians of the different ways that you can help keep your pet healthy and take positive steps so they will live long happy lives.
5 tips that you can take to improve your pet’s wellness
1. Annual Vet Visits
When it comes to keeping your pet healthy, the best way is to take them to your vet for an annual checkup. Your vet will ensure that your pet is up-to-date with their vaccinations and parasite preventatives, and they will perform a thorough physical examination.
By taking your animal to the vet on a regular basis, you are preventing your beloved pet from living with undiagnosed pain from an unknown medical condition such as arthritis or dental disease.
2. Routine Exercise
Exercise does the body good for you and your pet! But you don’t have to do endless high-paced miles for your pet to stay fit! You can take your dog out for slow, sniffy walks called sniffaris. These sniffy walks are highly beneficial for your dog’s health and will lower their stress levels, heart rate, respiratory rate, and are incredibly enriching for your dog. Learn more about how sniffaris can help dogs here.
And we can’t forget about our feline friends! Cats are creatures of comfort, but they also need exercise. At least 10 minutes of play per day will keep them physically and mentally active. Find more ways to play with your cat here.
3. Brush Your Dog or Cat’s Teeth
Brushing your pet’s teeth is something we might aim to do, but are rarely consistent with. Similar to you, cats and dogs require dental care. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, periodontal disease affects 90% of dogs by the age of 3 and 90% of cats over the age of 4. While periodontal disease is highly common, it is also very preventable- by brushing your pet’s teeth!
Prevent your pet from suffering from the agonizing pain of periodontal disease or other dental diseases by getting into the routine of brushing your pet’s teeth on a daily basis, just like you brush your teeth.
4. Regular grooming and brushing
Pet grooming is not just for your pet to maintain a good appearance for all those photos you take of them- it is essential for their health and wellbeing.
Regularly brushing or grooming your dog or cat can help remove dead or loose hair but also means that you are familiar with their body. So, you’ll notice early on if there is anything unusual with your pet and needs veterinary attention such as an area that is painful that wasn’t painful before.
5. Provide an appropriate diet
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Association, around 59% of dogs and 61% of cats are overweight or obese in 2022. Although a chonky pet might be adorable, being overweight places your pet at risk for many weight-related disorders.
Talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary healthcare professional about how to give your pet a properly balanced diet to keep health problems at bay.
Are there other ways that you can improve your pet’s wellness?
Let us know in the comments.
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