5 Ways to a Healthier Pet
1) Feed Correctly
Feeding correctly is crucial for a healthy pet. It
is a fact that the majority of pet owners overfeed, and that's one
reason why we have so many overweight and plainly obese
dogs and cats. We like to eats lots, and we assume (incorrectly)
that our pets need lots of food.
Overfeeding leads to unhealthy pets - it's as simple
as that.
Feeding a poor quality diet also leads to unhealthy
pets
Most commercial pet foods call themselves 'Complete'
and even a cheap complete food will enssure that your pet gets the
basic minimum nutrition required. However, some pets exhibit intolerance
to ingredients, particularly things like wheat or soya used in cheaper
brands - symptoms such as itching, scratching, digestive upsets,
behavioural problems etc. If in doubt then ask your veterinary surgeon
for advice, but at the very least look at what you are feeding and
think about maybe upgrading to a food that names its ingredients
as single cereals and type of
meat.
If you cannot afford an expensive 'natural' pet food,
then there are some money saving
ways to help out.
Puppies and Kittens need food appropriate to their
age, as do pregnant and lactating bitches. Some pet food companies
produce food for juniors and seniors - the jury is out on whether
these are necessary or simply marketing devices, ditto breed specific
diets.
If you're going to feed lots of treats then at least
make them healthy ones, and take them into consideration when looking
at the total fed during a day.
Weigh the food out correctly - if you don't have a
measuring cup from your pet shop then ask the manufacturer for one!
2) Exercise Sufficiently -
If your pet is at all overweight then the chances
are that it's you that's not getting enough exercise!
Exercise is important, both for the health of your
pet (dog particularly) and also for your health. What greater way
to get the exercise you need by taking the dog for a run in the
park or beach! Just because you’re feeding and watering your
dog doesn’t mean that he’s healthy. Dogs of all breeds
and sizes require daily outdoor activity, exercise, and fresh air,
or their quality of life essentially suffers, contributing to lethargy,
poor health, poor appetite, weight gain, lean muscle loss, or even
disease. Even “indoor” dogs aren’t meant to be
cooped up indoors all day long.
Dogs particularly need mental stimulation, particularly
if they are working dog breeds. Retrievers need to retrieve, even
if it's only a ball; Spaniels love hunting in the bushes and countryside
- you've only got to see their tails wagging to know they are happy!
Encourage mental stimulation. It is never too late
to teach old dogs new tricks.
3) Understand your pet's needs -
Your dog or cat is in many ways like us - when young
they want to play all the time, they're inquisitive and often mischevious.
As they grow older and more mature then their needs and desires
change, and it's important that we recognise this fact and adjust
our relationship accordingly.
A puppy or kitten needs a lot of mental stimulation
- that is you need to set aside time to play with them, and introduce
basic training where appropriate and as soon as possible. Their
nutritional needs are also different to that of an adult and you
need to feed the apppropriate diet for their lifestage.
Older dogs don't need as much nutrition or vigorous
exercise than younger dogs. According to Dr. J Hoskins in Geriatrics
and Gerontology of the Dog and Cat, small breed dogs (less
than 20 pounds) are in their senior years around nine to 13 years
of age. Medium sized dogs (21 to 50 pounds) around nine to 11.5
years; large breed dogs (51 to 90 pounds) around 7.5 to 10.5 years
and giant dogs (more than 90 pounds) between six and nine years.
In general, smaller breed dogs live longer.
An older pet should pay the occasional visit to the
Veterinary Surgeon for a health check. Exams should include a history
and physical examination with evaluation of the teeth, listening
to the heart and lungs (by stethoscope), abdominal palpation (feeling
of the abdomen) and inspection of your dog's ear and eyes. Weight
monitoring, blood checks and urine tests are also often recommended.
Other tests may be indicated depending on your pet's symptoms.
You can do regular health checks on your pets at home.
Things to watch for include changes in water consumption or patterns
of urination, poor appetite, weight loss or gain, coughing or difficulty
breathing, changes in activity level, vomiting, diarrhea and skin
lumps or masses. If you have questions or concerns about your pet,
play it safe and have him or her evaluated by your veterinary surgeon.
Early diagnosis is vital to the success of treatment.
As a pet gets older then there's more chance of them
becoming overweight, particularly if you are feeding inappropriately.
Obesity may lead to a number of health problems. Excess weight puts
excess stress on your pet's heart. When the heart doesn't function
properly, other organs may suffer including the brain, lungs, liver
and kidneys. Over time, these problems may become severe enough
to cause life-threatening conditions.
4) Spay or Neuter -
There are social reasons for neutering a dog or cat if it is not
going to be used for breeding, as our streets are full of unwanted
'accidents' due to wandering dogs and bitches on heat bumping into
each other! But having a dog neutered can also help with some behavioural
and potential health problems.
Neutering can make for a better and more affectionate
family pet. Spaying and castration can prolong the life of our pets
and may reduce the number of health problems in later life. Females
can benefit from spaying by reducing the incidence of uterine, mammary,
and ovarian cancers. It can also reduce the incidence of uterine
infections such as Pyometra.
Castrating a male reduces the risk of prostate and testicular cancer.
They are less likely to develop unwanted behaviour's such as marking,
sexual aggression, and mounting. In addition, the desire to “wander”
is diminished, which lowers the chance of your dog running away
and suffering trauma, such as being hit by a car.
The Dog
Trust list the following benefits of spaying for dogs
# Behaviour
- Calmer, more predictable behaviour – making dogs more suitable
as family pets
- Reduces aggressive & unwanted sexual behaviour, e.g. mounting
& being destructive
- Less likely to mark territory or stray
- Less likely to run off looking for a mate
# Health
- Avoids inconvenience of messy seasons (and having to keep away
any male dogs that may be interested in her!)
- Early neutering can reduce risk of some cancers developing in
male and female dogs
- Stops bitches suffering from potentially fatal womb infections
(pyometras)
- Pregnancy can bring health risks for some bitches
# Money
- Neutering prevents costs of unplanned pregnancies & raising
puppies
- By preventing accidents caused by unruly behaviour, can avoid
costly vets’ bills and damages
5) Vaccinate (but don't over-vaccinate!)
There are mixed feelings in the Veterinary world about
the benefits of vaccinating annually, other than as a puppy or kitten,
which is essential (see this report on the
BBC website and on the 'anti vaccination side' these
comments). Vaccination is about stimulating a pet's immune system
to protect it against infectious organisms that can cause death
in many cases (parvovirus) or are highly infectious, causing widespread
disease when outbreaks occur (cat flu) and needs informed and scientific
opinion. If in doubt talk to your veterinary surgeon. If you're
not happy with his response ask another!
On the subject of vaccination Veterinary Surgeon John
Burns of Burns Pet Nutrition says
'My policy is that a puppy/kitten should be vaccinated
by conventional methods in the usual way. Distemper, parvovirus
and leptospirosis are too dangerous to be treated lightly and I
do not have sufficient confidence in Homeopathic vaccination......
'In the USA and in the UK some veterinary practitioners
now recommend distemper vaccination every three years with an annual
parvovirus and leptospirosis booster. Many years ago I stopped recommending
annual booster vaccinations. I believe they are unnecessary and
may be harmful in that they may over-stimulate the immune system.
This is only my opinion, which I am unable to back with solid
evidence but I am sure many dogs with skin disease suffer flare-ups
after being given boosters. Also, I do not recall a single case
where a dog which was vaccinated as a puppy but had no boosters
ever caught distemper or parvovirus.'
Here's an interesting comment from a Veterinary Practice (Park
Pets based in the South East of the UK)
'Evidence is now available that suggests protection may be
longer lived than annually. Accordingly there have been accusations
from some quarters that vets and vaccine companies are place their
profits before the well being of pets. The vested interests that
need to be declared are:
* Some veterinary practices unfortunately are heavily dependant
on income from vaccinations
* It would be very costly to vaccine companies if the policy of
annual vaccination were changed to once every five years for example.
Thankfully attitudes do appear to be changing and certainly
it is now widely acknowledged that less frequent vaccinations against
some of the diseases is possible.'
They have a good article on Vaccination
with sensible advice
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