5 Steps to Be a Perfect Pet Parent

A happy, healthy pet is a responsibility when you have taken the leap to become their parent. In return, your furry friend gives unconditional love and understanding. Therefore, if you are considering becoming a pet owner its best to take into account the steps below to help you become an excellent parent.

Step 1: Exercise and play with your pet each day for at least twenty-five minutes. Studies show that exercising 25 minutes a day will improve health and fitness of your pet. Just like humans, overweight dogs and cats are more likely to get a number of diseases and health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, skin conditions, liver disease, and joint problems. In turn, exercise and play reduces those costly trips to the veterinarian that we all dread. So remember a walk a day or a string to play keeps the vet trip away!

Step 2: Ensure your pet is warm in the winter months. If you have a dog or cat that loves to be outdoors and roams your property freely, remember these animals are domesticated. Like people, pets become accustomed to the warmth of the inside. Leaving your animal outside for extended periods of time in the winter can make them vulnerable to serious illness. Watch out for frostbite. Frostbite occurs when the pet's body gets cold and the blood from the extremities moves to the center of the body to keep warm. Ice crystals can form in the tissue of the ears, paws, or tail and damage it without revealing the damage for days. If you suspect your pet has frostbite, bring them into a warm environment. Soak the extremities in warm water for about 20 minutes (without rubbing) to melt the ice crystals and restore the circulation. Wrap them up in a blanket and take them to a veterinarian. If they spend too much time in cold temperatures, it can suffer from hypothermia, a condition in which the body temperature falls below normal. Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, depression, lethargy and weakness. Eventually, the heart and breathing will slow down, the muscles will stiffen, and they will not respond to stimuli. Immediately get your pet warm and take it to a veterinarian.

Step 3: Read your pet food labels. It is very important to know what goes into your animal's food. The main idea when reading the labels on wet and dry food is to remember, if you can not pronounce the word then it is probably not good for your animal. Chemicals like Ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT are preservatives and have been linked to numerous health problems. BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction. Ethoxyquin is suspected of causing cancer. Fortunately, there are many natural and organic pet foods on the market today and you can ask your local pet food supplier for more information.

Step 4: If you have kids, it is important to have a mutual respect between your children and pet. Remember that each member of the family needs boundaries. The children (all ages) must learn not to hit, poke, or pull on your animal. Supervising the children at all times with your animal is very important and can prevent accidents from happening. Although the hitting is not okay, your animal must not react in a vicious way. If this does happen consider speaking to an animal trainer referred by your local veterinarian. Having a pet and children can create a special friendship so setting the boundaries mentioned makes room for both family members to enjoy each other.

Step 5: Administer heartworm medication and make sure you are up to date with their vaccines. Heartworm is a severe infection transmitted by a mosquito and if not detected or prevented can be fatal for your pet. There are a variety of ways to preventing heartworm. Your animal's heartworm medication can consist of monthly tablets, chewables, topicals or a six-month injectable product available only for dogs. This medication is important especially if you intend to socialize your pet with other animals at pet parks or they are outside where there are a lot of mosquitoes. You can purchase the medicine at your local veterinarian office or online pet sites at discounted prices. Also, immunizing your pet with preventative pet vaccines to ward off dangerous diseases is necessary. Talk with your veterinarian and they can offer information on these regular rounds of pet vaccines. Also remember, if you are planning to go on vacation and board your animal, their vaccines must be up to date and have record of such.

These five steps are the responsibilities that constitute being a perfect parent. Be determined to make sure they have their updated medications and scheduled trips to the veterinarian. Ensure that there is mutual respect between your children and animals. Furthermore, make sure the food you are feeding your critter is a healthy choice, no chemicals! Lastly, take your dog for a walk or just play with your cats for at least 25 minutes a day. If you follow these steps, you are guaranteed to be a great pet parent of a happy and fit animal.

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