January 10, 2012
Make winter and post holiday blues a brief memory by spending quality time with your furry companion. Getting out for a walk with your pooch and sharing some quality playtime with your cat can do wonders for everyone’s attitude.
Looking for more to do? Sign up for dog training over the winter. It’s a fun indoor activity and a great way to learn more together!
“Fat and Happy” are common words to describe many pets. Give your pet the real gift of love by helping them shed those pounds and become “Fit and Happy”. Food is a powerful motivator for many of us. Eating in moderation, setting limits on treats, and eating the right food for you are all things we’ve heard before. Take charge and make it a reality by setting a weight goal for your pet and then keeping track of it, but remember to have them lose that weight slowly and steadily. Combining new and fun activities will help keep you both active. Providing a high quality food in the correct portions are also critical steps to helping your pet succeed. Weight control is critical to help your pet fight diabetes. Both overweight dogs and cats are at a significantly higher risk for diabetes than pets of a normal weight.
Need help or a little guidance? Give us a call. We can help with food and low calorie treat recommendations as well as setting you up for success with guidelines for how much to feed your pet.
Create a simple at home plan to help get your pet in the best shape in which he’s ever been. Add extra walks into their day; find more time to take them to the park; encourage indoor play with your feline friends by playing games with treats and toys such as a laser pointer. Using controlled increases in activity helps to boost their metabolism, gets everyone in a better mood, and helps prevent injuries by strengthening bones, joints, and muscles. Have a pet that already has a few aches and pains? Look to your veterinarian to help guide you with ways to minimize that pain through laser therapy, acupuncture, diet supplements, and medicines to manage pain. There are so many options these days to help manage and control pain. We can help you find the right options for your pet.
Pets usually don’t ask for much, just food, love, and a little of your time. They also don’t know how to keep themselves healthy. Become their motivational trainer for fitness. Help give them the edge they need to reach their ideal performance in life. You both will benefit from it.
Helping your pet eat right, exercise more, and spend more time with you are critical components in making 2012 your pet’s healthiest year ever! Preventing illness through the right preventive medications, appropriate and timely vaccinations, and early disease screenings are also key factors in helping them ensure a full, happy life. Annual blood screenings, routine dental cleaning, and semi-annual checkups are things we think about but don’t always plan. Make this year different. Take charge of your pet’s health by finding out what your pet needs to stay healthy, then budget anticipated costs to make this medical care a reality. Prevention is more cost effective than treating, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Give your veterinary office a call and see what preventive medications and procedures are recommended for your pet annually. You can also follow us on Facebook for more information. Get estimates to anticipate the costs and create a monthly budget to make these preventive care goals easy to accomplish.
When it comes to being healthy and well, now is the time to take action. This year, when you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, make a few for your pet as well. Promise to make this year your pet’s healthiest year ever. You’ll both feel better for it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jared Conley
