Happy New Year!
As we begin A NEW YEAR all inspired with new goals, many of us may be looking at our pets, thinking how can we improve their lives by making them healthier, happier and revitalised for the next 12 months.
It’s imperative to make a list or a plan and not get snowed under.
7 Simple Things to Make Your Pet Healthier and Happier:
Exercise and spend more time with your pet
Exercising and spending time with your dog or cat is the best way to enhance your daily bond. The advantages are endless from health benefits such as strengthening the cardiovascular system, boosting of the immune system and weight control to helping lower anxiety, boredom and keeping your pet fit for life.
Provide your pet environmental enrichment
With our busy lifestyle, many pets are left on their own for hours each day. This separation can lead to social and behavioural problems in dogs and cats. The goal is for your companion animal to be able to display and express their natural behaviour in your absence. For dogs; toys, Kong’s, balls, food dispensers, TV or radio are a fun way to stimulate their mind and occupy their time. For cats try tunnel, hanging toys, cat grass, food puzzles, interactive toys, vertical scratchers, etc.
Offer training and time to socialise
Training your dog is about making sure your canine companion lives harmoniously within the family unit and is a valued part of the community. Training means encouraging desired behaviours & suppressing unwanted ones and should not stop after puppy school. Training also gives your pet a chance to socialise with other dogs. Cats can also be trained but do require more time and perseverance. It’s important to note that your pet’s mental health is as important as its physical health.
Introduce Natural Therapy Modalities
There are plenty of natural modalities that can be beneficial in maintaining your dog’s bones, tendons, ligaments and joints robust and resilient. In addition to your consistent exercise, introduce the following modalities: Therapeutic Massage, Stretching, Acupuncture and Acupressure.
Evaluate your pet’s diet
Nutrition is a major factor in a healthy pet’s diet and is the foundation for their overall health and wellbeing. Maybe you’ve been rethinking your pet’s diet for some time and want to make few changes. Optimal nutrition should be balanced and full of variety, made with high quality ingredients, made without additives or preservatives, tasty, enjoyable and satisfying. Ideally fresh and unprocessed, organic when possible.
Research Genetic diseases your pet may be predisposed to
Unlike cats, dogs are much more predisposed to genetic diseases and some illnesses are common in many purebred and mixed breed dogs. According to one veterinary expert, top five genetic diseases in dogs are allergic skin disease, hip dysplasia, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, mitral valve disease and cranial cruciate ligament. It’s significant to understand that because a dog is predisposed to a certain inherited disease, it doesn’t mean he’ll get it, nor does it mean it can’t be successfully prevented or treated (Becker B. D., 2018).
Prearrange appropriate Pet care prior to going away
Finding a trusted and qualified animal care lover can make the difference between a stressful holiday, a fantastic time away and needless time and expenses at the vet. You wouldn’t trust just anyone to care for your pet and neither would we, consequently we recommend obtaining referrals from family, friends, colleagues and meeting the pet carer in person prior to making a final decision.
When we spend the extra time and energy to prepare fresh food and take better care of our dogs and cats, we make an investment in our pets that returns enormous bonuses in vet bills and in years of vibrant good health for our beloved companions (Allegretti & Sommers, 2003).
Education is the key to better Quality of Life. We invite you to read & download all our blogs and share them with family and friends.
To discuss your specific pet needs or learn more about Pet Nurture, contact Melina on 0403 939 202 or Enquiries@PetNurture.com.au
Bibliography
Allegretti, J., & Sommers, K. (2003). The complete holistic dog book Home health care for our Canine Companions. Berkeley, California, United States of America: Celestial Arts.
Becker, B. D. (2018, January 01). Some of the Most Overlooked Ways to Give Your Pet an Astonishing 2018. USA.
Becker, D. K. (2017, December 22). The Major Orthopedic Risk Factor Most Dog Owners Have Never Heard Of. USA.
Grant, L. (2017). Simple Dog Care – 7 steps to a healthy, happy dog. Sydney: Michael Hanrahan Publishing. Retrieved December 2017
Disclaimer
Individual blogs are based upon the opinions of the specific author, who retains full copyright. The material is not intended as medical advice, it’s intended as a sharing of knowledge and information.
We are not veterinarians and do not diagnose any conditions, perform surgery or prescribe medications, we can assess the muscles as part of being a Myofunctional Therapist. Muscle therapy is not a replacement for proper veterinary care and any injury or disease must be medically diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. We encourage you to make your own pet health care choices in collaboration with a certified pet health care professional.
