The new year is always a time for resolutions, and your pets are no exception to this! There are lots of healthier, happier lifestyle choices that you can make that incorporate your pet. Check out these top 5 resolutions!
- *Get that annual exam on the books – just like us, having an exam done every year is important to screen for early diseases or problems and for routine wellness care, like vaccines! A new year is a great time to review when your pet last had an exam and make an appointment!
- *Get moving – walking, hiking, kayaking….there are so many ways to get you BOTH moving that will improve everyone’s health! A good way to stick with it is to make an obtainable goal – start with committing to just 3 walks a week, and then go from there!
- *Get brushing – one of the most preventable problems we see in older pets is dental disease! If you can work with your pet from a young age, they are often very accepting of tooth brushing. DAILY should be the goal – get in a good habit, just like yourself! However, if you can brush at least 3 times a week, that has been proven to slow tartar progression, so get in there!
- *Measure for success – weight is an issue in our pets, just like it is in us! The single most important change you can make to help your pet stay at a healthy weight is to measure their meals! Use a measuring cup every time and discuss the appropriate volume with your veterinarian – but keeping them lean has been proven over and over to help slow or prevent many health issues!
- *Give back – want to help others this new year? Consider fostering a pet in need! There are so many dogs and cats in shelters, that a great way to give back would be donating your time to a pet in need. Fostering saves lives, and there are so many great dogs and cats out there just waiting for you! It’s a great way to help without the longterm commitment of a new pet – contact your local shelters and rescue organizations for more info!
Happy New year everyone – now get out there and make 2019 the best year yet!!!