10 Ways to Keep Your Pet Healthy and Happy

Let's face it. Our pets are our babies! We would do anything for them, including keeping them healthy and happy.

Here are 10 ways to keep your pet healthy and happy:

1. Spay/Neuter
2. Good Diet
3. Exercise
4. Clean/Proper Habitat
5. Vet Visits
6. Regular Dentals
7. Vaccinations
8. Parasites Preventative
9. Avoid Harmful Foods
10. Give Attention and Love

Spay/Neuter
Despite keeping down the pet population, spaying and neutering your pet can provide health and behavior benefits. In female dogs, spaying decreases the risk of pyometra and some forms of cancer, a diseases which can be deadly. Males are usually less aggressive and spraying is minimal after being neutered.

Diet
Keeping your pet on a proper diet can help prevent health problems and maintain a good weight. We see multiple overweight animals that have major health problems, some of which can be remedied by a healthy diet. Birds especially need to be on a healthy diet, as a majority of the diseases they get are a result of eating poorly.

Exercise
Just like a healthy diet, exercise can help control weight gain and lessen the chance of getting illnesses, such as heart disease. Just 20 minutes of walking each day can keep your pet in good shape. Some breeds, such as border collies, require much more exercise to stay healthy.

Clean/Proper Habitat
Pets need to have a clean and safe place to live. It is important for cats to have clean litter boxes. Reptiles require cages large enough to be safe and comfortable. Before obtaining a pet, find out what is needed for proper housing.

Vet Visit
Seeing the vet on a regular basis keeps your pet healthy. Birds that regularly see a vet and have blood work done can help detect illness before it gets too bad. Dogs and cats require routine vaccines that protect against harmful diseases.

Regular Dentals
Cats and dogs that have routine professional teeth cleanings are less likely to get periodontal disease, which can affect more than just the teeth and mouth. It can harm the liver, heart and kidneys.

Vaccinations
By keeping your pets up to date on their vaccines, you are helping to eliminate them getting harmful diseases. It may seem like a hassle to get them vaccinated, but in the long run you are keeping them healthy and safe.

Parasites Preventative
You've probably heard us talk about heartworm preventative and how it can prevent a deadly disease. It is important for your dog to receive a heartworm preventative injection every six months. By doing this, you are lessening the chance of him/her getting heartworm disease.  It is also important to prevent internal and external parasites, which can be done along with heartworm prevention.

Avoid Harmful Foods
Admit it. You want to feed your pet table scraps. It seems so innocent, feeding them what you are putting in your mouth. However, animals require a strict diet to keep them healthy. Birds can get sick if they have too much fat in their diet. Dogs can be harmed if they ingest harmful foods such as grapes and chocolate. Be sure to speak to the vet about what is good to feed your pet.

Give Attention and Love
This is self-explanatory. Your pet loves you and deserves your love and attention. Give them plenty TLC every single day!

What is so important about spaying and neutering?

 By having your pet spayed/neutered, you are not only helping to decrease the pet population, but giving your loved one a happy and healthy life.

Millions of healthy cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the U.S. due to overpopulation and homelessness. You can do your part to end this by having your pet sterilized at a young age. There are also health and behavior benefits for your pet that receives the spay or neuter.

Health Benefits

Longevity

Studies show that pets who are spayed/neutered, have a longer life than unaltered animals.

Cancer

Spayed females have a greater chance of avoiding cancer, including breast tumors. Also, females that are spayed before their first heat tend to be healthier than those that wait.

Neutering your male pets can help prevent testicular cancer and prostate problems.

Pyometra

Unaltered female dogs run the risk of contracting Pyometra, which can be avoided if they get spayed. Pyometra is an infection in the uterus that can occur if the female has had several heat cycles without getting pregnant.

Clinical signs of Pyometra are determined by an open or closed cervix. The most common symptom of an open cervix is excretion of pus or abnormal discharge. Other symptoms include fever, lethargy, anorexia and depression. A closed cervix is much more dangerous because the discharge collects in the uterus, causing a distended abdomen. Bacteria from the uterus drains into the bloodstream and the dog can rapidly become ill. Contact our office as soon as possible if any of these symptoms occur in your dog.

Behavior Benefits

Females will not go into heat if they are spayed. A pet in heat normally will urinate all over the house, so you are saving yourself a lot of trouble by having the surgery done.

Roaming is less likely in neutered pets. Intact males like to go out looking for females and will leave your house frequently to find them. They risk getting hit by a car or fighting with other male animals.

Neutered males act much better. Intact males mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine everywhere. They are more aggressive and will mount on almost everything, including your leg. Neutering helps decrease this.

Have we convinced you?

We encourage you to do your research before spaying or neutering your pet, however, do take into consideration that there are more pros than cons for having the procedure done. You can make a huge difference in ending pet overpopulation simply by making the first step and scheduling an appointment with us.

Shelter Pets Need Your Love

April 30 was National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, and we at Parrish Creek want to share the importance of pet adoption.

There are thousands of pets around Utah that are in need of forever homes. While purchasing from a breeder may sound enticing, adopting a shelter pet may be the best decision you will ever make. There are so many pets willing to offer their love to you. They are often vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and potty trained. Most shelter pets have been abandoned and are in need of a loving owner. In our experience, shelter pets have made some of the most loyal companions.

Courtney, our receptionist, believes highly in pet adoption and has adopted several dogs in her lifetime.

Members of Courtney's family. L to R: Rowdy, Anna, and Walter.

"I’m a huge advocate for adopting a 'shelter pet' because of so many reasons.  The first and most important reason is because a shelter dog is as deserving of the comfort and consistency of a forever home as any new puppy that came from a breeder. A shelter pet is really just a label. And that label doesn’t describe the personality and character of the animal.  I have three dogs. Two of them were adopted from a rescue center and one from an owner release. I can’t imagine my life without my three furry kids. They add so much love and laughter to my family. The fact that they were spayed and/or neutered, housebroken and somewhat trained when we crossed paths was a perk! The shelter is a stressful environment for any dog and just one day in a shelter is too long. The sooner you can rescue a dog from any shelter especially a high kill shelter the better.  Your 'shelter dog' will thank you with lots of kisses and unconditional love. I know mine do."

As we celebrate Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, let's remember our furry friends in shelters and the love they deserve.