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Step 1
Have your pets vaccinated according to your veterinarian’s suggestions. Animals of all species--cats, dogs, horses and rodents--all benefit from being vaccinated. It is also advantageous for your exotic pets (reptiles, sugar gliders and hedgehogs) to be vaccinated. Always ask your veterinarian what vaccinations your pets need and make sure they have them as recommended.
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Step 2
Keep your pets free from parasites. Parasites include worms (hook, ring, heart, round), fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Parasites live in or on our pets, except for mosquitoes. They can all cause illness and even death. Ask your veterinarian to recommend treatments to keep your pets healthy. Do not give your pets any medication with talking with your veterinarian first.
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Step 3
Make sure your pet is receiving the proper dental care. Follow your veterinarian’s advice as to how to best care for your pet’s teeth. Your pet can lose teeth and develop gum disease without the proper care. Other serious problems include abscesses and infections. This can cause your pet extreme pain and lead to your pet not eating. Infections can get into your pet’s bloodstream which may lead to the death of your pet.
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Step 4
Regular check-ups with your veterinary is important to keep your pets healthy. Your veterinarian will do blood work, fecal tests, and, possibly, other lab work to make sure your pet is healthy. A good, hands-on “once over” by your veterinarian will also help to detect any potential problems. A thorough exam will find all sorts of things that can cause problems in the future. It is well worth the time, money and effort to get your pets to the veterinarian for regular check-ups.
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Step 5
Having your pets altered (males neutered and females spayed) is an important part of keeping your pets healthy. Having your pets altered will reduce the risk of your pets developing many different kinds of cancer. Uterine and ovarian cancer is stopped for female pets. Male pets can not develop cancer of the testes. The chance of breast cancer is greatly reduced in both male and female pets when they are altered. Ask your veterinarian how early your pet can be altered. Many veterinarians offer “early spay/neuter programs. Many dogs and cats can be altered once they weigh one pound. This also helps to reduce the over-population problem. With less strays and unwanted animals, the chances of your pet coming in contact with a sick or contagious animal is reduced.
