You just brought home a happy and healthy pet. They look great. There are no clues that would indicate any problems. You can’t tell that anything is wrong. However, take a moment to pause and consider some things that are common to most animals.
Most animals, by nature, try to conceal any pain they have in order to protect themselves against attack by other animals. Any animal whose nature is to attack will go first for another animal that appears weak or injured. So, your pet may not be as healthy as he seems. You must make it a point to carefully watch your pet’s actions because this is vital to protecting their health.
Watch how your pet acts and behaves. There are numerous indicators that their health isn’t what it should be. Since they are used to, and for the most part, quietly dealing with pain they will in fact make an effort to conceal or minimize the effects of any pain they feel.
Carefully observe your pet’s physical characteristics. Are they losing weight for no obvious reason? Are they chewing their food more slowly, or eating less than usual? This could indicate problems with their teeth or gums. Patches of hair missing, or an obvious dulling of their coat, could be signs of internal problems. You should know how a happy, healthy pet looks and acts. Watch carefully for deviations from this norm.
Take your pet to the dentist. Not your family dentist, of course, but to a veterinarian who is experienced in examining and performing minor procedures to ensure long-term dental health. This type of preventive care can eliminate serious problems later, and is highly recommended. Many vets now have dental care kits including pet toothbrushes that you can use at home.
How well you feel and function is related to your weight and dining habits. Humans who are overweight have a greater chance of getting diseases and illnesses, and the same thing applies to animals. If your pet is gaining weight, this could be dietary related. If they are showing a reduced level of activity that isn’t obviously due to age, this could be a result of pain from arthritis. Any type of joint disease will make your pet reluctant to play around and function normally.
Shedding extra weight will help your pet reduce pain from joint disease by decreasing the pressure on the inflamed joints. There are several good lines of low-calorie pet foods that are designed to help overweight and sedentary pets lose extra pounds.
Your pet might not whimper, moan, or otherwise signal that they are in pain. Watch them and carefully observe their normal behavior. Then, when you see changes in their routine that are unexplained, you can assist your vet in figuring out what the problem might be. Anytime you see obvious changes in the way your pet behaves or goes about its daily routine, get in touch with a good animal doctor and have them examined as soon as you can. Having a healthy pet is one of the great joys of life – do everything you can to help them stay in good shape.
Discover how to maintain and have fun with your pets. Information and resources for taking care of and keeping your pet content. It goes without saying – a healthy pet is one of the superb pleasures of life!
