Monday, March 7, 2016

Healthy Pets Help Ensure Healthy Families

By Donna Stone


Tame animals have been an integral and important part of human life for ages. Some animals, such as sled dogs, are kept as working partners or for survival purposes. However, many people keep animals such as dogs, cats, birds and others as companions and as well loved members of the household. In most cases these animals are not expected to be productive but to simply provide pleasure to their owners. Owners have a sacred responsibility, however, to see that they only keep healthy pets.

Animals that do not receive affection and attention from their owners can easily become unhealthy. They become frustrated, develop destructive habits and refuse to eat, all simply to attract the attention of their owners and to receive some form of affection. When choosing an animal, it is important to ascertain the level of personal attention that the animal will require and if it would be difficult to provide that level of attention it may be better to choose a different type of animal.

Exercise is very important to the health of all animals. Caged animals should have a variety of devices that will allow them to exercise. Other animals, such as most dogs, need to be exercised by taking them for runs and walks and by playing with them. Lack of exercise can lead to depression, obesity and poor behaviour and will almost certainly shorten the life span of the animal.

An inappropriate diet is perhaps the biggest threat to the health of a household animal. Many owners fail to feed their animals a balanced diet specifically designed for their needs. They think they show them love by feeding them human food and snacks on demand. The truth of the matter is that an unbalanced diet radically shorten the life span of such animals.

Animals often develop medical conditions that are not obvious to their owners. That is why it is necessary to schedule regular visits to the vet. Routine tests will quickly reveal potential problems which can be dealt with in good time. Animals should also receive their inoculations on a regular basis. Any sudden changes in the habits of an animal may be indicative of a health problem.

Animals suffering from boredom and stressful situations are often unhealthy. All household animals should enjoy some variety in their routine and animals that enjoy playing with toys should have a variety available to them. Stress can be a killer, too. Owners will quickly learn which situations cause an animal stress and should try not to expose the animal to such situations.

Far too many people adopt animals that will never suit their life styles or the spaces where they will have to live. When a decision is made to adopt an animal, great care should be taken to make sure that the environment is suitable for that animal. Most vets will be more than willing to make a recommendation in this regard. An animal should never be adopted purely because it is cute or fashionable.

Only happy and healthy animals can play the role for which they were intended when they were adopted. This is the responsibility of the owner. Great care should be taken to only adopt animals that will readily adapt to the lifestyle of its owners and to learn as much as possible about the characteristic of the animal concerned.




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