If you have pets I would like to feel that you are an animal lover who plans on being a very responsible owner. Just as children need a lot of love and care, depending totally on us for all they need, so do our beloved pets.
Be sure as soon as you get your pet to visit your veterinarian as soon as possible. It is important to get your new pet a clean bill of health from your own vet that you trust. Be sure you bring in a stool sample as much can be detected through these tests, especially worms. This is a common problem with new pets and can be very harmful to your pets if not treated as soon as possible. Your vet will go through a series of procedures to kill and remove the worms.
I am sure most of you have heard of parvovirus in pets, namely puppies between the ages of 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Please be sure that when you get your new pet, follow the steps advised by your veterinarian to get all the appropriate shots needed for maximum protection. Your vet will usually start with a series of shots to include Distemper and Parvovirus. Rabies is given usually when the puppy turns 6 months old. Cats get a similar set of vaccinations when you bring kitty home, including the rabies at about 12 weeks old. There is also a vaccination for leukemia, which is a very common disease with cats. They say that if you can be assured your cat will be strictly indoors, they are safe from the disease as it is spread by other cats. I believe in cats being indoor pets only and as I get so sad to see them on roads, hit by cars. There is plenty to keep them happy in the home with all the toys and tents, games for them to play, a litter box, bed, everything they need. Keep them safe.
Be sure to get your pet tested for heart worm in the early spring if you have not done so, which is just a simple blood test. This is a very deadly disease that is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, and it is imperative that they be protected. It is not a contagious disease from pet to pet but if an infected mosquito bites another pet, the disease can be transferred that way. Just be sure to get the blood test and start the preventative treatment as soon as your vet confirms the test results. The usual treatment is a chewable heartworm tablet administered once monthly, according to the pet’s weight. I was delighted this year to find they have a new treatment via a shot which is administered once every 6 months once blood tests are complete. That way you don’t have to worry about forgetting each month and in the long run it is relatively much cheaper.
If you take your dog to the vet each year for their yearly exam and necessary vaccinations, your loving pet family member will be with you for a very long, happy healthy life. We all know that a pet can be costly to care for but if we love them as much as they unconditional love they give us, they are definitely worth all they give us.
