Resolutions to Keep Your Pets Healthy in the Coming Year

Frankie and Marty's New Year’s Resolutions

               Frankie and Marty wanted to share some of their Resolutions for the New Year.  I don’t know how successful they will be at keeping them, but we can hope! 

               Hi, I’m Frankie.  My resolution is to stop eating poop in the yard.  I know I shouldn’t do it, but it just looks so tasty out there in the grass and mom and dad cut back my food a little since I am a little on the plumper side, so sometimes, I just need a snack.  But I am going to try hard to be a good boy and not eat the…oh, look!  There’s some poop over there.  Maybe just one nibble….

               OK, that didn’t go so well.  Maybe we should check in with Marty.

               Hi, I’m Marty, a.k.a. Mr. Moose.  I’m usually a good boy, but I like to bark at things since it is my job to keep the house safe.  I bark at squirrels and birds, of course.  I bark at the neighbors across the street.  I bark at cars driving up the road.  Mom and dad say I bark too much so I’m going to try to…wait…what’s that…woof! woof! woof! Woof!    

               Weelll, Marty’s resolution aren't going so well either.  Maybe we should talk about resolutions that we can make to keep our pets healthy and happy in 2016.  One thing we can all do is spend more time with our pets.  Play time in the house or yard, taking our dogs (and some cats!) for walks and even downtime like cuddling on the couch is beneficial to us and our pets.  We can all use more exercise, present company included, and spending time with our pets strengthens the human-animal  bond and pets have been shown to lower our blood pressures.  Besides, it is fun to chill out with your favorite fur baby once in a while instead of being glued to the TV, phone or computer.

               Bringing your pet to see the vet for a wellness visit at least once a year is also a good idea.  An annual physical allows us to spot problems early and keep pets up to date on needed vaccines like rabies.  If your pet hasn’t been in to see us for a while, why not make an appointment in 2016 for a visit?  We’d love to see your cat, dog or exotic pet in the new year. 

               And to take it a step further, go online and fill out a health risk assessment for your pet. This new tool allows you to identify potential areas of your pet’s health profile that might need attention.  You can then discuss the results with a veterinarian to tailor a wellness or treatment plan for your pet based on individual results.   It’s a pretty quick to fill one out and it has great information—check it out at the following link https://www1.petwellnessreport.com/ and enter code UD-00-00 at the prompt. 

               I hope you and your pets have a better time keeping your resolutions than Frankie and Marty!  Have a safe and Happy New Year! 

Dr. Walters

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.