ASK THE VET: 10 New Year's resolutions to help pets live longer … – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Q: I love my dog, Jack, and my cat, Annie. They are important members of my family, and I want to keep them with me as long as possible. What are the best ways to help them live long, healthy, happy lives?
A: This is the ideal time to make your New Year’s resolutions about pet care.
Start by resolving to maintain your pets’ body weights within the normal range, which is the easiest and least expensive way to prolong their lives. Research shows that lean dogs live up to two years longer than those that are a bit overweight. To determine whether your pets are overweight, check the guidelines at arkansasonline.com/1226fat.
Activity is important for dogs and cats. Walk Jack daily, and sign him up for an agility or obedience-training class. Exercise Annie with interactive toys, such as a laser pointer, that entice her to run around your home.
Environmental enrichment is essential to keeping Jack and Annie happy. Learn more at indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs and indoorpet.osu.edu/cats.
Resolve to schedule veterinary wellness exams at least once each year while Jack and Annie are young and every six months when they are middle-aged and older. Regular exams and lab work help your veterinarian identify and address problems before they become so severe that they affect health, comfort and longevity.
In addition, your vet will vaccinate Jack and Annie to prevent dangerous infectious diseases and prescribe medications to keep your pets free of internal and external parasites. The bonus to you is that preventing disease is less expensive than treating it.
Ask your veterinarian for advice about diet, because good nutrition is essential to a healthy life. Read pet food labels and choose food that has been proved healthy in animal feeding trials, not an untested food simply formulated according to a recipe.
Provide good oral care by feeding a dental diet and treats approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (see vohc.org/) and brushing your pets’ teeth daily or every other day. Neglected gums become infected, and the bacteria travel to the kidneys, liver and heart to establish infections there.
Sterilize Jack and Annie if they aren’t already. Neutered males don’t develop testicular cancer, are less susceptible to enlarged prostates and are less likely to roam, get into fights and be hit by cars. Spayed females don’t get uterine infections, uterine cancer or ovarian cancer, and they have a substantially lower risk of mammary cancer than unspayed females.
Make an appointment with your veterinarian if you notice any changes in your pets’ physical status or behavior. Watch especially for stomach upset, diarrhea, increased drinking or urination, lumps, coughing, sneezing, decreased energy or appetite, hiding, limping or reluctance to jump onto furniture.
Inspect your home and yard for potential dangers. Learn about poisonous plants at arkansasonline.com/1226gak. For information on harmful human foods, chemicals and other pet hazards, consult arkansasonline.com/1226uhoh.
Prepare for a potential disaster, such as a flood or fire. Make sure Jack and Annie wear identification tags and have microchips, and that the microchip registry information is current. Keep their carriers, leashes and other equipment clean and handy in case you have to evacuate quickly.
These resolutions will help you keep your pets healthy in 2023 and for many years to come.
Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at [email protected]

Print Headline: Normal weight range prolongs lives of pets
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