A healthy pet is your responsibility. Unfortunately it has become as difficult and complex to maintain a pet's health as it has our own. There is much poor information on pet health available everywhere, and lots of corporations just dying to sell you the latest gimmick or chemical solution that may cause more harm than good.

Having a healthy pet requires adherence to some fundamental rules. So look at this as guidelines, and fill in the blanks as your schedule and resources permit.

Love, Love, Love

The most important determinant in any pet's health is emotional well-being. A happy pet is much more able to overcome the negative effects of dietary deficiency, presence of parasites, and/or lack of exercise. On the other hand, you can feed your pet the model diet, keep them parasite free, and give them robotic toys to chase around all day, and they will still suffer without your smiles and love.

Dogs are more likely to require your attention regularly, but cats can be just as needy. Keep in mind, their seeking your affection is a NEED, not a want.

Diet

You can live off value meals and TV dinners. Just so, your pet can live off bagged and canned foods. However, the lifespan will be shorter with a higher incidence of chronic diseases. These are not the foods your pet's digestive system are designed for. Dogs need bones, and cats crave a hunt, for the most part. Don't feed your dog cooked bones, these are brittle and can hurt them, but raw bones make a good supplement. With raw meat treats, go for high quality meat, because the chemical additives of cheap meat can be harmful.

Also, pets are a lot like people, they'll eat until they are absolutely stuffed and feel sick. This is not good for anyone. Remember, that dogs and cats in the feral state do not get access to all the food they want and then some. Ration their diets accordingly.

Parasites

Dogs and cats are prone to parasites. You can help in the yearly fight against ticks, fleas, and worms by first paying attention. Natural preventives and remedies are also quite useful. Garlic minced into the food, lavender and mint oils rubbed into the fur, and plenty of their favorite herbs to chew on make for healthy pets.

Everyone knows cats love catnip, but it appears to be a secret how this relationship evolved. Catnip is a mint, and mints are well-known for their flea repellent qualities. Similarly, dogs like to chew on lemon grass (aka dogweed), both as a digestive aid and for its flea repellent qualities. If you can't commit to an all-natural existence for your pet, then do use the products available at your veterinarian's office. Parasites are a major cause of other health problems.

Alternative versus Traditional Pet-Care

Finally, either do lots of homework on alternative pet health, find a holistic veterinarian, or take your animal in for annual check-ups. Your pet may be domesticated, but they were not designed to live in the habitats we have created. This means they will experience problems from time to time.

We brought pets in from the wild long ago for their companionship and many other reasons. Our end of the bargain is to faithfully take care of them as best we can. Here are some resources that can help with that.

BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food)

Herbal Encyclopedia for Pets

Proper Feeding and Natural Remedies for Parasites

Lifestyle Considerations in Choosing a Pet

Learn more about this author, Micah Myers.
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