Living Paw to Mouth

No doubt everyone has heard, these are tough and uncertain economic times. So, I’d love to advise you on your stocks and bonds but unfortunately, I think stocks are where you shoe horses and bonds are what they call it when you talk to your dog in a funny voice ..“bonding”. So let me instead advise on what I do know. Where best to put your money when it comes to your pet. I know I harp on this but the best bang for your buck is undoubtedly preventative medicine. Nothing beats your annual check up. Vets are trained to within an inch of our lives to spot disease and to spot it early. Early recognition means smaller problems and smaller problems mean less expensive solutions.

Now, the extent of what you can financially afford at that annual visit is person dependent both with what you feel comfortable with as well as the particulars of your pet. In older pets, annual or even semiannual blood checks can expose failing systems early on when simple diet change may prevent further damage. In younger dogs diagnosis of a predisposition to dental disease can also be nipped in the bud. Although these things seem minor, a basic dentistry can run upwards of $700.

OK, so you had your animals to the vet in August, before this whole ruckus started what now? Well think day to day. Let’s talk food. Being on a reliable tested diet that has been proven not to be associated with disease is your best value for money, even if it costs a little more, it’s best to have nutrition working for you rather than against you. Next, try to be pro-active with respect to potential problems; if your dog gets into the garbage, start to use a crate to house him safely out of harms way for the day or if you have a cat who really likes string, then be hyper vigilant – watch out for string, bits of carpet and dental floss.

And last but not least, let’s talk about body weight (I hear the collective sigh). Keeping your pet at an optimum body weight will make them less predisposed to a number of diseases including asthma and diabetes. You may not even have to change your food, your veterinarian can calculate out the resting energy requirements your pet needs to loose weight safely on whichever food they appreciate most.