Providing Basic Pet Needs
Since your pet cannot care for itself, it is essential that you provide its basic needs. These are: shelter, food, water, medical help, and attention and exercise.
Before acquiring a pet, it is important to think about how it will be housed and protected from wind, rain and snow, storms and extreme temperatures. Animals kept outdoors must have access shelter as well as to shade. Food should be given that provides a diet appropriate to your pet’s needs and age. Fresh, clean water must always be available unless medically restricted. Many pets require periodic bathing and brushing, and most will need their nails trimmed.
You should have a safe means of transporting your pet without having it unrestrained in an open vehicle or in the open truck bed.
It is wise to visit a veterinarian as soon as you get a pet. Be sure to get regular office contact information as well as emergency contact information.
Regular attention to your pet has many benefits even outside of the pleasure it brings you both.
Exercise is important to pet health, and socialization, with people and in some cases other animals, benefits your pet’s behavior, and physical and emotional health.
Additionally, time spent with your pet allows you to observe changes in your pet’s behavior and physical condition. Early identification of any problem is generally best when dealing with various medical or behavioral problems.
Leaving your pet alone and unattended for long periods of time is inviting problems, and pets should not be left in a car or truck without adult supervision. Note that even on days that seem mild, the temperature inside a car or truck can quickly rise to unhealthy and deadly levels.
Prevent Pet Loss
One of the chief considerations in pet ownership is preventing loss of your pet, and this is best achieved by controlling the animal either by confinement or restraint. An important question you must ask yourself is whether your pet will be able to escape its confinement.
Cats and some dogs climb fences, and many pets can dig under them. Tethering a pet with a chain or cable is sometimes an option, but you must make sure that the pet cannot become entangled, choked or restricted from shelter and water. Be sure to check your local laws and ordinances as tethering may be illegal.
Confinement in a building, kennel, or crate is likely the safest means of preventing escape.
Confinement in a car should not be considered an option.
As a pet owner, it is important to make decisions about housing your pet before getting the pet.
When pets are removed from confinement, owners must maintain control of them. The likelihood of injury to your pet or others increases greatly when pets are not properly controlled. A collar, a harness, and leash of appropriate fit and strength are important items to use whenever your pet is not confined.
Having the physical ability to restrain your pet is also essential. Obedience training classes provide a good means of establishing control and teaching your pet to respond to your commands.
You should be equipped for proper restraint when you get a pet and whenever it is out of confinement or off of your property. It is not a good idea to leash-tie a pet when you are not present, as it might escape or have unwanted or harmful interaction with people.
Be careful not to allow a child to have sole control of a pet, especially if the pet is large, strong, or has behavioral control issues.
Sometimes, despite the best attempts at pet confinement and control, animals escape and get loose. It is important for pets to have identification.
An ID tag with owner information has long been an option, but since pets often slip out of their collars, a more reliable means of identification has become available. An information-containing microchip (about the size of a rice grain) is embedded under loose skin and can be read using a scanner.[3]
Each chip has an identifying number that can be used to find owner information electronically. Microchip placement is done with a needle and the process is similar to a pet receiving a vaccination—it only takes a few seconds and in most cases requires no sedation. Veterinarians can both place chips and scan animals for identification. Many animal control offices and shelters are equipped with scanners, as well.
To find out more information about pet ID microchips or pricing in your area, contact local veterinary clinics or visit their web sites.
Prevent Pet Illness
Keeping your pet healthy is an essential part of responsible pet ownership. Many diseases of pets are easily picked up from other animals, and they are spread just as easily. Some illnesses can be treated and cured fairly simply, but some cannot. Prevention is key to avoiding most serious pet related diseases.
Dogs, cats and other domestic animals should be vaccinated to protect them from diseases spread by viruses. Unvaccinated pets face unnecessary health risks as well as expensive treatment. Your pet should also be protected from another type of health problem—parasites, such as intestinal worms, heartworms, fleas and ticks. This can be easily done with medicines given by mouth or applied to the skin. (8)
When you get a new pet, you should find out its vaccination and deworming history, as well as any medical problems or treatments it has experienced. If you take in a stray without this history, you should assume it has not had preventive care and act accordingly.
Your veterinarian can determine a vaccination regime that will provide the safest and best protection for your pet.
Basic preventive care is not only important to your pet’s health, it is generally required to board your pet, travel with your pet, or attend pet-related events and facilities. Diseases can spread rapidly where animals encounter one another, particularly among animals that have not been vaccinated.
It is very important that you discuss with your veterinarian what vaccinations, and vaccination intervals, are best for your pet. The type of pet you have, its age, medical history, environment, travel habits and over all lifestyle are all important considerations in setting up routine medical check-ups and vaccinations.
Most likely your veterinarian will recommend a minimum of what are considered routine “core vaccines” for a healthy pet. More extensive medical intervention may be necessary should your pet have a health and medical condition.
The usual core vaccination for dogs are the Canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies. Additionally, various canine influenza vaccines are becoming more standard especially for dogs that are boarded, go to day care, or spend time at dog parks. The canine influenza viruses are exceptionally contagious. Protecting your dog from this fast spreading and easily transmitted flu viruses can be done through proper and routine vaccinations.
There are a number of other non-core dog vaccinations that are available. These include vaccinations for Bordetella (bronchiseptica), Borrelia (burgodrferi), and Leptospira bacteria.
Discuss additional vaccinations with your veterinarian to be sure your pet is fully and properly protected from these additional health threats. Also inquire into whether there are any new animal health and medical findings or break-throughs that might benefit your pet.
Cats have similar core vaccinations. These include feline distemper (Panleukopenia), feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus type I (rhinotracheities), and of course rabies.
There are several other non-core cat vaccinations that are available. These include vaccinations for the Feline leukemia virus, Bordetella, Chlamydophila felis and feline immunodeficiency virus. (7)
Some vaccinations, such as for rabies, are required by state or local law. Be sure to check your local and state laws as well as with your veterinarian to learn what vaccinations are both recommended based on your pet’s health need, and required by law.
In addition to diseases, pest that can infest your pet present a health hazard. Fleas and ticks are not only a nuisance and an irritant, they can also present a serious health risk to your pet and to you.
Fleas can live up to 12 months on your pet and produce millions of offspring.
Fleas live off your pet’s blood. Many fleas can consume large amounts of blood leaving your pet literally drained. For young puppies and kittens, this can quickly become life threatening.
Ticks are equally, if not more dangerous for your pet and for you. Ticks feed on blood by borrowing their heads into the skin of the host (your pet or you!)
Once there, a tick causes blood loss as it eats from the host, produces skin irritations and infections. A tick can also infect the host body (you or your pet!) with the serious and perhaps debilitating Lyme Disease. Ticks can also carry other serious diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to your pet.
Once you bring your pet home, knowing and monitoring your pet’s daily medical and health needs keeps your pet and you healthy and safe.
As additional note, large and exotic animals, as well as livestock, are often governed by special laws and regulations. These special laws and regulations cover required vaccinations, special housing and confinement, restrictions on transportation, and special terms, conditions and licenses if such animals are sold.
For owners of dogs and cats who do not intend to breed the animal, it is widely recommended that the pet be surgically altered to prevent reproduction. These procedures are most commonly referred to as spaying (for female animals) and neutering (for males), and they are often required as part of animal adoption from shelters and other rescue organizations.
In addition to preventing unplanned kittens and puppies, altering a pet has health benefits. In females, early spaying dramatically reduces the occurrence of certain forms of cancer. Neutered males are far less likely to escape and become injured when trying to reach females in heat. (This is a common source of trauma in both dogs and cats.)
Your veterinarian can determine the best age to have your new pet altered, but many veterinarians consider it safe for pets to be spayed or neutered as early as eight to twelve weeks of age. (9) Your veterinarian can also talk with you a spaying or neutering older and adult animals. If cost is an issue, some rescue groups and shelters have low-cost arrangements with certain veterinary clinics.
Special licenses or permits may also be required to import, export, purchase, own, trade, or breed certain exotic animals. There are local, state, and federal laws that prohibit ownership of certain exotic or endangered animals.
If you have or own a large and/or exotic animal please check your local, state, as well, as federal laws to see if owning, working or selling these animals are allowed, and if so, under what terms and conditions.
Regardless of your choice of pet, it is a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about emergency situations. Some questions to ask your veterinarian:
- Is 24-hour service available at the office?
- Do they in office staffing during holidays or vacations or do they refer to nearby offices?
- Does the office provide emergency care?
- If not, is there a preferred animal emergency clinic or hospital nearby?
- Who do you call if your pet eats something you feel is poisonous?
Talking with your veterinarian’s office about an emergency plan will help you protect your pet and get the needed care as quickly as possible – Always have a plan in place before you need it. (11)
Sometimes having a pet can be costly. Before taking on a pet, you should be aware of the animal’s needs and be prepared for illness or emergencies. The occurrence of problems and cost can be greatly reduced if you provide your pet’s basic needs, properly confine and restrain it, schedule regular check-ups, and exercise preventive health measures including vaccinations, parasite control, spaying and neutering. This will give your pet a greater likelihood of having a long, healthy life, and can help you cut pet care cost.