New Year’s Resolutions for Your Pets

 Happy New Year! I know many of us try to set some New Year’s resolutions. We vow to get in shape, go on a diet, eat better, read more books, watch less television. What about our pets? What if they made New Year’s resolutions? Here’s a few resolutions our dog and cat friends could think about.
1. Weight loss. I can’t help it, it’s the most common New Year’s resolution. Unless your animals are free fed (and some do well with monitoring their food intake), their weight gain is our fault. We feed too much. We exercise too little.
2. Do better with oral hygiene. My dog probably thinks this means she should stop eating rabbit poop (and she should), but mainly because she tries to lick me in the face immediately after snacking! No, I mean periodontal disease. Second to obesity, dental disease or periodontal disease is the most common disease we see in animals. Brushing, chews, and special dental diets can all help. However, a thorough dental cleaning is best to fully evaluate the mouth and look for any sign of diseased teeth or infection. Treat your pet to a healthy mouth!
3. Improved enrichment. Buy Fido or Fluffy a new toy. Go for a walk, go for a hike. Go camping and take the dogs. It gets boring staying at home all day while we work. Take some time with your pets to keep them active and happy.
4. Go to the vet. I know most animals do not enjoy coming to see me. The car ride alone can be stressful. But preventative care with routine physical exams is the best way to find problems early and treat them before you see symptoms. We try our best to keep the veterinary hospital low stress with towels, treats, and happy faces!
Have a wonderful 2018 and come see us to talk about those New Year’s resolutions!
Stevenson Ranch Veterinary Center is located at 25832 Hemingway Avenue in Santa Clarita. For more information, please call 661-799-0655 and visit www.srvc.com.