Keeping Your Pet Healthy
Animal care not only means TLC, but also care, first aid, nutrition, and exercise.
Care - The number one thing that should always be addressed is if your pet is eating, drinking, and pooping regularly. Normal care also includes hygiene. Brushing your pet's teeth on a regular basis can help prevent costly dental bills that could occur in the future. As far as bathing is concerned, make sure you know what the requirements for your pet breed is in terms of frequency. For example, Beagles, unless they play in a mud bath, only require two baths in year. Normally, the oily sheen they secrete from their coat is adequate in repelling dirt and washing them too frequently dries out their skin.
First Aid - If you don't have a first aid kit in your car, consider having one for emergency preparedness. You can include items that people and pets could use such as band-aids, topical creams, water bottles, and flashlights. Accidents can happen any time. When it comes to our pets things to look out for include:
Exposure to poison
Back Injuries
Blunt force trauma
Broken leg
Burns
Heart Issues requiring CPR
Consider taking Pet CPR for the tools and knowledge you need in case of an emergency.
Nutrition - Be sure to feed your pet the diet he/she requires for nutritional needs. Follow your vet's instructions so that your pet gets the proteins and vitamins appropriate for their breed, weight, and age. Different ages may require different things. For instance, puppies need a lot of food to grow healthy, while an elderly dog might need supplemental wet food.
Exercise - Exercise can also be considered TLC if you have an active pet. Regardless if your pet seeks out activity, all pets should have a regular exercise regimen. This includes walks, fetch, swimming, or playing for dogs and using cat toys for cats. Exercise helps both animals and people. But if you are a lazy person, here are some ideas for how to still get some exercise involved in your pet's life.