As we ring in the new year, many of us are setting our own personal goals for a healthier lifestyle, which makes it the perfect time to include your furry and scaly family members!
Here are some helpful tips to keep your pet happy, healthy, and active in 2025!
Healthy Weight Tips
Portion Control:
Evaluating your pet’s diet to ensure they’re receiving age-appropriate and breed specific nutrition. Feeding guidelines on pet food packaging is a great place to start, but every pet is unique. Ask us about personalized feeding recommendations based on your pet’s age, breed and activity level.
Healthy Treat Choices:
Treats should make up no more than 10% of your pet’s daily calorie intake. Consider low-calorie options like carrots or green beans for dogs, and portion controlling treats for cats.
Scheduling Regular Weigh-ins:
Monitoring your pet’s weight can help catch small changes before they become bigger issues.
Staying Active
Daily walks and Playtime:
Regular exercise helps manage a healthy weight and supports joint health. Consider indoor activities to keep them active during the colder months.
Interactive Toys:
Treat-dispensing toys or activity mats can keep your pet mentally and physically stimulated while you’re busy.
Exercise:
Regular exercise helps manage a healthy weight and supports joint health. Consider indoor activities to keep them active during the colder months.
Annual Physical Exams
Early Detection:
Many health problems, such as dental disease, arthritis, and organ dysfunction can develop gradually over time. Scheduling annual exams for your pet allows your pet’s Veterinarian the ability to detect and address many of those issues early, often preventing more serious complications.
Preventative Care:
Vaccinations, parasite prevention, and routine bloodwork help protect pets from avoidable diseases and illnesses. Regular exams ensure your pet stays up to date on necessary preventative measures tailored to their age, lifestyle, and environment.
Peace of Mind:
Pets age faster than humans and significant changes can occur within a years time. Routine check ups with your pet’s Veterinary team helps establish a comprehensive healthy history, by tracking weight, behavior and other health metrics, which can be invaluable for diagnosing future conditions or emergencies.
Here’s a Look at What’s Coming Up
February is National Dental Awareness Month
A dental cleaning, also known as a professional dental prophylaxis, is an anesthetic procedure that removes plaque and tartar from the pet’s teeth and assesses overall oral health by offering dental x-rays used to determine the integrity of each tooth. It is an important part of preventative care that can help prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and other abnormalities.
Following American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, Narra Veterinary Clinic only does cleanings and dental work on anesthetized pets.
To ensure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia, we do require a current annual exam and routine blood work within 90 days of the dental procedure.