Health Tips For Your Pets: As pet parents and caretakers of community dogs, it is always heartbreaking to see our furry babies suffer. Be it constant itching due to ticks and fleas or an injury, we make sure they are treated with the right medicines and are under constant observation of the vets. While these are some situations from which pets can recover, illnesses like seizures or epilepsy can be tricky to deal with. But worry not! Where there is a will, there is a way. But first, let’s understand what epilepsy and seizures are.
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Understanding epilepsy in pets
Epilepsy is a neurological condition and a genetic disorder caused due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. In layman’s terms, it’s also referred to as getting seizures and fits, the latter being more commonly used. The difference between epilepsy and seizure is of episodes. A single episode of a fit is called a seizure. But when multiple episodes of seizures occur, it is called epilepsy.
Understanding seizures in pets
Seizures are highly unpredictable, unforeseeable and can last anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds. They can be extremely traumatic to your pet’s mind. That’s why pets suffering from episodes of seizures have to be given special care and attention.
Prevent Parasites
Fleas are the most common external parasite that can plague pets, and they can lead to irritated skin, hair loss, hot spots, and infection. Fleas can also introduce other parasites into your cat or dog. All it takes is for your pet to swallow one flea, and it can to end up with tapeworms, the most common internal parasite affecting dogs and cats.
Year-round prevention is key. Regular flea and intestinal parasite control, as well as heartworm prevention in endemic areas is important.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Many dogs and cats are overweight or obese. And just like people, obesity in pets comes with health risks that include diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.
Overfeeding is the leading cause of obesity, says Douglas, who adds that keeping our pets trim can add years to their lives.
Because pets need far fewer calories than most of us think — as little as 185-370 a day for a small, inactive dog; just 240-350 calories daily for a 10-pound cat — talk to your vet, who can make feeding suggestions based on your pet’s age, weight, and lifestyle.
Get Regular Vaccinations
For optimal health, pets need regular vaccinations against diseases such as rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, and canine hepatitis.
How often your dog or cat needs to be immunized depends on their age, lifestyle, health, and risks so talk to your vet about the vaccinations that make sense for your pet.
Provide an Enriched Environment
An enriched environment is another key to the long-term health and welfare of your canine and feline friends.
Pets need mental stimulation which may mean daily walks for your pooch, and scratching posts, window perches, and toys for your cat. It means play time with you, which not only keeps your pet’s muscles toned and boredom at bay, it also strengthens your bond with your four-footed companions.
Proper Restraint in a Vehicle
You buckle up for safety when you’re in the car, shouldn’t your pet? Unrestrained pets in a car are a distraction to the driver, and can put driver and pet at risk for serious injury. To keep pets safe in transit:
- Never allow pets to travel in the front seat, where they’re at risk of severe injury or death if the airbag deploys.
- Don’t let dogs ride with their head out the window or untethered in the back of a truck bed. Both practices put them at risk of being thrown from the vehicle in the event of an accident.
- To keep pets safe, confine cats to carriers, then secure the carrier with a seatbelt. For dogs, there’s the option of a special harness attached to a seat belt, or a well-secured kennel.
