Help me quit that tablet scrap habit. Your food smells so good. I can’t help but look up and beg for a yummy morsel. Please help me by not giving in to my pleading eyes. I am not actually hungry. All of those scraps lead to weight gain which can lead to several health problems including diabetes and arthritis. The rich and spicy scraps can cause an upset tummy and cause an even more serious condition called pancreatitis. You can help me to stop begging by moving me to another room or putting me in my crate so I know that I will not be getting anything from your plate.
Help me prevent parasites all of the time. It is cold and snowy out and I can’t roll around in the grass but this does not mean we don’t need to worry about parasites. January 1st – this is a great chance to get into the habit of always giving me preventatives for heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks on the first of the month. You could even add a reminder to your smart phone so you won’t ever forget. If tomorrow warms up above freezing those ticks will be out and bite me in no time. Even if it stays cold, I could meet up with another animal that is carrying fleas and more than happy to share. The snow will not kill all of the parasite eggs out there. My strong sense of smell will find that wild animal poop. It’s even yummier as a frozen poopsicle!
Help me have a healthier mouth. You brush your teeth every day. So should I. But I need your help. (((SEE OUR BLOG ON HOW TO BRUSH TEETH HERE)). They even make toothpaste flavors that I love. If I have a tartar then taking me for a professional dental cleaning with my doctor will give me a fresh clean mouth that you will be able to keep really clean with daily brushing.
Let’s get more exercise together. An extra walk every day will help both of us feel better and lose that extra pound or few. Even indoors, getting out those toys and playing a game will be stress relieving and fun for us both. Let’s aim for adding 20 minutes of active play, walking or bonding every day. This will benefit both your health and mine.
Get me up-to-date on all of my preventative vet care. I want to stay healthy and know that I am fully covered if I run into a friend at a dog park or need to unexpectedly stay in a kennel. Did you know it’s actually illegal for me to have a lapse on my Rabies vaccine. I like to follow the rules.
Look into pet health insurance if you do not already have it for me. I want to be sure that you can afford to give me the best care possible if I get sick or have a misadventure with some pet mischief.