Most of us find pets adorable to play with. But, just like human babies, loving a pet and caring for one are two totally different things. If you are a pet lover and want to take the leap from loving the idea of owning a pet to actually keeping one, here are some tips to help you make the transition. PetKonnect’s Devanshi Shah breaks down the tips that can enable you to bring home your very own pet.
Food & Nutrition
We are all familiar with those pets who hang around the dinner table and stare pleadingly at anyone with some food on their plate. Unlike human toddlers, unless a pet is sick, it can and will demand food anytime, anywhere. This is why pet-training goes a long way in ensuring you don’t end up with an over-weight pet.
Among dogs, the Labradors tend to put on a lot of weight unless trained to curb their foody ways. Besides training your dog to not demand food when he sees you eating, providing meals at a fixed time every day, and ensure your pet gets adequate exercise in the outdoors. These measures go a long way in keeping your pet healthy. I would recommend you feed your dog homely food, and talk about supplementation with the vet. Fancy dog food isn’t necessarily the best diet for them.
Health
From my own experience with my dog, Hazel, who passed away after we weren’t able to give her a blood transfusion during a health crisis, I’ve learnt the importance of having your pet’s blood-work in place as a precautionary measure. Besides all the vaccinations being administered in a timely manner (consult your pet’s vet), you must get their blood-work done routinely.
You may need to undertake regular check-ups for heavy panting, eye problems and weight. I would recommend all routine blood-work once in four months to monitor overall health of your dog. Some of the other specifics you should pay attention to is oral health, regular vaccination, worm and parasite protection, and grooming and skincare. A lot of the medical attention your pet needs also depends on its gender, age and breed of the dog.
Creating The Right Conditions
If you are getting a pedigree dog, especially an imported breed like a husky or a furry little Tibetan Apso, you need to ensure your home is temperature-controlled and not cruel on a pet who was meant to be in very different climatic conditions from the hot and humid climates of our country.
Conversely, many parts of the country get extremely cold in the winters, and in such conditions too you need a warm and dry atmosphere for your pet to be in. Do pay attention to the kind of environment you are creating in terms of temperature for your pet, and older and young pets tend to be susceptible to various diseases, or conditions if their immunity isn’t strong enough in extreme weather.
Socialisation
Besides physical parameters like health and weather conditions, your pet’s emotional state of being is crucial to his or her wellbeing. This starts from the time your dog is a puppy and between weeks four and eight needs to interact with other humans and dogs to learn how to have a healthy and harmonious relationship with his or her environment.
When dogs aren’t made to socialize adequately, this could make them neurotic and uneasy, which in turn may affect the health of the pet. A big part of pet parenting is also improvisation, so once you have the basics like food, shelter and emotionally bonding in place, I’m sure you’ll also learn from instinct with your furry little charge. Good luck!
