National Animal Safety and Protection Month
October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month, a month-long celebration promoting safe practices of caring for both domestic and wild animals.
We want to ensure your four-legged family members are safe and healthy all-year long. That’s why we put together these 10 helpful tips!
Flea and tick prevention: check out our blog for additional information on fleas and ticks. If you have questions on how to prevent them, give us a call, send us an email, or ask us at your next appointment.
Heartworm prevention: we prescribe heartworm preventative medicine as young as eight weeks of age, and we encourage you to do bloodwork on an annual basis. Read our blog for more information.
Keep poison away: remove harmful plants, food, medications, and cleaning supplies. The ASPCA has great resources with helpful information on which ones to avoid… and even an app you can download!
Save the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) to your phone so you have it in case of an emergency: 888-426-4435. They’re open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Fees may apply.
General wellness: stay up to date on vaccinations and routine wellness visits. Click here for dogs and here for cats.
Car safety: keep your pets safe during travel! We like this article for ways you can do just that.
Spay/neuter your pet: while a personal preference, we recommend speaking with your vet about the best option for your pet, some of which we discuss in this blog post.
Microchip your pet: make sure you can find your pet in case he/she gets lost! Check out this article for the benefits of microchipping!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: we cannot stress the importance of keeping your pet’s water bowl full, especially during the warmer summer months. And of course, never leave your pet unattended in the car!
Keep it tidy: for those who need to motivate roommates and family members to clean up after themselves, use your pet as an excuse! Ingesting items like socks and string can cause severe, sometimes fatal, consequences.
Spread the love: this goes without saying, but always shower your pets with lots of hugs and kisses! They deserve it!
Also, don’t forget that caring for animals extends outside your home. Some ways to do this are volunteering your time and money at local animal shelters, visiting the zoo, and spreading the word!