5 Ways to keep your pet healthy

BY Joao Torres

22nd Aug 2023 Inspire

We all love our pets, but keeping them healthy during a cost-of-living crisis can be hard. Here are five ways you can keep your pet healthy

We all want to keep our pets in the best health for as long as we can. As a pet owner, the last thing you would want to find out is that they haven’t taken proper care of your furry friend, or that you haven’t exercised or fed your pet properly.

There are measures that can be taken to keep your pet well and healthy, and all pet owners have a duty to do this.

Dr Joao Torres, Chief Veterinary Officer at Snoots Vet, explains five ways to keep your pet healthy so you can enjoy as much time with them as possible.

1. Good nutrition

A woman feeding her dog from a bowl on the floor in the kitchen

The food you feed your dog is important to consider as it can affect their health. Credit: Prostock-studio

It is very important that your pet receives the right nutrition. Like humans, dogs need a balanced diet - this is a mix of minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats and fibre.

During a cost-of-living crisis, it can be very tempting to get much cheaper pet food. If you do, check that this is good quality food that will still benefit them.

2. Proper knowledge and advice

A woman sitting on the floor with her dog while she researches on her smartphone

Doing research about your pet is important in understanding their needs. Credit: g-stockstudio

There is so much uncontrolled information in the public domain that it can be easy to be misled or misguided. That is why, to keep your pet healthy, it is so important to explore reliable sources of information and take on the advice of vets and other experts in the industry. That way, you know you can trust what you are being told.

"To keep your pet healthy, it is so important to explore reliable sources of information and take on the advice of vets"

3. Vaccinate your pets

Vaccines can save your dog's life, protecting them from disease. Credit: SeventyFour

Vaccines aren’t perfect, but from a scientific and academic point of view, there are more positives than negatives. My advice would be to always vaccinate your pet, but you need to be aware of the risks and make an informed decision.

Being vaccinated ensures that your pet is protected against diseases that could have a huge impact on them.

4. Ensure they get exercise

It’s obvious, but you would be surprised at the number of people that have puppy pads on their balconies, so they don't have to walk their dogs to let them go to the toilet.

"Enabling your pet to be active ensures that they stay at a healthy weight and are less likely to develop health conditions"

Exercise could be playing with your cat, it could be throwing a ball for your dog in the park, but enabling your pet to be active ensures that they stay at a healthy weight and are less likely to develop health conditions.

5. Interaction

A cat rubbing herself against a dog on grass

Pet interaction is not only normal, but healthy. Credit: photo_Pawel

If your pet is friendly with others, let them interact with them. Don’t forget to let your pet interact with nature too. People often get so caught up in the busyness of their own life and rush their pets through a walk. Interaction is so important so your pet can be curious, lower cortisol levels (stress hormone) and limit loneliness.

Banner Credit: Happy dog (Tatomm)