2022 – New Pet, New You!

Bye-bye 2021 and hello to 2022!
Incredible to think of all the things we all went through in the past 12 months – lock downs, hot spots, masks, multiple nose swabs… the list goes on and on! We’ve all been through so much, and so have our pets! But for them, it’s probably been in a more positive way – being able to spend more time with us while we’ve been either choosing to stay home, or whether we were having to work from home.
But this year can only be better –surely?! And why not kick start the year with some goals that will help keep on top of looking after your pets! Here’s some New Year resolution ideas that can help you give your pet the best & healthiest year yet!

Mark on your calendar when your pet is due for flea & worming
If you already know that you give your pet treatment on a monthly or 3-monthly basis, make a note on your calendar, whether that be on your phone or on the one on the wall of your kitchen (or wherever you hang your calendar!). You can even set a reminder for the week before they’re due to make sure you’ve purchased some; ready to go! This way they’ll be well protected all year round, and you won’t need to try and remember!

Pre-book your pets’ vaccination appointments
Usually, on your fur-baby’s vaccination certificates, it will tell you when their vaccination is next due. You can either pre-book these for the next year, or at the beginning of the year, call us up & find out when they’re due and make a booking. That way you’re locked in, and you won’t forget to book it. Of course, sometimes you might have to cancel or rebook; we understand that life does get in the way- but know we’re only a phone call away, and can easily reschedule appointments.

Pre-book your new pet’s desexing surgery
Did you get a new puppy or kitten for Christmas? Firstly- how exciting!! Secondly – we know how overwhelming they can be to look after, as there’s so much you need to do in the first 6 months of their lives! When you come in for their first/second vaccination, book them in for desexing straight away. Female and male pets can be desexing from 5-6months of age, which means that not long after their vaccinations are done, they’re due for surgery!

Don’t forget about your pets’ teeth!
A major part of our pets’ health that seems to be forgotten about are our pet’s dental health. Like humans, our four-legged fur-kids should ideally have a yearly scale and polish to help maintain dental health and reduce the risks of dental disease and tooth/gum loss. We cannot rely purely on dry food and dental treats to do the job. Though they are vital to help keep dental disease at bay, scale and polishes are usually still required to help upkeep the well-being of our pets’ mouths. To get the process started, make sure to book a consultation with one of our vets to do a mouth examination and to discuss the procedure. Some pets may need blood testing done too, to make sure they will be safe to have an anaesthetic. Once this has all been done, then we can book in for the dental procedure to happen.

Don’t leave things ‘til the last minute
Isn’t this on everyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions? “I’m going to be more organised” or “I’m going to make sure I do this”. It goes the same for our pets! If you notice something, or something doesn’t seem right – go with your gut instinct. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and we don’t mind if you book in something and you’re not sure if it’s serious or not. Make bookings when you first notice something off with your pet. You know them best, and sometimes certain situations can be fixed quicker the earlier they are noticed.

Kick-start your pets weight loss journey
Another VERY common New Year’s resolution everybody hears – “I’m going to lose 10kg!” If you’ve got a cuddlier pet that needs to lose weight– start helping them now! A great first step is to rule out medical reasons for your pets weight gain. But if you know they’ve upped the numbers on the scale through their diet or by all the ‘treats’ you fed them over the Christmas break, then it’s only up to you to help them lose the weight. Change them to a proper weight loss food, cut back on the treats and cut out wet food, increase the exercise and weigh them regularly to make sure your changes are helping them lose weight. If you want a bit of help, we have a successful free weight loss program here that can help you – call us and ask about how you can get your pet in!

Every New Years is a great reason to make new changes to your pet’s life style! And these changes will be for the better for your pet. And will give you some peace of mind that they are living their best and healthiest life!