If you are a pet owner, you know one of the most important factors in your relationship with your pet is their health. Your pet can add a lot of fun to your life as well as being a great companion and keep you safe. You will need to keep an eye out for any changes in your pet’s behavior such as loss of appetite, drinking excessive amounts of water, gaining or losing weight rapidly, behavior that is strange for your particular pet, your pet being overly tired or sluggish, having trouble standing or sitting, or any strange bumps or lumps. Other things to watch for would be if there is any abnormal discharges from nose, eyes, or other openings, any scratching, licking, or biting excessively, or loss of hair. If you notice any of those then you need to contact your veterinarian and let them have a look.

There is one type of illness to keep an eye out for which can effect both cats and dogs. That illness is Heartworm. There is an infection as well as disease. Heartworm infection is where the parasites are, and doesn’t mean that your dog is sick at this point. Heartworm disease is where your pet is sick. You can keep your pet from getting heartworm disease by visiting your vet on a regular check-up as well as giving your pet heartworm treatments you can purchase from your vet. Other than the major things to keep an eye out for, you also need to do the regular things to keep your pet healthy. The first activity in keeping your animals healthy is to bathe and groom them regularly. If you own a dog then you need to regularly brush, bathe, and take care of its nails. Be sure to protect your dog’s eyes and ears when you bathe it and dry it off, not allowing it to become chilled. If you have a puppy be sure it’s older than 12 weeks before bathing on a routine basis.

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