Since pets age so much faster than humans, it sometimes seems like we blink and they’ve reached their golden years. Older animals require different care than puppies and kittens do, so if your pet is suddenly a senior (around age seven for dogs and cats), your friends at Berkeley Veterinary Center have some helpful care tips for you:
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There’s nothing cuter than a child with a furry best friend. Close relationships with animals can help young children develop better speech habits and can even increase their empathy. Before you leave your young child in a room alone with a dog or cat, however, there are some steps you need to take to make sure your child knows how to interact with animals safely.
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Dogs are active creatures that need a certain amount of physical activity to stay healthy, mentally stimulated, and happy. With so many different breeds of so many different shapes and sizes, it can be difficult to determine how much exercise your dog might need. Your friends at Berkeley Veterinary Center want to help you figure out how much you need to keep your favorite canine moving to ensure he or she stays in the best shape.
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Although our furry friends cannot verbalize their discomfort with words, they do offer plenty of physical signals when something is amiss. Dog and cat allergies are just as common for our four-legged friends as human allergies are for us. Although they can be caused by a wide-range of allergens (including food, plants, pollen, dust mites, and even flea saliva), allergies in pets tend to present with similar symptoms. If you notice any of the following, it’s time to schedule an appointment at Berkeley Veterinary Center to see if allergies are the cause.
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Stress is a biological response that helps humans and animals avoid dangers in the wild. In the modern world, many of these stressors are no longer life-threatening and instead make us feel nervous, anxious, or unsure doing normal activities. Pets can also experience stress, and just like in humans, prolonged stress can lead to changes in behavior or health in animals. Recognizing signs of stress in pets is an important element of overall health and wellness.
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As pet owners, we have our work cut out for us. We are not only tasked with maintaining the overall health and wellness of our furry friends—it’s essential for us to preserve their happiness and comfort too.
However, none of this is possible without keeping safety in mind. Keeping pets out of trouble can be a challenge! By reducing possible exposure to toxins, you can prevent pet poisoning. Knowing how to store household cleaners, medications, and other hazards can go a long way towards keeping your furry friends safe from unnecessary toxin exposure.
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Pets have strong (and often adorable) opinions about many aspects of their daily lives. Not all of these opinions are good, which can make it hard to do things like brush their teeth. Sometimes, pet ownership involves doing what’s best for a pet despite their discomfort, frustration, and heated stand-offs (think giving them a bath or attempting to trim their nails).
Brushing a pet’s teeth may be included on the list of things you both would rather not do, but it’s easier than you might think.
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Whether you’ve had your pet since they were young, or you adopted an older pet, living with a middle-aged or senior dog or cat has its perks. Older pets tend to grow out of the desire to wander from home and jump up on people, they understand our ways, and they offer a calm, reassuring presence whenever they’re nearby.
Having an older pet often means providing a little extra TLC when it comes to their daily care, especially if they have age-related conditions like arthritis. This painful ailment commonly affects older and middle-aged pets and can greatly reduce their quality of life. Getting a handle on arthritis in pets as early as possible is the key to keeping them comfortable and pain-free throughout their golden years.
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Some people think cats make great pets because you can leave them home alone for long stretches of time. Many believe that cats don’t require much interaction, and are content to simply “do their own thing”.
This couldn’t be further from the truth!
Cats are actually highly social animals that thrive in a stimulating environment. They are creatures of habit, loyal companions, and intuitive housemates. Cats give their people so much, and they deserve the attention they need to maintain lifelong cat health.
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Like humans, pets are susceptible to a multitude of dangerous contagious viruses and bacteria. Prior to the advent of vaccines, many pets suffered from these illnesses and often suffered an early death. Thankfully, veterinary science has developed safe and effective vaccines for many diseases, and these have saved countless animals from needless suffering.
While vaccinations have safeguarded countless pets from disease, some pet owners are still skeptical. Are vaccinations necessary for your pet’s health? The team of veterinary experts at Berkeley Veterinary Center is here to explain this important topic.
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