{"id":2114,"date":"2016-05-01T06:29:28","date_gmt":"2016-05-01T06:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aercmn.com\/?p=2114"},"modified":"2016-05-01T06:29:28","modified_gmt":"2016-05-01T06:29:28","slug":"10-things-every-pet-owner-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/10-things-every-pet-owner-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Things Every Pet Owner Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Do you own a pet? Or are you considering adopting a pet? A pet requires specific care and commitments. Here are ten things that every pet owner or potential pet owner needs to know in order to give a pet the happy, healthy life he or she deserves!<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Do Your Research:<\/strong>\u00a0Before bringing a new pet home, get to know as much about that animal as possible. Learn about diet, housing, behavior, common health conditions, activity requirements, grooming needs, etc. \u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2115 alignright\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Dr_-E_-and-Sally-examine-belly-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Routine Veterinary Care:<\/strong>\u00a0Routine examinations, vaccinations, spay and neuter procedures and dental work can help prevent an enormous number of health conditions. A physical exam can reveal a condition early and allow you to start treatment before it becomes more severe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Veterinary Funds:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Taking care of a pet\u2019s medical needs is part of the responsibility that goes with taking home that new puppy or kitten. \u00a0Credit options may be available to you, but are not a guarantee. Consider pet insurance and adding a bit more to your savings account every paycheck.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t Delay:<\/strong>\u00a0It is tempting to avoid veterinary bills by just hoping your pet gets better on their own. Unfortunately, there are many instances of pets suffering and even dying from conditions that have straightforward solutions if treatment is started right away. Waiting to seek veterinary care often results in the pet being more sick at the time of treatment. This means the necessary treatment may be more involved and expensive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What to Feed:<\/strong>\u00a0You should know what food is appropriate for your pet. \u00a0Kibble can be formulated with all the nutrition and vitamins that your pet requires. \u00a0You should use a brand and type of food that was designed specifically for the species (dog, cat, ferret, etc.) of your pet. \u00a0Special diets are also available for a variety of ages and health conditions. Discuss these diets with your veterinarian. Avoid feeding human food.<\/li>\n<li><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2116 alignright\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/dog-843800-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/>Don\u2019t Overfeed:<\/strong>\u00a0Overfeeding is very common, and obesity can lead to a variety of metabolic and musculoskeletal problems. Your veterinarian can help you determine the appropriate amount to feed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Housing:<\/strong>\u00a0The environment your pet lives in plays a huge role in both preventing and causing a variety of health and behavioral problems. Dogs should be indoor pets or have adequate outdoor shelter. Cats need places to hide and play. If you have multiple cats, you need multiple litter boxes and water bowls. Make sure the environment is safe and \u201cpet proof\u201d. Ensure that there are no toxins, medication or objects pets can swallow or otherwise injure themselves on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Control:<\/strong>\u00a0Cars, other pets, wildlife, and people are all potential threats to a free-ranging pet. Bites, lacerations, severe trauma, infectious diseases and more can all be prevented if you maintain control of your pet. Keep your dog in a fenced-in yard and\/or walk it on a leash. \u00a0Find dog parks where small dog exercise areas are separate from large dog areas. Keep your cat indoors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Surf Carefully:<\/strong>\u00a0The internet is full of information on just about every symptom or ailment that Fluffy might have. Consider the source of that information; is it an authoritative veterinary organization, your own veterinary clinic, or are you in the comments section of a YouTube video? Don\u2019t try to Google-diagnose Fluffy\u2019s condition. The best thing you can do is provide your veterinarian with a thorough description of the symptoms that you have noticed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exotic Pet Care:<\/strong>\u00a0Unfortunately, it is common for exotic pets to see their veterinarian for illnesses that could have been prevented by proper housing and care. For reptiles, birds and small mammals living primarily in enclosed environments, you need appropriate bedding material, adequate access to water and food, proper temperatures, lighting, suitable perching or hiding structures and some safe enrichment items. Clean regularly and often. \u00a0Thorough research is particularly important with exotics because of their diversity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you have questions about your current pet\u2019s care or if you have questions that you want answered before adopting a certain type of pet, contact your family veterinarian for more information. If you do not have a family veterinarian yet, there are plenty of options in the Twin Cities area, such as one of our\u00a0<a href=\"\/blog\/home\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">member clinics<\/a>\u00a0in your neighborhood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you own a pet? Or are you considering adopting a pet? A pet requires specific care and commitments. Here are ten things that every pet owner or potential pet owner needs to know in order to give a pet the happy, healthy life he or she deserves! Do Your Research:\u00a0Before bringing a new pet [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>10 Things Every Pet Owner Should Know | Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/10-things-every-pet-owner-should-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Things Every Pet Owner Should Know | Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do you own a pet? 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