Did you know that October is Pet Wellness Month? While we believe that every month should be pet wellness month as our pets are so important to us, a month dedicated to raising awareness of pet wellness and on educating pet owners about the importance of wellness examinations and disease prevention can only be a good thing! There are many steps you can take toward keeping your pets healthy and this is something every pet owner should want to achieve.  After all, a healthy animal is a happy animal! So, to help you to make sure you’re on the right track, we’ve pulled together our top eight tips for keeping your pet healthy, so they can live a long and happy life as your trusted friend.

1. Keep your pet at a healthy weight. A roly poly puppy or chubby kitten might look cute, but carrying extra fat is not good for your pet’s health. At the same time, an overly skinny pet is no healthier as it has no reserves in case of illness.
2. Make sure your pet gets regular exercise. Not only will this help you to achieve number one above and keep your pet’s cardiovascular system in good health, but regular aerobic exercise will also help keep your pet mentally stimulated and help to avoid behavioral problems. However, assuming your dog has access to a yard is not enough – they need to get moving! This can be great for your health too as a dog can make the perfect workout partner. However, do also bear in mind that over exercise can lead to a sore and limping animal which is no good either. A few short walks may be a better option and can give just as much healthy exercise with no damage, especially for the older pet.
3. Feed a balanced, nutritious diet. Much of the commercial pet food on the market today is the animal equivalent of junk food and is just not good for your pet. A raw food diet is the closest to a natural diet for carnivores that we can achieve and dogs that eat a natural diet live longer, healthier lives and supplements can help balance a raw food diet when needed.
4. Seek natural ways to support your pet’s health. Just as is the case for us humans, a more holistic and natural approach to caring for your pets is becoming ever more beneficial in today’s modern society.
5. Have your veterinarian examine your pet at least once a year to make sure he or she is healthy and to help detect any potential problems early.
6. Vaccinate your pet against potentially deadly diseases such as distemper, parvo, panleukopenia and rabies, but avoid over-vaccination by blood testing to see what (if any) vaccinations need to be repeated rather than just routinely giving them. But remember that some vaccinations are mandatory in certain states and countries and so must be given.
7. Keep your pet free of parasites (fleas and ticks, heartworm, etc.) – consult your veterinarian for the best product for your pet and consider the wide range of natural alternatives to chemical wormers on the market today, such as HomeoPet’s WRM Clear.
8. Spay or neuter your pet. By spaying or neutering your pet, you’ll help to control the pet homelessness crisis, which results in millions of healthy dogs and cats being euthanized each year simply because there aren’t enough homes to go around. There are also medical and behavioral benefits to spaying (female pets) and neutering (male pets) your animals, as spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats and neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems. There are also many behavioural benefits as your spayed female pet won’t go into heat and your male dog will be less likely to roam away from home. Do be aware of the different types of neutering such as organ conserving neutering. Recent research has shown that while neutering does reduce reproductive related cancers, it can increase other cancers. Organ sparing neutering can give the best of both worlds.