{"id":9094,"date":"2024-03-22T12:20:36","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T04:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=9094"},"modified":"2024-04-12T09:27:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T01:27:48","slug":"tips-for-supporting-pet-health-and-wellness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/tips-for-supporting-pet-health-and-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for supporting pet health and wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Four years since the onset of COVID-19, puppies and kittens adopted during the pandemic are now entering adulthood and pets adopted as adults are approaching their senior years. As a partner in complete pet care, Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. <\/a>is sharing veterinarian-recommended tips for supporting pets through life stage transitions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Just like humans, pets’ needs evolve throughout their lives and Petco offers the expertise, products and services essential to caring for their total wellness as they age,” said Petco’s Chief Veterinarian,\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM. “Across nutrition, activity level, veterinary care and more, puppies and kittens have very different needs from adult pets, and their needs change again as they become seniors. It’s critically important that pet parents understand the varying life stages and how they can help their pets live their healthiest, happiest lives at each milestone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Miller’s top tips include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vaccines are an essential part of every pet’s whole health. Puppies and kittens will need extra attention in this area, but adult and senior dogs and cats still require regular vaccines to protect them from contagious diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular Checkups<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Schedule regular veterinary visits, at minimum once per year, to help prevent and identify conditions early. As pets enter their senior years, a trusted veterinarian can diagnose and treat issues to help pets live longer, healthier lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pets’ nutritional needs change as they age.\u00a0Puppies\u00a0and\u00a0kittens\u00a0can benefit from unique calcium and phosphorous and specific formulations that help support their rapid growth and development. Adult pets may have new dietary sensitivities or needs and require a switch to a\u00a0weight management or limited-ingredient food. As pets settle into their\u00a0senior years,\u00a0joint\u00a0and\u00a0fatty acid\u00a0supplements can help ensure they are supporting mobility and skin and coat health. Petco offers a range of nutritional products to support every diet, budget and life stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Training is a lifelong practice for pets, and pet parents should not stop at puppyhood. Behavioral issues can arise at any life stage, and it’s never too late to learn new skills. With patience and dedication, pet parents can help their pets adjust to new routines, especially if the past four years have increased their pet’s separation and social anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grooming<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A regular grooming routine is essential to maintaining a pet’s health & wellness. Not only will regular appointments keep pets looking their best throughout their lifetime but also targeted\u00a0grooming packages\u00a0can help address issues such as fleas, shedding and itching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home Integration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From\u00a0puppy gates\u00a0to a\u00a0ramp\u00a0for senior pets, it’s important to consider implementing simple adaptations at home to best support pets at each life stage. As dogs and cats age, they may get stiff laying on their old bed and feel more comfortable on an\u00a0orthopedic bed. Both puppies and older dogs may need to have\u00a0potty pads\u00a0on hand, while adult dogs can benefit from\u00a0engaging toys\u00a0that help release their energy and strengthen cognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety Measures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One in three pets goes missing in their lifetime. Be sure to\u00a0microchip\u00a0pets, in addition to using an identification tag, for their safety. Also, register pets with\u00a0a free national lost and found database that uses patented image-recognition technology to help reunite lost pets with their families. As more pet parents register their pets, this can help curb the increase in stray and lost pets coming into shelters across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s critically important that pet parents understand the varying life stages and how they can help their pets live their healthiest, happiest lives at each milestone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":9095,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2432],"tags":[1410,1086,2238,1152],"class_list":["post-9094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-household-pets","tag-pet","tag-pet-adoption","tag-pet-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9094"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9096,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9094\/revisions\/9096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}