The brain may be the driving force behind your pet’s actions, but their heart is the engine that allows them to function. Caring for your pet’s heart by promoting heart-healthy habits and activities will help your precious pet to live an extensive, healthy life. Here are PetWow’s top three ways to maintain your pet’s heart health.
1. Protect Your Pet from Heartworms and Other Parasites
Maintaining a healthy heart for your pet means that you will need to keep their heart free of heartworms and other parasites. Heartworms are the most common parasite known to impact a dog or cat’s heart. These parasitic nematodes may enter the bloodstream of your pet if they are bitten by a mosquito who is a vector for these parasites.
The best way to ensure that heartworms do not find their way into your pet’s heart is to provide your pet with monthly preventative heartworm medications. Some may have reservations about giving such medications to their cat or dog because it may cost a few hundred dollars to purchase these medications every year.
However, this scenario is far better than the expensive, painful process of removing heartworms from dogs. In the case of cats, there are no approved heartworm removal drugs, so an infection could be deadly. Preventing parasites like heartworms from afflicting your pet in the first place is the best choice for you and your pet.
2. Routine Exercise and a Healthy Diet
You have surely heard that eating a balanced diet and exercising often are among the best things that a person can do to create a strong, healthy heart. Well, the same is true for your pet!
Different breeds of cats and dogs have varying needs when it comes to exercise and nutrition, so prospective pet owners must do their homework before adopting. Though cats can be self-sufficient when it comes to exercise, most dogs will need their owners to be actively involved in their daily exercise regime. This means that owners should strive to provide their canine companions with the proper amount of daily exercise for their breed. Failure to do so may result in a dog that is both out of shape and depressed-both being circumstances that are detrimental to a dog’s heart.
Providing your pet with wholesome, nutritious food is paramount to the heart health of your furry friend. Cats and dogs are both carnivores by nature, so their foods should include meat as the primary ingredient. The cheapest food available is rarely the best option, so be sure to prioritize feeding your pet food that will be best for its heart instead of choosing food based on price.
3. Make Regular Visits to The Vet
As simple as it sounds, routinely taking your pet to receive veterinary checkups is a tremendously important practice to protect your pet’s heart. Vets will be able to detect symptoms of conditions that could suggest a heart complication, so frequently bringing your furry friend to the vet can help to catch a condition before it gets out of hand.
Here at PetWow, we want to make the pet care process as seamless and stress-free as possible. That is why we offer flexible hours, a convenient mobile app for support, and even a home veterinary care mobile service! See for yourself how we can help your pet get the care that it needs to maintain a healthy heart.
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