Justine Lee

While you’re making your own list of New Year’s resolutions, don’t forget about your dog or cat… after all, he’s the love of your life and likely needs some help too. Vow to make these 4 simple lifestyle changes, all which will help improve your pet’s mental and physical health in the upcoming year.

I will not feed my pet table scraps.
With 60-70% of the pet population obese (that’s over 20% of ideal body weight), it’s important to cut back on calories. In fact, your dog or cat has much better self-control than you do – they can’t access food without you! You just simply have to ignore their begging. It’s worth it - after all, studies have proven that skinnier dogs live longer and are healthier. Those small extra table scraps are dangerous for your pet – the extra weight adds strain to the musculoskeletal system, heart, trachea, and lungs. While you may think that you’re loving your pet more by feeding him more, you’re actually slowly hurting – or even killing him… and your wallet. Take the ACL tear, which results in chronic limping. It’s one of the most common results of canine obesity (particularly in Labrador retrievers), costing you anywhere between $1500-3500 to fix just one knee!  To top it off, once your dog undergoes surgery for one knee, the other knee ends up compensating to put up with all that extra weight… resulting in a strained and then torn second ACL. To think – you could have prevented all these problems with a simple weight loss plan for your dog.

I will go to the vet regularly.
I want you to be your pet’s #1 advocate. I’m not pushing you to go to your vet for that extra vaccine; in fact, recommendations now are to get your pet vaccinated every 3 years instead of annually. I’d rather you spend your money on preventative health care instead. Remember, the sooner you notice a pet problem, the less expensive it’ll be to treat. Don’t let your dog’s chronic skin infections or untreated allergies make him miserable. If you think your cat is drinking and urinating more, get blood work done immediately to detect organ problems (like diabetes, kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism). Get it diagnosed and treated sooner than later to make your pet more comfortable, and the prognosis better.

I will set consistent rules.
The #1 reason why most animals are surrendered to animal shelters is for behavioral problems. What people don’t realize is that they are often to blame for all their pet’s behavioral problems and neuroses. That’s right – it could have been your fault! Start the New Year by learning about positive and negative reinforcement, and what’s appropriate when. For example, while you may think you’re distracting and quieting your dog by giving him a Kong toy while he’s barking outside, you’re inadvertently rewarding him for his obnoxious barking. If your dog is pulling your arm off at the dog park, it’s time to teach an old dog new tricks and invest in a special collar like a Halti or Gentle Leader. Trust me, with patience, persistence, and some irresistible, palatable treats, you can make your dog the perfect pooch! When it comes to rules to stick with this year, make sure you have the best behaved pet with these simple steps. First, make sure everyone in the house (all family members included) is consistently training your pooch. Secondly, make your dog earn his keep. Whatever you do for him, he has to earn. In other words, make him sit-stay before you feed him or open up that door to let him out. After all, it’s common polite behavior, and you want him to realize that he has to listen to you. Reward him appropriately with a pat on the head or scratch behind the ears (try to wean out the snacks so he doesn’t get too chunky) when he does what you ask for. Third, consult an expert – it’s worth taking him to puppy obedience to work with a dog trainer, even though he’s an adult! Not only is this great bonding and training time for you and your pet, but it’s mentally stimulating for him as well.
 
I will exercise with my pet more
This is a no-brainer - the more you exercise your dog, the more both of you lose weight! What better way to start the New Year than making a resolution for both of you to be healthy, fit, and lower your BMI? This includes cats too – even those indoor ones! A rigorous 5-10 minute play time with a laser pointer or feather-on-a-string toy may be just what the veterinarian ordered. It’s also an important way to help keep your pet happier, mentally stimulated, and entertained.

Biography:
Dr. Justine Lee is a veterinary emergency critical care specialist and the Associate Director of Veterinary Services at Pet Poison Helpline. She is also the author of It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet: Everything you ever wanted to know about your four-legged friend and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It: Everything you ever wanted to know about your furry feline.