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Pet Care
Responsible Pet Ownership
Food, Water & Shelter -
There are many good pet foods available on the market today.
Your local veterinarian can help you make a good choice on
what may benefit your pet. Fresh, clean water should always be
available to your pet. Dog houses should be big enough for
your pet to comfortably lay down in. The entrance to the dog
house should be turned away from the direction of
the wind or rain, so that your dog has a warm, dry
place to sleep. The dog house should also be
checked occasionally for pests, and for holes
that may appear on the roof.
Health -
Grooming your pet is always important; Bathing,
brushing, and routine checking of the ears, eyes, and nose
will not only get your pet to looking it's best, but will
alert you to any changes in his/her health. A well groomed
pet is a pleasure to show off. Trips to the Veterinarian
are a must. Along with your annual rabies vaccination,
your veterinarian may see something you may have overlooked.
A second set of eyes always helps in keeping your animal
healthy. A routine check-up should be done in addition
to your pets annual vaccinations.
Training your pet -
Remember watching a dog on television (Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Benji)
wishing your dog could at least come when he/she was called, or
just stop jumping up on you? Perhaps an obedience class may be in order.
You can pay someone to train your dog for you,
and the dog will readily listen to the trainer...
But, if you enroll in an obedience class, you will
learn to train your dog and make him/her listen
to you. You can usually find local obedience classes
through your veterinarian or classifieds. After
all, everyone wants a well behaved pet that is a
joy to have around, verses one that stays locked
in a backyard. The basic commands every dog
should know are 'Sit', 'Stay', 'Come' & 'Down'.
Why you should never let your pet roam -
Not only is this irresponsible for you as a pet owner, but dangerous
to your beloved pet. Many things could happen to your pet
if allowed to roam free.
Hit by a vehicle -
Despite what you may think of your pet, he/she does not look
both ways before crossing the street. This can be fatal to
both your pet and the driver of that vehicle that hits him/her.
Poison -
Antifreeze and rat poison are just two of the things your
pet may ingest while roaming free.
Public Nuisance -
Your pet could be a menace to your community. No one wants your
animal running through their property. This is unfair to the
responsible pet owners of our community. Your pet could not
only do damage such as digging up flower beds, trash digging, toilet
habits (pooping in your neighbor's yard, flower bed,
door step, etc.), scratching vehicles with claws,
and ruining air conditioning systems of vehicles by
having cats spray the windshields. Your pet could
also fight with other animals, chase people either jogging
or riding bikes, and harass livestock. And if your pet
is sick, he/she could spread disease to other animals
or contract disease from another sick animal.
Dangers of chaining or tying up your dog -
The ideal home for your pet should have a fenced in area
for him/her to play or live in. Chaining your dog is
not without risk, as several things can happen to
them while chained up.
Choking -
This is a very real possibility that
can be fatal to your dog. There are cases of dogs
leaping over a fence and strangling to death on the
end of their collars.
Heatstroke -
Dogs often tangle their chains or ropes
around poles, trees and stakes disabling them from getting to
there dog house or nearby shade. Unable to reach sufficient
shade or water, they could die from heatstroke.
Lack of water -
Due to the dog moving around on
the rope or chain, the water bowl or bucket is usually
dumped over. Without water, these hot Texas days can
dehydrate your dog and cause heatstroke.
Stray dogs -
Your chained up dog has no where to
run when a stray dog comes to visit. The stray could
not only fight with your dog, but also spread diseases
that could be fatal to your dog's health.
Ants & Bees -
Fire ants have caused great harm
to young animals, both wild & domesticated. A swarm of
bees could also have devastating results to a chained
up dog. Having only the length of the chain or rope
that is attached to your pet could prevent him/her
from being able to escape from these pests.
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