Taking care of your pet can improve your physical and mental health – This may seem like a hard task at hand but PetsRPriority.com will make this process seamless and easy.

Did you know that the hormone Oxytocin, which is secreted when the body experiences pleasure, is also secreted when a pet and its owner experience positive interactions with each other?

The stronger the bond between the person and their pet, the greater the possibility that the person will secrete this hormone, creating states of happiness and also of health.

It is proven that by having a close relationship with your pet and interacting with it regularly, a series of benefits appear in your life. For example, petting a pet for about 10 minutes or more can quickly relieve everyday stress and lower your blood pressure. The company of your pet can also improve your mental health by preventing depression.

Your children will also benefit as several studies indicate that children who have grown up with pets are healthier, those who have lived with dogs or cats in their first year of life, have fewer problems with ear infections, respiratory problems, and allergies than children who don’t have pets.

Studies show that people who take care of their pets could also be healthier, because taking them for walks or runs and also actively playing with them is exercise that has a positive impact on their body and mind. In particular, health benefits have been shown to decrease the rate of cardiovascular problems.

Very specifically, dogs can also help people with certain health problems such as epilepsy and cancer, since certain dogs can be trained to detect these problems before they occur or just at the time they are starting.

Below we list a series of benefits that taking care of your dogs could bring:

• Fewer diseases
• More resistance to allergies Greater happiness.
• A healthy heart.
• More exercise.
• More active social life.
• Decreased stress.

Always remember to keep your pet healthy by giving it the necessary veterinary care. (See note on vaccination and deworming below)

Essential medical care to protect your pet

Did you know that by taking care of your pet you are taking care of your family?

Just like a child, your pets need medical care from their first weeks of life. Otherwise, they can become infected with possible parasites and diseases that can consequently make your family sick. Therefore, protecting your family means giving your pet good health.

Now, do you know what zoonotic diseases are? They are those that are transmitted from an animal to a human being. It can be any animal, for example: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, farm animals, wild animals, among others. However, in the case of pets, most zoonotic diseases are usually controllable by following good hygiene habits and keeping track of vaccinations and internal and external parasites.

Here we list some basic tips that you should keep in mind when taking care of your pet.

If your pet is an adult, take her for an annual checkup with the vet. Dogs and cats should be vaccinated once a year against the most common diseases (rabies, distemper, parainfluenza, parvovirus, among others). In some specific cases, it is necessary to vaccinate against other diseases, as in Brazil, where vaccination against Leishmania is recommended.

Your veterinarian will recommend how often your pet should be dewormed for internal parasites. Deworming is common through the administration of a pill every three months. The type of deworming will depend on where you live, as different parasites can occur in different places. For example, it is common to find heartworm cases in tropical locations near the beach.

• Ask your veterinarian which external parasite control regimen is best for your pet. It is common to use pipettes with oil on the dog or cat’s fur every month. It is also common to do medicated baths. With this you can control fleas, ticks, mites, etc. Watch out! Don’t use dog products on cats. They can be toxic.
• If you have a puppy or kitten, take it to the vet in its first few days or at the time of being acquired for examination. Puppies and kittens need 3 or 4 rounds of vaccinations and deworming before they are 4 months old.
• Clean your cat’s litter box at least once a day. There are particular organisms, such as Toxoplasma, that can be completely avoided if cleaning is done daily. If you are pregnant, wear gloves to clean the litter box.
• Do not let your pet drink water from anywhere, especially contaminated. (pipes) Wash your hands constantly: Especially after having contact with your pet and before eating. Teach your children to have good toilet habits. If your pet relieves himself in the yard, wear shoes to go out into the garden.
• Do not forget that a healthy pet is a happy animal and therefore by taking care of it your family will be safe from the transmission of zoonotic diseases.

What does your pet need to have animal welfare?

Imagine being tied for long hours of the day to a post or the roof of your house. How would you feel? Do you think you’d be comfortable? Do you think you would get frustrated eventually?

A pet that knows no other life than being chained suffers permanently. You can suffer from pulls and injuries on your skin from the collar and on your body from contact with the ground, exposure to rain, sun, cold and heat, parasites and diseases. They are forced to eat, sleep, urinate and defecate in the same place. They are also denied the chance to socialize with others of their kind, which is important for these naturally social animals.

Chains can easily become entangled in a tree, post, dog house, or other objects, leading to further injury and even death by hanging. In a short time, dogs get bored, feel lonely, become anxious, fearful, easily upset and even highly aggressive.

Some people believe that leashed dogs make good watchdogs. However, instead of protecting the owner and property, a tethered dog will more often than not become fearful when presented with a stimulus, precisely because he knows that being tethered, he will not be able to escape.

Similarly, it could become an aggressive dog, resulting from the frustration of not being able to explore its environment and not being able to determine whether or not the stimulus represents a real threat. There have even been cases of dogs biting or attacking their own owners.

Bites and attacks by tied dogs is a reality that can be avoided if we respect animal welfare. Do you know what wellness is? Well, for there to be well-being in an animal, it must enjoy physical and mental health and be able to behave naturally. An easy way to measure well-being is through the 5 basic freedoms.

Animals must live:

• Free from hunger and thirst
• Free from pain injury and disease
• Free from fear and stress
• Free from discomfort
• Free to express the normal behavior of their species

Based on these freedoms, for your dog to have well-being, it needs:

• Fresh water always available and a good diet
• Preventive medical care and in case of illness or accident
• A neat space with protection from inclement weather and a comfortable place to sleep
• Exercise and play daily (for example, walks and ball games)
• Socialization with other dogs and human affection
• A separate space in which to urinate and defecate

If you find it absolutely necessary to leash your dog for any reason (for example, he escapes when someone opens the door), make sure to do so for short periods and using materials that are safe for your pet’s skin.