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The
holidays are a common time for families to adopt a new pet. When you
consider the amount of hustle and bustle, it can actually be the worst
time to introduce a furry friend into the household. In some cases,
however, the extra time that the family spends around the home may be
beneficial to a new introduction. Whether you choose to get a new pet
at this time of the year, or are considering pet adoption in the near
future, we can offer you some reasonable and logical advice to help you
make your decision. We can help you with pet selection for your unique
situation and lifestyle, provide you with information on how to prepare
for the new arrival, and advise you on how to prevent some behavior and
health problems before they develop. A detailed discussion of all of
the relevant subjects is impossible to cover in a brief article such as
this. We cover all of these topics more fully in articles in other
places on our website. If you would like more detailed information, do
not hesitate to contact our clinic - we can direct you to other
reliable sources or book a consultation with a veterinarian, who will
help you make an informed choice that is tailored to your unique
situation.
Before getting a new pet, you must understand that
you are assuming full responsibility for another being’s life, and that
this commitment could last 15-20 years.
Once you agree to this
commitment, your next decision is which type of pet – a dog, a cat, a
bird, a gerbil, a snake, etc. Each species and breed has different
needs for human company, interaction, exercise, play, feeding, and
care. Before choosing, take the time to learn about the time, effort,
and expense that will be needed for housing, feeding, grooming,
training and health care requirements of each pet that you might be
considering. Also consider your support system during times of illness
or vacation to insure that you will have sufficient care for your pet.
Next, decide whether you have the time, energy and commitment to
properly train and socialize a young pet or whether an adult that has
been trained by someone else is more appropriate.
When you
first bring the new pet home, recognize that its new surroundings are
unfamiliar and that everyone it meets will be a stranger. Therefore you
need to provide a safe, secure, quiet area that provides for all of its
immediate needs, and that all introductions to other people and pets
should be done gradually and under careful adult supervision. Even if
you plan on feeding your new pet in a certain way, do not change the
diet abruptly – instead bring home a supply of the food that the pet
has been eating and introduce the changes slowly, over a period of a
few weeks.
After you bring the new pet home, it is important
to book an appointment with your veterinarian for a health checkup and
consultation as soon as possible. In some cases, this appointment is a
necessary requirement to maintain a health guarantee from the seller of
the pet. During your new pet’s first veterinary visit, we can discuss
your new pet’s specific needs and give you unbiased scientific advice
on topics such as housetraining, behavior modification, socialization,
nutrition, health maintenance, etc., using the most up-to-date
information available and helping you sort out fact from fiction.
According
to the experts, the primary reason that pet owners might one day
relinquish their pets is because of the unrealistic expectations that
they had when they first entered into pet ownership. By being properly
informed, you can avoid being part of these statistics. Remember, a pet
is for life, not just for a holiday gift!
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