I’m a creature of habit… more or less… and my general care and maintenance schedule is pretty routine and boring. I get my teeth cleaned every six months, I get a physical exam at least once a year, I get my hair cut every four weeks, I get my eyes examined yearly and a hearing check every two years, and… if all goes well, I even get my nails trimmed into shape each month.
Some of this scheduled maintenance I consider essential, some is clearly a luxury. I don’t find any of these activities enjoyable, in fact there are always LOTS of things I’d rather be doing… like writing Tales from the Ark! Regardless, I stick with the schedule- because I don’t want to deal with the consequences of not doing these things.
Just like us, pets are healthiest when they too have a regular maintenance schedule, but many of us fall into the category of waiters rather than maintainers.
Here are a few telltale signs you might be a “waiter”:
When your pet walks around your home, there’s a loud “click-clack” sound from toe nails hitting the floor.
Occasionally a long nail catches on the carpet and creates a painful tear of the nail. Then you make a quick dash over to Noah’s for an urgent visit.
Your pet starts rubbing their face on the furniture, or maybe even starts drooling a little. Only then do you pick up the phone to get an appointment to have one of our vets check them out.
You find the occasional tooth from your pet lying around your house, but you’re not too worried since your pet is “still eating and seems fine”.
But the guaranteed sign that you’re a waiter…
You never start using flea & tick prevention until you notice the first fleas of the season!
Any of these sound familiar? Well friend, there’s a better way. Instead of being a waiter, you can become a champion maintainer.
Here are Dr. Todd’s Tips for Becoming a Maintenance Pro:
Daily: Provide fresh clean water, the most nutritious food you can afford, play time, and of course lots of love. (By the way, we have awesome water fountains at Noah’s to encourage your pets to stay properly hydrated.)
Weekly: Check those teeth. Promote dental health with a quick weekly dental exam, use of fresh bones, water additives, and even brushing. If you’re already a brusher, please see the side bar and help us evaluate a new electric toothbrush for dogs. Read more about brushing teeth here.
Bi-Weekly: Nail trimming. Your pampered pets have lots of nails and they need attending to. Nails should ideally be trimmed every week or two, but definitely at least monthly. Keep reading for detailed tips on how to trim nails properly.
Monthly: Prevent parasites with PREVENTATIVES. Monthly medications to prevent flea and tick infestation, heart worm disease and intestinal parasites must be administered every 30 days. Noah’s Ark is your one stop shop for expert advice on preventing parasites within your budget.
Biannually: Head to toe physical exams help us intervene while problems are small and uncomplicated… even if it’s just advice to lose a couple pounds. Small investments in regular maintainance reap big dividends over the life of your pet- both in money saved, and quality of life for your four legged snuggle bunnies.
Doctors Todd & Thomas with Caesar, Star Jones & Cleopatra
Our Goal: Dr. Todd and Dr. Thomas are dedicated to keeping your pets optimally healthy.
We’ll always be there for you if your pet does get sick, but we’d prefer you spend your money on maintaining great health and avoiding major problems.
ONE LAST THING TO REMEMBER: Flea & Tick prevention products are designed to be used every 30 days to prevent a problem from ever starting. If you see lots of adult fleas and ticks, you already have a problem which is now a project. Let us help. We’ve never had better coupons and promotions to make prevention that works affordable.
