5 Care Mistakes Every Pet Parent Should Avoid

While your furry friend is a joyful presence in your life, they also require a level of responsibility. Animals can’t take care of themselves, so you are completely in charge of your pet’s health, happiness, and well-being. As a pet owner, make sure you are avoiding these common animal care mistakes. 

1. Forgetting Preventative Care

Be sure to be using veterinarian visits for more than just concerns and emergencies. Preventative care is just as much a part of pet health as it is in human health, so be sure to be investing in it. This includes vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and flea prevention, for example. 

2. Skipping Their Checkups

Once you bring your puppy or kitten to the vet for their first appointment, the office will likely send you regular reminders of when your pet’s checkup appointments should be. Be sure to take these reminders seriously. Your vet will be able to catch health problems even when your pet is not showing obvious symptoms. Especially when it comes to senior dog care, and checkups for other older animals, these appointments are key in watching for common health conditions and potentially treating them before they become too serious. 

3. Not Prioritizing Training

When your pet is young, be sure to be diligent about training and to continue these commands into adulthood. Many owners become lax about training regimens and end up with adult dogs that misbehave. Even if old dogs can’t learn new tricks (which they can), they can still master old tricks with ease. 

4. Avoiding Socialization

Similar to not properly training their animals, many owners forget to socialize their pets at a young age. By not providing socialization early in life, owners are not familiarizing their animals to other pets and humans. This can lead to shyness, aggression, and separation anxiety, which can all get worse without consistent socialization over their lifetime. 

5. Not Paying Attention

Whether you are new pet owner or have had pets for your whole life, be sure to inspect your pet care habits. If you are making any of the above mistakes, adjust your care regimen accordingly. From keeping up with your pet’s vaccination schedule to investing in pet insurance, your animal’s health can only benefit when you follow pet care best practices.