When you're compiling your New Years resolutions, consider making a few for your pet! We've compiled our top five vet recommended new years resolutions for a healthier, happier pet in 2025...
1) Schedule a Check Up
Keeping your pet up to date on their preventative care is one of the best ways to keep them healthy and out of harms way. First and foremost, regular check-ups create the opportunity to prevent disease before it even begins. The wellness items administered during check-ups - treatments such as vaccines and parasite prevention - are crucial in protecting your pet from falling victim to harmful illnesses that are preventable. Should your pet develop a health concern, regular check-ups also create the opportunity for your veterinarian to catch the disease in its early, treatable stages.
What to expect during a physical exam with our hospital:
a comprehensive nose to tail physical exam
evaluation of all body systems
vaccinations tailored to your pet’s specific lifestyle
diagnostic screening to look for internal abnormalities not visible to the eye such as metabolic diseases and parasites
development of a parasite prevention plan specific to your pet's lifestyle
evaluation of any new lumps or bumps
how-to demos of at home pet care such as ear cleaning, nail trimming, etc.
Is your pet overdue for their checkup?
During adulthood (1-6 years of age) we recommend that dogs and cats be seen for wellness exams at least once per year. Once a pet reaches 7 years of age, they are considered a senior, at which time we recommend they begin having wellness exams every 6 months. As pets age, the body can change quickly and drastically, making it important for them to receive more frequent wellness screens.Â
Click here to schedule your pet's next check-up!
2) Maintain a Healthy Weight
Pet obesity is one of the most common, preventable diseases in both dogs and cats. In 2022, a study performed by the Association for Pet Obesity discovered that 61% of cats and 59% of dogs were considered to be overweight or obese.
Obesity is a serious health concern that can lead to countless secondary conditions, many of which are life threatening:
Cancer
Diabetes mellitus
Heart disease
Hypertension
Osteoarthritis and faster degeneration of affected joints
Urinary bladder stones
Anesthetic complications
How do I know if my pet is overweight?
Every pet has a different body composition, so it can be difficult to assess whether a pet is at an appropriate weight just by looking at the number on the scale. To accurately assess your pet's weight, consult a body condition score chart. This will indicate whether your pet's current weight in pounds is healthy for them or not.
How do I help my pet lose weight?
There are many different strategies that can accomplish weight loss, but if done incorrectly, attempts at weight loss can be detrimental for your pet. To ensure you help your pet lose weight in a safe, productive way, it's best to collaborate with a veterinarian. If you think your pet is overweight, contact our hospital to discuss a weight loss plan.
3) Improve Oral Hygiene
By the time they are just three years old, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats are suffering from dental disease - yikes! Dental care is one of the most important components of your pet’s health care plan. Dental disease is a serious condition that has far reaching implications extending way beyond your pet's mouth. Teeth and gums provide a direct pathway to the rest of your pet's body via the blood stream. When infection develops in the mouth, it quickly moves throughout the entire body creating systemic issues.
Step one to improving your pet's oral health is to schedule a dental exam. We will examine your pet's mouth, recommend a professional cleaning if necessary and help develop an at-home regimen tailored to your pet's oral hygiene needs. Click here to schedule your pet's dental consultation!
The next step towards improved dental health is to ditch any products not recommended by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). The VOHC only endorses products clinically proven to improve oral health, so purchasing products with their seal of approval helps to ensure you're investing in worthwhile items that are sure to help maintain your pet's teeth. Click here to access a list of VOHC approved products.
4) Exercise the Brain
Most of us recognize it's important to exercise our pet's physical body, but many of us don't realize it's imperative to also exercise our pet's mind! Pets are intelligent creatures with very interactive, capable minds and if we don't put those brains to work, they're likely to create their own outlets for their pent up brain power (read: mischief).
There are countless ways to engage your pet's brain. Where to start really depends on your pet's interests and preferences. What does your pet love to do? Sniff? Dig? Shred? Climb? Lick? Hunt? Think about behaviors your pet displays and use those behaviors as the inspiration for what kinds of enrichment activities you'll offer them.
Note: often times our pet's 'naughtiest' behaviors are indicators of the enrichment they're most craving. For example, a dog who is constantly counter-surfing or getting into the trash is exhibiting normal scavenger behaviors, and would likely enjoy enrichment activities that provide him opportunities to forage. By providing the dog with plenty of appropriate outlets for his scavenger interests throughout the day, we are likely to decrease the frequency of inappropriate presentations of this behavior.
A Few Enrichment Ideas by Category
Scavenge: dig pit, forage box, snuffle mat, scatter feeds, snuffle ball
Sniff: sniffy walk, sniff box, rent a SniffSpot
Lick: Lickimat products, Kong, West Paw Toppl, Woof Pupsicle
Hunting: hide and seek with treats, Doc & Pheobe Feeder Game
For more enrichment ideas visit:
Note: Anytime you provide your pet with a novel item, be sure to supervise them to ensure they interact with the item safely.
5) Make Time to Play With Your Pet
This one often gets lost in the shuffle of our busy daily lives, but it's an important one to keep at the forefront! Our pets are naturally playful beings that thrive off our undivided attention, so in 2025 move play to the top of your pet to-do list! Unsure where to begin when thinking about how to play with your pet? Give this podcast episode a listen: Enrichment for the Real World Episode #26: Learn How to Play With Your Animal
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