• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Contact
MENUMENU
  • About
  • Shop
  • Cats
        • Lifestage
          • Kitten
          • Adult
          • Senior Cat
        • Pet Solutions
        • Health & Safety
        • Cat Travel
        • Cat Behavior
        • Cat Bonding
        • Cat Rescue & Adoption
        • Cat Grooming
        • Litter
        • Pee Problems
  • Dogs
        • Lifestage
          • Puppy
          • Adult
          • Senior Dog
        • Pet Solutions
        • Health & Safety
        • Dog Travel
        • Dog Behavior
        • Dog Bonding
        • Dog Rescue & Adoption
        • Dog Grooming
        • Pee Problems
  • Kristen’s Picks
  • Pet Anxiety
    • Pet Anxiety Awareness Event
    • Anxiety in Cats
    • Anxiety in Dogs
  • FREE DownloadsFree resources for pet parents.
    • End Indoor Peeing!
    • Senior Dog Guidebook
    • New Puppy Checklist
    • Bond with Your Dog
    • Cat Health Checklist
    • Bond with Your Cat
    • Pet Holidays Calendar
  • For Brands
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

pet advice logo

Kristen Levine Pet Living Stories, Science & Advice for Living Happier & Healthier with Pets

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Contact
MENUMENU
  • About
  • Shop
  • Cats
        • Lifestage
          • Kitten
          • Adult
          • Senior Cat
        • Pet Solutions
        • Health & Safety
        • Cat Travel
        • Cat Behavior
        • Cat Bonding
        • Cat Rescue & Adoption
        • Cat Grooming
        • Litter
        • Pee Problems
  • Dogs
        • Lifestage
          • Puppy
          • Adult
          • Senior Dog
        • Pet Solutions
        • Health & Safety
        • Dog Travel
        • Dog Behavior
        • Dog Bonding
        • Dog Rescue & Adoption
        • Dog Grooming
        • Pee Problems
  • Kristen’s Picks
  • Pet Anxiety
    • Pet Anxiety Awareness Event
    • Anxiety in Cats
    • Anxiety in Dogs
  • FREE DownloadsFree resources for pet parents.
    • End Indoor Peeing!
    • Senior Dog Guidebook
    • New Puppy Checklist
    • Bond with Your Dog
    • Cat Health Checklist
    • Bond with Your Cat
    • Pet Holidays Calendar
  • For Brands
You are here: Home / Dogs / Lifestage / Adult / 5 Proven Preventative Pet Care Routines

5 Proven Preventative Pet Care Routines

February 7, 2018 // by Kristen Levine //  1 Comment
Chew on this: Some posts may include affiliate links for which I receive a small commission. However, all products I “dig up” are ones I paw–thentically love!

Tweet1
Pin42
Share158
Email
201 Shares

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And this goes double for our pets! Taking a few moments out of the day to prevent an injury or illness is easier, quicker, and far less expensive than a trip to the vet. Plus, by maintaining a regular routine, if something new or different does crop up with your pet, you’ll be more likely to catch it and address it sooner.

Not sure where to start? Here are my five proven preventative pet care routines:

Pin Me!

5 proven preventative pet care routines

1. Measure Meals + Treats

Chilly loves to play with his bob a lot toy!

My dog, Chilly, is on a veterinary prescribed diet for a kidney condition (which is getting a lot better).

We supplement his regular diet with various high-quality foods to mix things up a bit. But one thing that doesn’t change is our feeding routine. Rather than eyeballing it, we always measure the amount of food (wet or dry) to ensure he gets the right amount for his size and activity level.

Then, to give him a little extra brain and body boost, we use his favorite treat dispensers to feed him all of his dry kibble (he loves the Bob-a-Lot dispenser). Not only does this ensure he gets the right amount of food, the dispenser engages his brain, keeps him busy, and burns calories!

 

I also measure out treats for the day so that we don’t “over treat” Chilly. His current favorite is the super wholesome, single-ingredient Freeze Dried Chicken Breast Treat from the folks at iHeartDogs. I love it because it’s healthy and every package purchased
feeds 14 shelter dogs through the company’s partnership with Rescue Bank!

If you’re unsure of the proper amount of food or treats to feed your pet, consult with your veterinarian or check out this guide for help.

2. Soothe the Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body so it’s important to include it in your preventative care routine. To soothe Chilly’s itchy skin during allergy season, I use Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Hydrogel. He also has a
It's Chilly's bath time with Vetericyn FoamCare shampoo!tendency to chew and lick certain areas of his body so much that he loses his fur. I’ve tried everything to treat it but nothing really worked until I started using the Vetericyn Hot Spot Spray. The results have been simply amazing! (Check out my Instagram account @petliving for an incredible before and after.) Oh! And let’s not leave out the kitties. Vetericyn Wound Care Spray comes in handy to treat minor “war wounds” if your cats – like mine – don’t really get along.

Finally, if you want to prevent skin infections and keep dirty dog smell at bay, regular baths are key. We LOVE the Vetericyn FoamCare Medicated Shampoo because it comes in a spray bottle for easy application, foams up fast, and rinses clean easily. It makes bath time much faster and helps keep Chilly’s skin healthy!

3. Get Moving

These days, our pets are packing on the pounds. In fact, over half of the pet population in the US is overweight or obese. Keeping your pet at a healthy weight will help prevent weight-related problems like heart disease, diabetes, and debilitating joint issues. In addition to measuring the proper amount of food, help keep your pet in tip top shape with regular exercise.

Chilly and I head out for a walk two times a day, weather permitting. On bad weather days, I try to stop what I’m doing at least three times a day to play with him using a tug toy or a good old-fashioned game of chase around the living room. When it comes to the cats, I try to regularly engage them with a toy, encouraging them to chase, jump, and pounce. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you both find it fun and it gets your pet moving.

4. Visit the Vet

It’s easy to let vet appointments slip to the bottom of your to-do list. But regular check-ups for both dogs and
Chilly loves our vet, Dr. Garcia!cats can help prevent problems down the road. Younger pets should see a vet once a year while senior pets benefit from twice-yearly visits. (Because Chilly’s technically a senior at age 8, we see the vet more often than he’d like, I’m sure.)

If your pet is on medication, stick to the dosage instructions to ensure your pet gets and/or stays healthy. If you need a reminder, schedule daily or monthly doses into your calendar or set a reminder on your smart phone.

5. Carve out quality time

This is probably one of the easiest, most satisfying preventative measures you can take. Spending time bonding with your pet has amazing health and psychological benefits for you both. Chilly and I bond during walks, playtime, or just hanging on the sofa watching Netflix. In the mornings, I spend time with my cat, Turdie, over coffee. In the evenings, I cuddle with my other cat, Olivia, while I’m reading a book.

Do whatever brings you and your pet closer together. Just make sure you take at least 15 minutes a day to do nothing but spend time with your pet. It will do you both good!

Get the free urine marking ebook today!

 

Tweet1
Pin42
Share158
Email
201 Shares

About Kristen Levine

Kristen Levine is a nationally acclaimed pet expert and influencer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. She's helped millions of pet parents provide the best care at every stage of their pet’s life.

Her blog, Pet Living with Kristen Levine has been featured in Pop Sugar, Good Housekeeping, New York Times, USA Today, and more.

She's also the founder of FWV Fetching, the first marketing agency exclusively serving pet and animal health companies.

Her early work with the SPCA led her to a lifelong career in the pet industry, advocating for pet adoption and rescue as well as for pets and their parents here on her blog and in the media.

She’s frequently booked on satellite media tours and national shows, like FOX & Friends, Good Morning America, and Daytime, to talk about pet trends and new products.

Insanely passionate about pets since she was a little girl, Kristen has had more than 30 pets in her lifetime — including dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, a horse, a gerbil, mice, and chickens!

Today she lives in Florida with her dog Tulip, cat Olivia, and husband Paul.

Previous Post: « What to Do When Your Dog Has Hot Spots and Other Skin Conditions
Next Post: Adopting a Senior Dog – Age is Just a Number »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liz Morris

    August 5, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    Wonderful blog full of such helpful tips and information thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

3 Reasons Why Older Cats Get Dehydrated and How to Help Them

3 Reasons Why Older Cats Get Dehydrated and How to Help ThemRead More

Here are the best vacuums for dog and cat hair.

What is the Best Vacuum for Pet Hair?

What is the Best Vacuum for Pet Hair?Read More

How to Find the Best Enzyme Cleaner for Cat Urine

How to Find the Best Enzyme Cleaner for Cat UrineRead More

Footer

Come. Sit. Stay.

Join tens of thousands of fellow pet parents and sign up to receive our e-newsletter so you never miss a trick!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Kristen Levine Pet Living · All Rights Reserved ·

Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Terms and Conditions