It’s never nice to see a pet in distress through sickness or injury. Unfortunately, that’s a part of life and animals experience illness just like humans do. As a loving pet owner, though, your job is to comfort your pet and help them recover.
Here are some simple questions that can guide you through the process.
Do I Need To Visit A Vet?
Not all injuries or illnesses require professional medical care. Like humans, animals often just need rest and to stay hydrated while their natural defenses fight a virus or repair damage. However, if you are concerned about your pet’s health or think they need treatments or medications, calling a vet is key. Using a pet insurance policy removes the financial strain, thus allowing you to focus on finding the right care.
Whether a vet is needed or not, answering the question lets you take the next steps with confidence.
How Can I Support My Pet Physically?
Whether it’s an illness or injury, your pet will need a lot of rest. Their bed should be made comfortable while you’ll want to keep the home at the right temperature. For some injuries, bandages or cones to stop gnawing can be useful. For illnesses, it is often worth supplementing their diet with items that boost their natural immune system. Of course, this is in addition to any medications that may have been prescribed.
Hydration is another key feature. Try to stop your pet from becoming overly excited or active during this time too.
How Can I Support My Pet Emotionally?
Physical support is one thing, but your pet will require emotional help too. Lots of cuddles and simply holding your pet while they sleep can make a huge difference. Crucially, you should pay attention to the nighttime routine. Like humans, animals may notice symptoms more in the evenings. Moreover, anxiety will be higher. Your presence is the key to keeping those worries at bay, which is what your pet deserves.
You must also take precautions like not putting the TV too loud or making any moves that could scare the pet. Sudden movements could cause more damage.
How Will I Know If The Pet Is Getting Better?
Once you have the situation under control and your pet is recovering, you want to speed the process up. However, you must avoid rushing them back to normal activities. Understanding the signs that their cold is passing is vital. Or if they were injured, you should be vigilant to signs that they are still in pain when stepping, for example. Some strength rebuilding may be needed, but only once the pain has stopped.
You should notice that your pet’s personality starts to return too. It’s best to stay a little cautious, but your pet will be back to their best in no time.
Could This Have Been Prevented?
Getting your pet back to full health is the main goal. Once you have done this, though, you should take some time to reflect on the situation. Crucially, you should ask whether the situation could have been prevented. Could your pet have benefitted from vaccinations? Or wearing protective footwear? Ultimately, if you could have cultivated a safer environment, you should be willing to learn from the mistakes.
Your ability to prevent repeat episodes of injuries or health is the true hallmark of a great pet owner.
Feature image by Václav Závada from Pixabay
We hope you enjoyed reading “5 Reasons To Choose A Cat For Your Pet”. Click here for more of our pet-related articles.
