Last week?s column about New Year?s resolutions for your pets generated many favorable comments and suggestions for additional resolutions. So, here are a couple more.
Diet
For the 48 percent of us who make New Year?s resolutions, losing weight is on the top of the list. Does your pet need to lose weight? Although the word diet is most commonly associated with a weight loss program, Webster defines diet as ?habitual nourishment.?
The keys to a good diet, and therefore to losing as well as maintaining a healthy weight, are quality food and portion control. High quality pet food doesn?t have to be super-premium priced, but it must be formulated to meet a pet?s nutritional requirements. For example, cats cannot manufacture 11 of the 23 amino acids required to produce proteins, and must therefore acquire them from food. One of these amino acids, Taurine, is available only from animal tissue. And, cats unlike dogs and other mammals, do not have a strong thirst drive, so canned cat food (70-75 percent water) is essential to a cat?s diet.
Pet food is regulated by the American Association of Feed Control Officials. To determine if a pet food product is formulated to meet all a pet?s specific nutritional needs, look for the words ?complete and balanced? on the label. When considering portion control, be sure to follow the recommended serving for your pet?s size. If treats are a part of your pet?s daily diet, remember to include those calories, too. You may need to reduce the food serving size accordingly.
Be more social
Would you like for your dog to be more relaxed around other dogs? Or less upset when your guest come to visit? Then add ?being more social? is an excellent New Year?s resolution. Socialization is the process of acquainting your dog with the experiences she is likely to encounter in her life with you.
Proper socialization is crucial to your dog?s emotional health. By exposing him to the people, dogs, places and situations he?ll probably encounter, you?ll teach him to deal with novel experiences calmly and view the world as a good place to be. Visit our website for helpful hints on socializing your dog.
Hope to see you at our parking lot book sale tomorrow from 9 a.m. to noon. All books are only 25 cents. The thrift shop will also be holding a sale all day.
Lynn Gensamer is the executive director of Humane Society for Greater Savannah. She can be reached by phone at 912-354-9515, ext. 105, or by email at lgensamer@humanesocietysav.org.
Source: http://savannahnow.com/accent/2013-01-03/humane-society-more-tips-give-your-pet-better-year
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