Have you ever wondered what a pet parent is and how is it different from a pet owner? Well, while everyone can buy and own an animal, not everyone considers Fido or Mr Whiskers a part of the family. Pet parents accept their new couch occupants as they would any important person in their lives. These pets enjoy nearly all the creature comforts available to humans and receive humongous amounts of love, affection, attention and care. In return, pets spoil their mums and dads with copious amounts of purrs, owa-owas, tippy-taps and kisses. In an ideal world, that would be everything you need to know about pet parenting.
However, in reality, you need to accept and be ready for a major cosmical injustice – pets do get sick. And unfortunately, it’s likely to happen in the future. Bites, colds, injuries, hereditary diseases, poisoning; there are a lot of dangers out there that can affect the health and wellbeing of pets. Although seeing Fido whining with sadness in his eyes with a tail hanging low or curled up in a corner is nothing short of heart-wrenching, with the right know-how you will get that tail up and wagging again in no time.
Professional Veterinary Care
Family means being there for each other for better or worse. When someone’s sick in the household you don’t just ignore them, yell or kick them out of the house. Instead, you take them to the doctor and try to lessen their pain or discomfort at home. It’s the same with pets. If your furry pal behaves out of the ordinary or shows certain symptoms, your first stop is the vet clinic. After the vet determines a diagnosis, he or she will prescribe pet medications to treat or cure the ailment.
Hearing a diagnosis and receiving vet prescriptions can be stressful and devastating, especially if it’s a chronic disease in question. However, keep in mind that there’s a variety of vet prescriptions nowadays that can help pets lead happy and long lives even when struck by a long-term condition. Just like humans, pets can suffer from Cardiomyopathy, UTIs, cancer, allergies, osteoarthritis, anxiety, depression etc. Luckily, we’re living in modern times when there’s treatment available for all of these conditions.
Still, don’t forget that prevention is always better than cure. Although avoiding illness and ailments altogether is impossible, you should always try your best to prevent them. This can be done by providing your pet with a healthy diet, an adequate amount of exercise and a stupendous number of hugs. For older pets, you can include additional supplements in their diet to lessen the effects of aging, boost their stamina and prevent injuries.
Understanding Pet Prescriptions
Animal medicines can be classified in the same way as human medications. There are NSAIDs, hormones, steroids, ACE inhibitors, antiparasitics, antibiotics, antidepressants and so on and so forth. Even though pet prescriptions may look quite similar, if not the same with some of the pills in your medicine cabinet, that doesn’t mean that you can put the vet prescription in a drawer and share an Advil with your doggo. Human medication can be extremely poisonous to animals and vice versa. That’s why you need to buy the exact veterinary-specific pet meds that your vet has prescribed.
Buying Pet Prescriptions Online
Caring for a sick pet isn’t only heartbreaking, but it’s also wallet-draining. Trying to save on pet medications leaves you and your pet vulnerable to scams, especially if you’re buying pet meds online. This opens the question of whether online pharmacies are safe. Truth be told, there are plenty of sketchy online pharmacies out there that will try to sell you counterfeit or low-quality medication disguised under unbelievably low prices. In some cases, these pharmacies won’t even ask for your prescription. Keep in mind that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
To ensure maximum safety and value for money, it’s best to consult your vet about the pet meds pharmacy in question or check its credibility yourself. Do a little research on whether this pharmacy is registered in Australia and has a physical address. Ask for a working phone or e-mail that you can use to get in touch and check their credibility. This way, you can rest assured that your pet gets safe and quality medications.
Buying pet meds online sure has its benefits; it saves you both time and money, but you need to be careful to shop from a trusted, recognized and reputable pharmacy. These pharmacies may offer a price beat guarantee, discounts for repeat prescriptions and free shipping that’ll save you money in the long run. Moreover, some chemist shops offer flexible payment options so you can split your total into several interest-free installments.
Your Tender Loving Care
After you’ve purchased your pet’s vet meds, it’s really important to follow the vet’s directions and administer them as prescribed. Now, this is where it can get a little tricky as pets don’t like to swallow bitter medications. The most important thing you can do here is to stay calm and be patient. Instead of wrestling with your pet and stressing out the little fellow even more, you can try some of the well-known tricks such as hiding the pill in a delicious treat or dropping it on the ground and saying “No!” for the rascal that always disobeys.
Apart from giving meds, it’s also good to provide your pet with extra TLC when it feels under the weather. When feeling unwell, pets lack the energy to groom themselves and they can use your helping hand. You can gently brush their eyes, mouth and ears with a damp cloth or cotton ball. If the pet is bed-bound, you should provide it with waterproof, wicking and anti-odour bedding to minimize the smells and contain the mess. If an accident happens outside of the designated potty area, make sure not to punish the poor fellow.
Food and water bowls should also be kept close enough and easily accessible. If the pet is unable to eat independently you should try hand-feeding. For the pet that refuses to eat, you could try introducing different foods. In case your furry pal refuses to eat for two days in a row, you should seek veterinary attention.
Last but not least, don’t forget the gentle pat on the head as a reminder of your love! Sometimes, your love is all it takes to make things better.