HAPPY AND HEALTHY: Valley animal experts give tips for pet owners

Story by Cindy O. Herman

Want to start the New Year off by keeping Smokey and Daisy as healthy as possible? Check this advice from Debbie Zaktansky, manager at Warrior Run Petcare Center, in Watsontown: Establish a relationship with your veterinarian and schedule regular checkups, especially as your pet ages.

“Prevention and early treatments for any problems are much better than emergency care or treating a condition that has advanced to a grave problem,” Zaktansky said.

“Pet food companies want your money, so many use gimmicks to get you to buy their product,” Zaktansky said. “Dogs and cats don’t care what color or shape their food is. Many dyes aren’t healthy for them. Soft pieces are kept soft with ingredients that aren’t good.” Watch for added sugars, and don’t fall for fads like “grain-free” foods, which in fact are linked to a heart condition in animals.

Regular baths and grooming help keep your pet’s skin and coat healthy and identify problems such as fleas and ticks, ear infections, overgrown nails, anal gland impaction, hot spots and many other conditions before they become difficult to

—DEBBIE ZAKTANSKY, MANAGER AT WARRIOR RUN PETCARE CENTER

treat, Zaktansky said. Brushing a pet’s fur keeps it from matting, which pulls on their skin and is uncomfortable as the animal moves.

“Each dog or cat is different in what tempts them to be active and playful,”

Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania DEBBIE ZAKTANSKY ENCOURAGES PET OWNERS TO USE QUALITY CAT FOOD RIGHT FROM THE START TO HELP CATS TO GROW STRONG AND HEALTHY. Zaktansky said. “Not all toys are appropriate for heavy chewers that may damage and eat parts of a toy. Chewing is beneficial for stress relief, exercise, teething and alleviating boredom.”

“Tartar buildup is unpleasant with bad breath, but it is also a health concern,” Zaktansky said. “Kidney disease can be the result of bacteria from infected gums.”

In serious cases, a veterinarian will need to anesthetize your pet to work on its teeth, which is expensive for you and painful for the animal. “Brush your pet’s teeth regularly,” Zaktansky said. “Adding teeth cleaner to their water, feeding hard foods or giving dental chews are some ways to help keep tarter from building up.”

Along with cats and dogs, Scherry Moore, of Winfield, has owned goats, horses, chickens, ducks, geese, a parakeet, guinea pig, hamster, donkey, calves, pigs and raccoons. She learned how to care for them by asking questions of veterinarians and other pet owners.

Her Labrador/Rottweiler mix, Bailey, rested at her feet as Moore offered her top advice: train your pet to obey you. “If you’re going to have the animal, you have to be able to control it,” she said. “Not with whips and chains. I’ve had Bailey a year-and-a-half, and I’ve never laid a hand on her. She knows my voice.”

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Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania AFTER A BUSY AFTERNOON OF WATCHING HIS OWNER PLAY VIDEO GAMES, A CAT IS HAPPY TO SNUGGLE IN FOR A NAP.

Moore walked Bailey around her pasture two or three times a day for a year, and trained her to come by giving her treats when she obeyed. Now, even if Bailey sees a squirrel, when Moore says, “No,” Bailey stays at her side.

“A happy dog and a happy owner only happen when the dog is well-trained,” Moore said. “Make them sit every time you tell them to sit.”

Basic jobs like training a dog to do its business can be accomplished by taking it to the area of your choosing each time. Eventually dogs learn to go there on their own. “I’ve never walked her in the yard (to do her business),” Moore said. “The yard is to play in.”

She also noted that pet owners have to be in it for the long haul, caring for their pet as it ages.

“You have to be willing to commit to the dog that needs different food, medications and help getting in the car,” she said.

Moore attributes success with her pets to consistency and wanting to be a good pet owner and taking pets out for exercise even on days she’d rather stay snug and warm inside. “You’re like the postman. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, they have to be out there,” she said.

She reached down to pet Bailey as the dog lifted its head to gaze at Moore, who smiled and said, “There’s nothing better than having your pooch wagging their tail when you get home.”

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