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New Year's Resolutions for Pet Owners

New Year's Resolutions for Pet Owners

 

Happy New Year from the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and our member veterinarians, who are dedicated to helping you give your pet a high quality of life!

Our pets provide us with so much affection and unconditional love that we often consider them part of the family and may want to include them in our New Year's resolutions. Following are some ways to help your pet have a great New Year:

Save Money

At the top of almost everyone’s resolution list is to find ways to save money. You can reduce veterinary expenses (or the risk of an unexpected veterinary bill) when you:

  • Keep pets up to date on important vaccinations and parasite prevention. It is much less expensive to prevent a disease than it is to treat it.
  • Don’t procrastinate or miss veterinary exams and visits. If your pet is injured or ill, delaying veterinary attention could actually lead to higher expenses!
  • Resolve to keep good communications with your veterinarian and veterinary staff. Keeping your veterinarian up to date on pet health and behavior changes could catch problems earlier, at more treatable stages.
  • Consider investing in pet insurance or starting a pet health savings plan as the New Year begins. These simple steps can help you avoid financial issues if your pet is sick or even avoid the unpleasant thought of an “economic euthanasia."

Exercise & Lose Weight

Next on many resolution lists is the promise to exercise more and lose weight. Why not let your pet help you keep that promise?

  • Many pets in the US and Canada are overweight or obese. The New Year is a great time to make a commitment to helping your pet lose those extra pounds.
  • Studies show that dog owners spend about twice as much time walking each week than non-dog owners. This can be beneficial for your personal goals and help your pet lose weight, too!

Quality Time

Some people will make resolutions to spend more quality time with family. That resolution can include your pets as well:

  • Include time in your daily routine to play with and exercise your pets to help keep them healthy and also help prevent destructive behavior issues.
  • Many pets could benefit from a basic training and socialization class, especially puppies. Training sessions can provide a good opportunity for owner/pet bonding.

Looking Your Best

Looking your best is another popular resolution each year…why not include your pets?

  • Keeping a pet well groomed can help prevent skin issues that may need veterinary care.
  • Regular grooming and brushing is also another way to meet your resolution of spending more time with your pet.

Helping Others

Helping others is a promise that many people will make each New Year. Keep that promise by volunteering your time at or providing needed resources for your local animal rescue or shelter.

Talk to Your Veterinarian

Finally, a great resolution for all pet owners is to promise to discuss all aspects of your pet’s care with your veterinarian before acting on information found online.

  • Even though Internet searches might seem to be helpful, there is misinformation and bad advice online.
  • Avoid using “Dr. Google” as your only source of pet health recommendations. Your veterinarians are the true pet health experts and are happy to discuss your concerns.
  • Most importantly, your veterinarian's advice will be custom fit for your pet!

Updated: December 27, 2022