Letting Your Dog Walk You 

When out for a walk with your dog, he can pull you over if he's not properly trained. Thousands of pet owners find themselves in the emergency room each year due to pet related falls. Most of these falls occur while walking, either they were pulled or pushed by their dog, or when a person trips over his beloved pet. The best way to ensure your pet does not take you down during walks is obedience training.

 Overlooking Ticks

After walking in the woods with your pet don't forget to check yourself and your dog for ticks. Tick bites can result to Lyme disease, Rocky mountain spotted fever and some other diseases. These can also cause serious medical condition in cats. If your pet is infected with ticks, it also puts your family at risk. So if you have spotted a tick, remove it carefully using tweezers. You may also want to ask your vet about anti-tick medicine. 

Ignoring Ringworm

 If you see a round bald patch on your pet, he may have a ringworm. It is important to have your pet treated, otherwise you will be putting your family at risk from acquiring it too. Dogs and cats with ringworm can pass it to people by touching the pet's fur or skin. It causes reddish ring-shaped rash on the skin or bald spots if the scalp is infected. See your vet immediately if you suspect your pet has it. 

Keeping the Food Bowl Full  

One of the most common mistakes owners make is keeping their pets' bowls full all the time. Because of this, cats and dogs eat more than they have to. They will take in so much calories and gain much weight if food is constantly available. Ask your vet for advice or follow the pet food label suggestions to avoid overfeeding. 

Forcing Cats to Be Vegetarian  

Sometimes vegetarians want their pets to share their preference in food. The problem is, cats cannot depend on vegetables alone. They are obligate carnivores which means they should be fed with meat or they wont survive. They depend on amino acid taurine, a nutrient found only in animal tissue. Dogs can possibly handle a well balanced vegetarian diet but you must check with your vet first. 

Providing Too Little Exercise 

Pets need exercise to keep them healthy, just like us humans.  If your pet is a  couch potato, he has higher risk of a cquiringheart disease, diabetes, joint problems and becoming obese. Vets normally recommend at least thirty minutes of exercise each day, but the perfect amount of exercise for a dog depends on his breed and size. 

Misreading Body Language 

You love your dog and you care deeply for him but do you really understand him? Most of us think a wagging tail is a good sign. He may hold his tail high and wave it stiffly back and forth. But did you know that's a sign he wants to threaten someone? You could get bitten if you mistake this for playfulness. Try to learn about pet's body language to avoid misunderstandings. 

Providing Too Little Attention 

Pets are like children. They will get bored if you don't play with them. Boredom may lead dogs to unlikely behaviors such as digging, chewing, whining and barking.  Cats on the other hand, may resort to scratching and excessive meowing. Help your pet fight boredom by hiding some treats for your pets to find around the house. Teach your dog how to play fetch, hide and seek, or tug of war. 

Making Your Cats Share a Litter Box 

Making your cats share one litter box could result to elimination problems. It's as good as saying you're allowing him to poop on the floor. Cats are so picky about their litter box. They may not use it if it smells like other cats or is dirty. Vets recommend providing each cat a litter box plus one extra, spacing out each litter box around your house. 

Not Socializing Young Pets 

During the first seven weeks of life, kittens and puppies need  to regularly experience positive human interaction. Handling and playing with them will foster trust in humans. Breeders will begin this, and you may continue the process once you take your pet home. Play with your kitten or puppy everyday to build a strong bond with him. 

Leaving Young Kids Unsupervised

Children simply adore animals, though sometimes this leads to someone getting hurt. Young children oftentimes play it rough and push a cat or dog to strike out in self defense. When a new pet joins the family, ensure supervision during play time to avoid someone getting hurt. Teach your children to recognize the signs when a pet wants to be left alone. Set some rules on how they should treat the cat or dog. 

Giving Milk to Cats 

Some of us think cats thrive on milk, which is a myth because most cats are lactose intolerant.Lactose intolerance means the sugars in milk is not properly digested.  This may result to vomiting or diarrhea, although some cats can digest milk without any problems. Most vets recommend skipping the milk since cats don't really need it.

Feeding Cats Only Dry Food 

Cats may not drink enough water to stay well hydrated due to having low thirst drive by nature. Feeding them only dry food may put them at risk for urinary tract problems. Some vets recommend canned foods which contain about 78% water, to promote healthy bladder and avoid urinary tract disorders. As for a cat with a history of urinary problem, it is necessary to set him a fluid rich diet.