Many individuals choose to add a pet to their family, but sometimes pets are unintentionally subjected to unsafe, and possibly toxic, treatment. To avoid this, it is important to read all food, shampoo, and pet product labels, checking for warnings and possible side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) protect humans against harmful consumable products, but their parameters are not enforced when it comes to pet care. To ensure pets receive the best possible care:
Adopt Pets From An Accredited Shelter
Animal shelters in good standing follow strict pet care guidelines that ensure:
- proper animal treatment
- healthy diet
- regular exercise
- human interaction
- timely immunizations
- basic training
Accredited animal shelters also tend to spay or neuter animals once they reach an appropriate age and/or development cycle. This is very important for controlling the overall animal population.
Purchase Pet Name Tags
Animals that are retrieved by Animal Control (or similar services) are often taken to a local animal shelter and kept for a given amount of time before being put up for adoption or put down. To avoid shelter overcrowding, all dogs and cats should be tagged with identifiable information. Tag information should include:
- owner's name
- owner's address
- owner's phone number
- pet's name (optional)
More recently, pet owners have begun microchipping their cats and dogs. Microchips as inserted just below the skin, usually between the pet's shoulder blades, where it is less likely for the pet to accidentally remove it.
Microchips contain an alphanumeric code that is unique to each chip. This code is linked to the pet owner's personal information, which is provided upon activation. For a small annual fee (usually around $15), the microchip remains active and the information remains in the database.
Many pet owners also create a name tag containing their pet's microchip number rather than their personal information. This is useful when an Animal Control officer retrieves the pet, because instead of placing the pet in a general holding area, the pet's owner will be notified immediately once the chip is scanned. It is common practice for all cats and dogs picked up by Animal Control to be scanned for a microchip. If an animal has a tag symbolizing the fact that they are microchipped, odds are they will be scanned before animals who may not be.
Check Pet Food Ingredients
Unlike many supermarket shoppers who check the labels of everything they eat, many pet owners usually do not make a practice out of reading the ingredients for pet food. Pet food is not required by law to contain meat by-products that are acceptable for human consumption. Even worse, many lower-priced pet foods contain unhealthy chemically-based fillers that may cause issues with digestion, skin conditions, vision, and other ailments.
Purchasing organic pet food ensures a pet receives the best possible nutrition. This practice also helps reduce environmental waste, which is created as a by-product of preservatives and chemicals that pass through the animals digestive system. When purchasing pet food, it is advisable to check for USDA approved meat content and very few ingredients. In general, the fewer ingredients, the better.
Additional Earth-friendly Pet Practices
- use biodegradable bags for pet poop
- for cat owners - avoid clay litter due to its ill effects on pet health and water safety
- use natural pet-care products (shampoo, conditioner, flea baths, etc.)
- purchase collars made from renewable or sustainable resources such as hemp
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