Pet Talk Tuesday – What you should know when choosing a pet

Many people are making the decision to add a pet to their family. Dr. Wylegala says there are a lot of factors to consider before making the decision on what kind of pet to get. One of them is the kind of lifestyle that you lead. Are you an active person; do you run; do you spend a significant amount of time outside; do you hike or are you more sedentary? Do you really not do a lot of those things? Are you looking more for a companion that will spend more time inside; you have a fenced in yard but you may not have the physical capabilities of taking them out and spending a lot of time with them. Those are going to make the decisions as whether you get an older rescue that may not need a lot of exercise of if you get a puppy border collie who is going to need a significantly greater amount of physical activity in order to keep them physically happy and mentally happy. Do you like to travel? Is this a pet you can take with you or a pet you will need to board? If you’re getting a kitty is this a pet you can leave in your home for a couple of days. What are you going to do as our lives ultimately do get back to normal? This is a big thing to remember. The situation that we are in right now will get better and we get back to normal. Dr. Wylegala says what she wants to make sure everyone does and they don’t just make decisions for their lifestyle now, but they make decisions for their lifestyle in the future. She says you have to think about that. You may have a significant amount of time you’re spending at home now that you have to get your pet out and take them for a walk but is that going to be the same ten months from now? These are not ten-month commitments says Dr. Wylegala. Animals live a long time. Many pets live 15, 16, and 17 years, so this is a lifetime commitment. That’s a big decision. Talk to your veterinarian. What activity level does this particular pet require? What kind of medical needs does this particular pet require? Are they a breed that may be known to have certain medical issues that may have more financial implications for people? Look at pet health insurance. Many times that allows people to take care of their pets at a different level than they otherwise would, so talk to your veterinarian. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask even talk to a potential veterinarian. Tell them your lifestyle; ask what are we looking at activity-wise, size-wise, and life span. Those are big questions to look at and not just right now, but you have to look at what your life looks like a year from now or two years from now. Where are we going to be at? Is this still going to be the right pet for you? She says it is a wonderful thing to do to add a pet to our families but we need to make sure that we are making those decisions correctly so we don’t end up relinquishing them if we find we don’t have the time to spend with them ten months from now. Don’t hesitate to reach out. The veterinarians are always available to you to ask questions.

Click here for the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society