Resolution #1: Dear pet owner - do you feed your pet dry food? Please buy a good pet book that has recipes in it for home-made pet food, so that your pets can enjoy the same fresh food that YOU get to eat. Surely you have to realize that feeding us even a good quality dry or canned food is like eating 100% balanced Wheaties every day. And, my friends, remind your owners that most pets LOVE fresh food!
Resolution #2: Instead of some icky, calorie-laden, artificially colored and flavored pet snack, why not buy us REAL treats? I personally like things like dehydrated liver chunks, chicken jerky, and those dehydrated sweet potato treats. And raw baby carrots, too! I asked my kitty Emmett what he likes and he said to not forget that most cats like liver chunks, too. And maybe some canned sardines on occasion, or a single fresh shrimp. He says to tell your human to not be ashamed to ask for just one or two shrimp, either - tell that person at the fish counter that Dr. Mitchell does it all the time for her him!
Resolution #3: Emmett also says that you should resolve to remember that most kitties like to play with toys and that they really, really, really like 2 special kinds of kitty toys the most - those little cloth animals that are stuffed with crackly stuff inside, ‘cause they crunch like a bug when you bite them, and those little tinsel balls that are fun to biff around and lose under the sofa. And to get off your fanny and go buy some, NOW!
For myself, I like anything that I can kill the squeaker in and rip the innards out of. (Mom HATES it when I do this!) I’m very good at it though - the toy hasn’t been invented that I can‘t “kill” in under 3 minutes!
Resolution #4: I, personally, would like to encourage you to ask your humans to resolve to give you a nice long walk every day (OK, maybe they can take one day a week off, but they should try to walk you every day if they can). Especially when we get a little old and arthritic, there is nothing better for you, my friends, than a good brisk walk every day!
Resolution #5: My dear dog and cat friends, please resolve to see us here at the hospital about those dingy teeth of yours this spring. Why? Because keeping your teeth and gums healthy can add YEARS to your life. A day in the dentist’s chair isn’t exactly a spa visit, but it is SO nice to have fresh breath and gums that don’t hurt! So whisper in your person’s ear to take a look at your teeth. If those teeth are yellow, or if your gums are red, you are OVERDUE for a good dental cleaning, and, my friend, I want to tell you that this is one of the best presents they could ever give you.
Resolution #6: Dear friends, are you perhaps not as fresh as you could be? Do you have that bed-head look going? Why not drop a forceful hint to your human to take you to a groomer for a nice bath and fluff-up? If your human doesn’t know any groomers, tell them to call the hospital and we can tell them who our clients like to have groom their pets (we keep a list of groomers who are nice and gentle).
Resolution #7: Are you an older gentleman? Is your owner? (If he is, he already knows where I am going with this, I bet!) If you are a senior canine, you really need to resolve to have your prostate checked regularly if you are not neutered. Your vet will need to put on a glove to do this. I will not say more, except to say that it is really, really important to get this checked regularly!
Resolution #8: If you are a senior pet, why not ask your owner to resolve to get you a senior health panel this spring at the same time as your heartworm test? You will remember that I talked about blood tests a couple years ago, and told you what you needed to get checked and why. If you are older than 7 years of age, you need to get this done NOW. The information your human will get could save your life.
Resolution #9: Resolve to have some fun this summer! Does your owner know about the cool boat cruises that they can take with you on the Chicago lakefront? You and your owner will meet a lot of other nice pet-loving people and you'll have a great time seeing Chicago from a new vantage point. And if your owner is single, who better to meet than other pet-lovers? Enjoy those summer lake breezes, and don't forget the Dramamine for your owner!
Resolution #10: Resolve to have even MORE fun, and convince your owner to take you to a White Sox game on their Pet Game Day this summer. The Sox have one every summer, and it’s a nice opportunity for you and your owner to share a beer, a bratwurst, (well, maybe you shouldn’t share the beer, but hold out for the brat!), and a great time in a great ball park. I wish the Cubbies had one of these...that’s my Mom’s favorite team!
YOUR FRIEND,
LIZZIE
