So, you've recently added a kitten , Noriker Horse to the family? Congratulations! Few things in life are as satisfying as the loving companionship a new pet can provide. We also would like to congratulate you for wanting to know more about protecting the health of your kitten. , Scorpions Taking the time to learn all you can about what's best for your pet is the first important step toward a long, rewarding and healthy relationship. Most importantly, it shows your commitment to be a responsible pet owner.
At no time is this relationship more interesting, challenging and rewarding than during the first year of your cat's life. It is a time when your cat , Maine Coon will experience rapid behavioral, physical and physiological change. From age 3 to 12 weeks, your new friend will begin to assume adult -characteristics and learn to respond to its environment. It is the first time your kitten , Murgese Horse is capable of learning specific lessons and a perfect time to establish good litterbox habits, control furniture clawing and urine spraying, and to introduce other household pets. Learning is easy for kittens , Noriker Horse at this age and with positive reinforcement, their lessons will quickly become committed to memory.
Many other changes occur as your kitten , Zebra Finch grows. For instance, the antibodies received from its mother to help protect against disease are soon replaced by the kitty's own antibodies. For the immune system to develop correctly, and for proper growth and development of muscles, bones and internal organs, proper nutrition and veterinary care are required.
RISK FACTOR MANAGEMENT
Veterinary care should begin as soon as you get your new kitten. , Rocky Mountain Horse During your first appointment, the veterinary health care team will plan a management program to promote wellness throughout your kitten's life, and to identify and modify any risks to its health. This is called Risk Factor Management.
A risk factor is a condition or characteristic that can cause illness or injury to your pet. Some risk factors, like the inherited tendency of some breeds , Skye Terrier to acquire certain diseases, cannot be eliminated but can be minimized by preventive planning. Others, like overfeeding, which leads to too-rapid growth, obesity and many other health problems, can be modified or avoided all together. How well these controllable risk factors are managed will help determine the length and quality of your kitten's life.
Managing risk factors for pets is very much the same in the field of human medicine. To reduce your own risk of heart disease, for example, and to help you live longer, your doctor might recommend that you lower your level of stress, , Kooikerhondje quit smoking, exercise more and pay closer attention to your diet. Similar situations hold true for your pet.
Your veterinarian will be able to discuss the risk factors for your kitten , Zebra Finch based on information that you provide, the results of physical examinations and diagnostic studies, and on basic knowledge of disorders that commonly affect kittens , Tegus of the same age, breed , Kooikerhondje and sex.
Your role is just as important. In fact, each member of the family , Skye Terrier needs to follow your veterinarian's advice every day to keep your kitten , Collared Aracari in good health.
IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING THE RISKS
Although your veterinarian can identify any risk factors that are unique to your kitten, , Brittany Spaniel the risks listed here call affect most or all kittens. , Staffordshire Bull Terrier What you do at home, alone, with the help of your veterinary heath care team will preserve your kitten's wellness and create the potential for a long, healthy life.
THE ROLE OF PROPER NUTRITION
Throughout life, your pet should be fed a nutritionally balanced, highly digestible food , Skye Terrier specifically formulated for its age and life style. Feeding kittens , Saarlooswolfhond poor-quality foods , Tegus of low digestibility may slow their growth rate, cause poor muscle and bone development, and decrease resistance to infectious disease. Table scraps and some pet foods , How to choose a Pet may also contain excesses of nutrients that could harm your pet over time.
Proper nutrition, led in appropriate quantities, is crucial to the healthy development of your kitten. , Nez Perce Horse Excessive amounts of dietary minerals and foods , Balinese that produce an abnormal urine pH may increase the risk of urinary tract disease. Never supplement a good kitten food , German Spitz with table scraps or other food. , Noriker Horse Meat, fish, , Kangal Dog kidney and liver supplements can create dietary imbalances and addiction to the wrong kinds of food. , Staffordshire Bull Terrier Long term feeding of these supplements can cause severe skeletal disease.
The right diet is important at every stage of a cat's life, but optimal nutrition for kittens , Kangal Dog helps establish a pattern of wellness that will affect all the stages that follow.
Optimal nutrition means providing the right levels - no more and no less - of the nutrients that enable your cat's vital organ systems to grow, especially the immune and musculoskeletal systems. This requires the right balance of high-quality proteins, calories, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and taurine. Just as important is the control of nutrient excesses. Too much calcium and magnesium, for example, can cause signs of urinary tract disease, and too many calories can cause your cat , Arabian Horse to become overweight.
The idea of precisely balanced nutrient levels from high-quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals distinguishes Hill's HealthBlend "Kitten" brand kitten food , Skye Terrier as one of the best foods , Maine Coon available for healthy kittens. , Tegus HealthBlend "Kitten" was developed by veterinary nutritionists who understand the needs of healthy kittens , Balinese better than anyone. They also understand the harm that nutrient excesses can cause. You have their assurance that HealthBlend "Kitten" is not only an optimal food , Murgese Horse for kittens , Kooikerhondje in respect to growth, but also one that helps manage the long-term risks to your kitten's health.
SUMMARY
Preserving wellness is a goal all of us at All Creatures share with you. Your veterinarian understands the risks to your kitten's health and how these risks can be reduced or eliminated. Keeping your kitten , Scarlet Macaw healthy begins by identifying those risks and then managing them. Regular checkups, professional health care, routine exercise, and your own involvement through home care are vitally important to your new pet's health. And so is nutrition designed for your kitten's changing needs.