November is National Pet Wellness Month.
Sponsored in part by the American Veterinary Medical Association

Make sure your home is safe for your pet. Pet-proofing your home is important whether you have a new pet or have had pets for years. There are many everyday objects (medicines, pesticides and some household plants) that can prove poisonous to our pets. Go through your home to be sure that all potentially harmful objects are out of your pet’s reach.

Annual Exams: Pets should visit the veterinarian at least once a year. Annual exams are a great opportunity to check on the overall health and well-being of your pet and allow you to make any necessary changes in your pet’s daily routine and care. A review of the vaccination status and program most appropriate for your pet should also be completed at this time.

Spay/Neuter: It is incredibly important to have your pet spayed or neutered. Not only do the procedures prevent individual medical problems such as mammary and testicular tumors and uterine infections, spaying or neutering also helps curb pet overpopulation and reduces the number of unwanted pets who are euthanized every day. Spay and neuter surgeries can be safely performed as early as 8-12 weeks of age.

Weight Management: Obesity is a real and newly recognized problem for pets. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarians. Prevention is much easier to accomplish than treatment, so consult your veterinarian about the right diet and exercise regimen for your pet.

A Balanced Diet: Commercial dog and cat foods make it easy to provide a nutritionally balanced and complete diet. Dog and cat foods contain all of the different nutrients your animal needs in the appropriate quantities. Remember it can be very difficult to create a balanced and complete diet from “people” foods.

Dental Care: Teeth and oral health are extremely important when caring for your pet and should be evaluated annually. If you are fortunate to have an animal who will tolerate frequent brushing, you are already one step ahead. Unchecked, dental disease can lead to kidney problems or nutritional issues if your pet cannot adequately chew and digest their food.

Senior Pets: As animal’s age, their dietary requirements and their ability to digest certain foods changes. When pets grow older, they lose some ability to concentrate urine so they need to produce more, and therefore need more water intake. You can help by feeding your pets better quality proteins and avoiding red meats like beef and beef by-products. Doing this will decrease the work load on the kidneys and help prevent diseases and health issues from developing.

Featured Dogs: Boston and Mojo

Boston 10-5-14 004Boston: I’m a naturally playful, curious and trusting canine. Take me for long walks every day. I need to have some kind of job or challenge each day because I like to be kept busy. After my job is done, I’ll curl up with you in the evenings while you watch the ball game or read your favorite book. I’m also very smart and like to please. I’ve already learned some commands, and I would love to continue learning more. I like the other shelter dogs my size and would love to have another dog in my new home or can be the only dog.

Mojo 10-8-14 002Mojo: Did I catch your eye? I don’t blame you if you had to stop and stare, I am quite cute if I do say so myself. I love the attention and I don’t mind if you want to shower me with all your love, actually I would prefer it! I know sit and can walk on a leash. I adore meeting new people and like to go new places. He is quite a good looking fella, with a longish black coat and ears that go, either up or down! Can you make time for Mojo? He will be happy to make time for you! Gets along with other shelter dogs his size. Probably house trained.

Other available dogs:

Duke Male 15 month old black/brown/brindle Pit bull terrier. Gentle loving fella

Raj Male adult Husky/shepherd. Laid back and calm

Taffy Female 4 month old Terrier blend. Full of puppy energy and love.

Cats: At this time there are no cats available for adoption

 

All animals will be spayed or neutered prior to leaving shelter and receive 1 year rabies vaccination and city license. Ages are approximated.

The City of Mesquite Animal Shelter located at 795 Hardy Way is open for adoptions from 11am until 1 pm, Monday through Saturday, Sunday 1pm -3pm. Please call 702-346-7415 during these hours to speak to the front desk. Animal Control may be reached by phone or voicemail at 702-346-5268

The animals submitted to the media may have changes so please visit our Petfinder website for a current listing and more detailed information on the animals. www.mesquiteanimalshelter.petfinder.com