Like many pet owners, Alison Schulz considers her two cats a part of she and her husband's family.
"We love them. They're kind of like our kids," she said. "We don't have kids yet, so we take pretty good care of them."
Whether you're the proud owner of a pooch or crazy about your cat, these hairy, and occasionally slobbery, four-legged friends serve as companions to families, couples and singles alike. Regardless of whether they are the canine or feline variety, it's important to know how to care for your their needs - which means more than simply feeding them and replenishing their water.
"Not all pets are the same. Some require a lot of care and are higher maintenance," said Dr. Clayton Barton, veterinarian at Washington Family Veterinarian Clinic.
One of the keys to having a happy, healthy pet is to be informed as to your animal's specific needs.
In most cases, that starts with preventative measures like regular vaccines, spaying and neutering and, something many owners fail to consider, caring for your animal's teeth.
"Dental care is probably the most important," said Dr. Jace King, veterinarian at Washington Family Veterinarian Clinic.
"It's been shown that older animals that have good dental health have a better overall health," Barton said, adding that proper dental care for dogs includes brushing their teeth, regular cleanings and even topical products you can put on their teeth once a week.
Sandy Cannon, a self-proclaimed cat lover who owns eight cats of her own and rescues and boards many more than that, knows all about the need for proper pet health.
"To me it's important first of all to get them vaccinated," she said. "That's the really important thing."
For kittens it's also necessary to have them de-wormed as all kittens have worms, she said.
She also gets them spayed or neutered.
All of these things are common procedures performed by the veterinarians at Washington Family Veterinarian Clinic. Additionally, Barton and King treat a variety of other common ailments such as ear mites - usually in outdoor cats - parvo in puppies, ear infections in dogs and foxtails stuck in animals' fur and skin.
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Some of the other major problems presenting themselves in dogs and cats are the same problems increasingly showing up in humans, such as obesity and diabetes.
In many cases, the problem of obesity is human-caused, like owners who feed their animals too much human food.
"Diet is a huge thing," King said. "We see a lot of skin issues from bad food. Feed your animals what is most appropriate."
Pet owners also need to make sure their animals are getting enough exercise. Because every type of dog and cat is different, a visit to the vet can reveal how much your pet should weigh.
Signs of sickness
Even with the best prevention, sometimes pets still get sick. Like people, pets will usually give some hints when they're not feeling up to par.
"They tell us when they don't feel well," Schulz said of her cats. "We just keep our eye on them."
Red flags to watch for in both dogs and cats include lethargy, not wanting to eat or drink, excessive drinking and peeing, vomiting, diarrhea, hiding from people or playing less than usual.
As dogs and cats get older, more ailments may come their way, so Barton recommends annual physical exams, especially as pets get older. Routine blood work and liver and kidney checks can alert vets to problems much sooner and therefore make treatment more effective.
"If we can pick up on those things, we can make the later years more quality," Barton said.
Something more
Beyond the regular vet visits and medical care, some owners like to throw their pets a little something extra.
Schulz's cats are both indoor pets, so she feeds them wheat grass to aid in their digestion.
"He must like it," she said of her cat, Link, in particular. "He runs to the fridge for it."
The wheat grass is fed to cats Link and Cubby in addition to a regular diet of cat-appropriate food. But the two felines are also partial to bottled water.
"I'm a medium-sized crazy cat woman, not a full-blown crazy cat woman, so I don't (give them) bottled water exclusively," Schulz said, laughing.
Some of the other major problems presenting themselves in dogs and cats are the same problems increasingly showing up in humans, such as obesity and diabetes.
In many cases, the problem of obesity is human-caused, like owners who feed their animals too much human food.
"Diet is a huge thing," King said. "We see a lot of skin issues from bad food. Feed your animals what is most appropriate."
Pet owners also need to make sure their animals are getting enough exercise. Because every type of dog and cat is different, a visit to the vet can reveal how much your pet should weigh.
Signs of sickness
Even with the best prevention, sometimes pets still get sick. Like people, pets will usually give some hints when they're not feeling up to par.
"They tell us when they don't feel well," Schulz said of her cats. "We just keep our eye on them."
Red flags to watch for in both dogs and cats include lethargy, not wanting to eat or drink, excessive drinking and peeing, vomiting, diarrhea, hiding from people or playing less than usual.
As dogs and cats get older, more ailments may come their way, so Barton recommends annual physical exams, especially as pets get older. Routine blood work and liver and kidney checks can alert vets to problems much sooner and therefore make treatment more effective.
"If we can pick up on those things, we can make the later years more quality," Barton said.
Something more
Beyond the regular vet visits and medical care, some owners like to throw their pets a little something extra.
Schulz's cats are both indoor pets, so she feeds them wheat grass to aid in their digestion.
"He must like it," she said of her cat, Link, in particular. "He runs to the fridge for it."
The wheat grass is fed to cats Link and Cubby in addition to a regular diet of cat-appropriate food. But the two felines are also partial to bottled water.
"I'm a medium-sized crazy cat woman, not a full-blown crazy cat woman, so I don't (give them) bottled water exclusively," Schulz said, laughing.