New Year's resolutions to keep your pet healthy & happy

Director of Communications at Noah’s Animal Hospitals, Tom Dock, appeared on “Life.Style.Live!” to share insights on how to keep pets healthy in 2025. He also brought with him Lord Kratos, his adorable four-year-old Bull Mastiff!

1. As we roll into the New Year, what kind of resolutions are you making for you?  Additionally, have you made any resolutions when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your furry friends? 

2. For 2025, pet parents should focus on three key areas for their pet’s overall care.  These include medical care, financial care, and behavioral care.   

3. One of the simplest things you can do for you AND your dogs during this new year is to make a commitment to at least two 20-minute walks each day.  Not only will this help release any pent-up energy your pup may have, it can also help reduce the obesity epidemic we are seeing in our pets.  According to the Association For Pet Obesity Prevention, more than 60% of our canine friends are either overweight or obese. 

4. Don’t forget your feline pals!!  More than 62% of cats are classified as overweight or obese.  It might take a little creativity but just spending a couple of 10–15-minute sessions with a “kitty teaser” type of toy can actually help your flabby tabby lose some pounds! 

5. Being prepared for any sort of pet emergency is a great resolution for the coming year.  According to the Lifetime Cost of Care Study performed by Synchrony Bank, 80% of pet parents will face an unexpected veterinary bill this year. More than 50% of households say that a $500 bill will cause distress in their households. 

6. Being prepared might include things like having a CareCredit account, setting up a savings account just for your pet, or even having a separate credit card just for veterinary expenses.  Some people might consider pet insurance as an option and there’s a wide range of options available for almost any price point. 

7. Keeping our pets intellectually stimulated can also help us avoid any problems with unwanted behavior.  According to experts, behavioral issues are a leading cause of relinquishment to shelters and rescues and are often a main reason for early euthanasia of our furry friends. 

8. For our dogs, as noted above, any sort of physical activity is helpful.  “A tired dog is a good dog” and some breeds may need more mental and physical stimulation than others.  A quick Internet search or trip to your local pet store can help you find food puzzles and other mentally stimulating items for your active pup! 

9. Similarly, our feline friends need this sort of mental activity as well.  There are many puzzle toys designed to enrich your cat’s emotional well-being.  Keep in mind that many cats will also need an outlet for scratching, so be sure to have one or more scratching posts available for this instinctive need. 

10. Finally, don’t forget about our community’s pets…many rescues and shelters continue to be overwhelmed and could use YOUR help.  Consider adopting or fostering a pet to help lessen the burden on these groups.  If you can’t adopt or foster, consider some sort of donation.  It could be monetary, it could be items like cleaning supplies or food, or it could even be a donation of time.  Many rescues and shelters need dedicated volunteers for transportation of pets as well as helping to keep these homeless pets engaged and happy. 

11. Above all, make a resolution to spend time with your pets!  That attention you lavish on them will be returned 1000 times with unconditional love!