#1 Follow strictly antiparasitic and antimicrobial treatments prescribed by the Vet. It’s critical for everyone’s health (this includes animals, people and planet) to use antibiotics correctly. Most antibiotics we use for animals are practically the same ones we use for people; if we “create” resistant bacteria or parasites against veterinary medicines, we are creating at the same time “superbacteria” which affect humans and are very difficult to defeat with antibiotics. For this reason, it’s absolutely necessary to apply the antibiotic treatment till the end and not to abandon it before its time. If, for any reason, you are unable to follow the treatment at home, the Vet (not our neighbour, or Google!) will find a valid alternative for the treatment, such as injections instead of tablets. It’s also very important after the treatment is finished, to deposit the remaining at the right place, which is point SIGRE at chemistries.
#2 Don’t let your pet to capture other animals, specially endangered species (which are, for example, practically all the birds you can see outdoors, including sparrows, and all the reptiles such as lizards and snakes). All of them are harmless and absolutely necessary for keeping the ecosystem healthy. There are some exceptions: pigeons, monk parakeets and rats, which are considered a pest and cause a lot of environmental and economical problems. The problem, of course, is dogs and cats are unable to differentiate a monk parakeet and a goldfinch, so the best option is not allow pets to chase wildlife: in case of dogs, keeping our eye on them when going for a walk, and in case of cats, to keep them indoors during the reproductive season of birds (spring) and small rodents.
#3 Not to release pets. If we have an exotic (or non-exotic) pet, and we are no longer able to keep it, we must take it to a shelter. This may sound very logical, but the high number of Vietnamese pigs which run free at Vega Baja countryside, indicates the opposite. Sometimes we don’t release pets on purpose. For example, nowadays having parrots in “semi-liberty” is a trend. It consists on keeping windows open and letting the bird fly free outdoors during the day and it will return to its cage before sunset. What would happen if it doesn’t return, specially if we are talking of a couple? Another example would be if we let go out a non-neutered tomcat. What do you think he will do when queens are in season?
#4 Keep your pet healthy. A routine Vet check helps to detect disease before it’s too late, and, of course, to prevent serious diseases via vaccination, tests and antiparasitic treatments. We know we share about 70% of infectious diseases with animals. We also know the best place for every animal and plant is the place where they are coming from (of course, we mean rare and exotic animals and plants, we don’t mean a “Persian” cat will feel better at Persia).
All together we can have a better health for people, animals and planet.
Clinica Veterinaria, Calle Holanda 9, MASA Square, Gran Alacant
T: 966 698 569
