{"id":682,"date":"2020-01-08T12:49:50","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T17:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/?p=682"},"modified":"2020-01-08T12:49:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T17:49:50","slug":"new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/new-years-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year’s Resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Janelle Allen, LVT<\/h4>\n

Creating Goals for Our Pets\"\"<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the start of a new year and most people are working on implementing some New Year\u2019s resolutions for themselves. But what about our pets? Most of us probably don\u2019t think about creating a resolution involving our furry companions, but maybe we should. Let\u2019s explore what those goals might look like for our pets and how we might achieve them.<\/p>\n

Setting Goals<\/h3>\n

So, what would be a good resolution for your pet? To answer that, we need to identify if there are any aspects of their life that could be improved. Is your pet carrying a little (or a lot) extra weight? Do they have pent up energy? Are they less active than they used to be? Is there something they used to enjoy doing but are no longer able to do? While not an exhaustive list, these are the types of questions you should ask yourself. From here, we can start to decide on a goal. Maybe our goal might be increasing exercise or maybe it\u2019s losing a little weight. Maybe our goal is to improve our pet\u2019s performance in their sport, like agility or dock diving. These are some broad goals. In order to be successful with these broad goals, we need to set more specific parameters<\/a>, such as losing 3 pounds in 3 months, or going for 3-4 walks per week.<\/p>\n

Where to Start<\/h3>\n

It can be very tough to come up with a specific goal, so don\u2019t be afraid to reach out to your veterinarian. If your pet hasn\u2019t seen their regular veterinarian in a while, this is a great place to start. Current guidelines recommend a yearly physical examination, even if your pet isn\u2019t due for any vaccine updates. A complete physical exam each year can help alert your veterinarian to any changes going on with your pet. Identifying these changes can help when trying to formulate a plan to achieve your goals for your furry friend. Make sure you express any concerns that you have about your animal. Your veterinarian can help you set a more specific goal that is reasonably attainable. Then, they can help point you in the right direction to make your pet\u2019s resolutions a reality.<\/p>\n

\"\"What Resolutions Mean to Us<\/h3>\n

If your goals for your pet are based around increasing exercise, promoting weight loss, improving mobility, decreasing pain, or all of the above, rehabilitation therapy could be a great tool. Some of our patients have just had surgery and need a little help getting back to their normal activities. Some are competitive athletes that need an extra boost to improve their performance. Some are carrying a few extra pounds and need some help getting started with a weight management plan.\u00a0 Our rehabilitation plans are customized to each patient and their family\u2019s goals for them. We use structured exercises<\/a> to target specific muscle groups in order to strengthen and define them. Regular use of the underwater treadmill is great for improving overall stamina and strength. We offer many different pain management modalities, including massage<\/a>, cold laser<\/a>, and acupuncture<\/a>. For patients who need some help with losing some pounds, we calculate how many calories they are currently getting and discuss how we can decrease them as well as how to add in daily exercises in order to achieve our goals.<\/p>\n

Achieving Goals<\/h3>\n

Just like our own resolutions, it will take some time and effort to achieve our goals for our pets. The expression goes, \u201dIf at first you don\u2019t succeed, try, try again.\u201d This not only applies to ourselves but to our animals as well. We might not be successful with our resolutions the first time around, but that doesn\u2019t mean we have failed. Sometimes our plans just need to be adjusted or tweaked. Resolutions are a team effort, even the ones we create for ourselves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Janelle Allen, LVT Creating Goals for Our Pets It\u2019s the start of a new year and most people are working on implementing some New Year\u2019s resolutions for themselves. But what about our pets? Most of us probably don\u2019t think about creating a resolution involving our furry companions, but maybe we should. Let\u2019s explore what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pawsitive-steps-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Year's Resolutions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most people are working on implementing some New Year\u2019s resolutions for themselves. But what about our pets? Most of us probably don\u2019t think about creating a resolution involving our furry companions, but maybe we should. 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