Know the main care to have with pets during the fall

Autumn starts on March 20th and runs through June 21st. In this season, temperatures begin to drop, the weather becomes dry and the volume of rain decreases. And just like humans, pets feel temperature changes too.

Therefore, care for them must be redoubled. That’s because, in the fall, respiratory, ophthalmic and joint problems intensify. Check out some tips and care that should be adopted with pets during this season of the year.

Respiratory diseases

According to Cinthya Ugliara, veterinarian and technical coordinator of operations at Petland&CO, respiratory diseases are among the most common in this period of the year, both allergic and infectious, caused by viruses or bacteria. Examples include feline rhinotracheitis (feline flu) and canine infectious tracheobronchitis (dog flu).

“Overall, these illnesses can cause symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge and shortness of breath. To treat them, it is necessary [ter] an adequate diagnosis and follow-up with the veterinarian. But the most important thing is to do prevention with visits to the veterinarian every 6 months and always keep the pet’s vaccination card up to date”, recommends the veterinarian.

Protecting your pet

Some attitudes can prevent respiratory problems or help your pet improve. Cinthya Ugliara suggests using the air humidifier, especially in the place where the pet sleeps.

Veterinarian Pablo Monteiro, from Hospital Veterinário, Pet Shop & Hotel Sena Madureira, explains that keeping the “place warm and comfortable, with blankets and clothes that are always clean, as well as a dry and clean place, in order to avoid the presence of dust and mites” is an attitude that helps to protect animals.

Food and hydration

Immunity is one of the important points to maintain your pet’s health. Therefore, pay attention tofood and hydration is essential. Veterinarian Pablo Monteiro explains that offering good quality food and keeping pots and feeders clean and sanitized are important actions.

According to veterinarian Cinthya Ugliara, with lower temperatures, pets tend to reduce water consumption. Therefore, it is important to encourage you to ingest more fluids. “A fun and easy way to do this is to offer wet foods, like those that come in sachets or cans. For cats, it is extremely important to offer water in wide pots or electric fountains, which help to keep the water circulating, and they love it, ”she explains.

fleas and ticks

During the tour, keep an eye on the places you frequent with the animals. In this season, the foliage is drier and this contributes to the proliferation of parasites, such asfleas and ticks, who are looking for a place to stay. In addition, it is also essential to take care of cleanliness at home.

“The right thing is to always keep the place vacuumed and clean using specific disinfectants. Likewise, it is important to prevent the pet from having direct contact with environments where these parasites may be, such as parks, squares and grass”, indicates Pablo Monteiro.

Keeping an eye on vaccination

It is important to keep the animals’ vaccination schedule up to date, especially during the fall. In this season of the year, flu cases increase, and care with vaccination should be redoubled. According to veterinarian Cinthya Ugliara, the annual flu vaccine for dogs is important at this time, as it prevents canine infectious tracheobronchitis. This condition, in turn, causes severe coughing and a lot of discomfort to the pet.

“Although the vaccine does not provide 100% protection against the disease, its use is still indicated, as it considerably reduces the symptoms presented. The multiple vaccine for dogs also protects against influenza, and the multiple vaccine for cats protects against feline rhinotracheitis, which, in addition to lowering immunity, causes a lot of sneezing and purulent nasal discharge,” explains Cinthya Ugliara.

Attention to the eyes of pets

In autumn, the eyes of pets tend to dry out, reducing the amount of tears and leaving the eye region favorable to infections, irritations and allergies. Veterinarian Pablo Monteiro explains that eye problems are common at this time of year, especially indogs and cats brachycephalic, that is, those with a flatter head and muzzle.

“However, care should be with everyone. We must avoid exposure with free and dry areas, presence of winds that can evolve and cause, mainly, dryness and consequently conjunctivitis”, recommends the veterinarian. He also suggests looking for a veterinarian to examine the animal and indicate the use of lubricating eye drops.

joint problems

Veterinarian Cinthya Ugliara explains that arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation of one or more joints of the animal. Among the causes are overweight, genetic predisposition, excessive physical activity, slippery floors and the size of dogs.

“The evolution of arthritis can also lead to another illness: osteoarthritis (or arthrosis), which is a chronic and slowly evolving disease, characterized by the degeneration and loss of the cartilage that covers the inside of the joints. In addition to the causes already mentioned for arthritis, arthrosis can also be caused by aging, with animals over 7 years old predisposed to present some degree of arthrosis”, he says.

In this way, veterinarian Pablo Monteiro explains that, because it is a colder season, pets with a pathology or chronic condition will be more likely to develop pain if they are exposed to the cold. Thus, he recommends keeping the animals warm, avoiding long walks, especially at times of lower temperatures, as well as keeping the environment always airy.