When you are new to owning a pet, there is a lot of room for error. You don’t want to end up in a dangerous situation with your pet, or put your pet in a harmful position, so learn from these risky mistakes in order to discover what you shouldn’t do. First of all, if your dog is not properly trained don’t take him or her on long walks. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that tens of thousands of people and up in the emergency room every year for pet-related falls. These occur when a strong dog sees a squirrel or another chaseable animal or item and takes off in that direction, pulling you with them. WebMD suggests that you take your pet to obedience training before you decide to take him or her on your morning stroll.

Another common pet owner mistake involves ignoring ticks on your pet’s fur. These pesky little insects can cause your dog or cat a lot of grief. They are usually hidden in brush or bushes, and jump into your pet’s fur as they walk by. While the tick itself is just an irritating pest, it can carry harmful and deadly diseases. These include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a host of other illnesses. Check your pet for ticks regularly. If you find some, then you need to remove the bugs carefully with tweezers and call a vet about obtaining some anti-tick medication.

An additional pet owner mistake is ignoring ringworm. If your animal has a round, bald patch on his or her body, then this fungus could be to blame. While ringworm is easily treatable, it can be dangerous when neglected. People can also contract ringworm from their pets if the condition isn’t treated. You can normally obtain a topical pet medicine that will eliminate the fungus. One of the top mistakes that pet owners make is failing to spay or neuter their animals. By failing to do this, the owner’s animals might eventually become pregnant. This can lead to unwanted puppies which have to be euthanized. Spaying or neutering your pet is always the healthiest choice.

In addition to the fact that it eliminates the possibility of unwanted puppies, spaying or neutering your pet eliminates the risk of certain illnesses. Female dogs are less likely to get breast cancer once they have been fixed, and neutered males are less likely to run away. They also won’t be so insistent on marking their territory or acting aggressive and possessive. Good pet owners also take care to deworm their pets. This involves taking their animals to the veterinarian for shots. If you fail to deworm your pet, then he or she could end up infected with harmful parasites like roundworm. These detestable bugs infect the digestive system, and motivate your pet to vomit.

The worms are not only a threat to your animal, but to you. If the dog contaminates soil or sand and then you handle the sand and bring your dirty hands to your mouth, you could swallow some of these roundworm eggs. In humans, the parasites can lead to blindness and severely damage skin tissues. If you are a new pet owner, here’s a tip to remember. Don’t always keep the food bowl full. While you may think it’s best to always give your animal access to food, this can promote pet obesity. Instead, keep your animal’s water bowl full and limit the amount of food he or she eats every day. By working on these tips, you can improve your pet’s quality of life and be a better pet owner. Whenever you are concerned about your pet’s health, it doesn’t hurt to get the opinion of a local veterinarian.