Park Hill Vet: The Chewy Season
A Pet Lovers Gift List For Our Furry Friends
By Margot K Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ
For the GPHN
The shopping season is upon us again – how did 2024 go so fast?
In our crazy world, sometimes it’s easier to contemplate what to get the pets as presents than for the persnickety humans. Consider the following ideas for pets in your life — whether your own or belonging to family or friends.
1. A favorite toy or chew toy: Replace an old toy with a new fresh one and keep the cat and/or dog busy while the rest of the family opens their gifts (thesprucepets.com has new canine and feline lists every year).
2. Healthy treats: Something yummy and low-calorie to give that keeps pets from getting unhealthy table scraps. There are 20-plus recipe links at thedogkennelcollection.com/blog/homemade-dog-treat-recipes.
3. A microchip: A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and offers permanent identification for the life of your pet. It’s a one-time investment that could help to reunite you with your pet in the event of an escape or disaster.
4. Grooming tools or a grooming gift certificate: Every pet needs a little grooming attention, especially those with high-maintenance coats. Brushing means less hair in the house or, for cats, less hair ingested to become future hairballs. Plus, a little grooming time is bonding time with your pet that also might let you catch any health changes of concern early.
5. Dental gift certificate or dental cleaning kit: All pets need oral care; 80 percent of cats and dogs need a professional veterinary dental cleaning by age four. Purchase a gift certificate to put towards a professional veterinary dental cleaning or buy home dental care products from your veterinarian or pet store to get started as their chief tooth brusher.
6. New bed or crate: Many people do not have a place for their pet to sleep or enable them to be away from family hustle and bustle. Cages and crates are good gifts for those with new or growing dogs. A collapsible crate is an excellent present for someone who travels with their pet.
7. Certificate for new puppy/kitten supplies or health care: NOT the real thing. It’s too much for a new puppy or kitten to be sprung into a new home as a present. Plus, it’s much more fun for the whole family to be a part of the pet selection process at a shelter or breeder. Or, help defray the costs of a new pet with a gift certificate to their veterinarian to cover the costs of vaccinations, neutering and other care in the first six months.
8. A donation to a nonprofit group or memorial fund: A favorite is Canine Companions for Independence’s Sponsorship for a Puppy. The group helps to fund the training and matching of puppies to help children and adults with a variety of special needs where a specialty trained dog can change someone’s life.
The holidays are a wonderful time of year – may you enjoy it with family and friends, including our special furry family members.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com.