TikTok vet reveals 10 top tips to keeping pets happy and healthy

What do lilies, pigs ears and Tylenol all have in typical?

They are all key no-nos for pets according to Texas-centered veterinarian Hunter Finn. 

By way of a series of TikTok videos, the animal lover serves up some ideas and tips close to how house owners can hold their 4-legged buddies pleased and balanced. 

Finn, who runs the Pet Strategy Animal Medical center, says some of his pet hates include things like doggy bones that can splinter and trigger tummy issues, lilies as they can poison cats and pet dog parks mainly because they are breeding grounds for sickness.

Below FEMAIL rounds up some of the vet’s best pieces of tips. 

Through a series of TikTok films, Texas-based veterinarian Hunter Finn serves up some ideas and methods about how owners can maintain their four-legged pals content and healthy

1. Keep an eye on your pet’s fat

Finn, who has additional than two million followers on TikTok, basically tells pet owners in one particular clip: ‘Stop building them excess fat.’

He proceeds: ‘We all can agree that food items equals like but did you know that being over weight in fact can shorten their lifespan.

‘So I’m all for offering your dogs treats and meals and engaging with them but you also want to physical exercise them. And indeed, that signifies you may have to go outdoors of your home and choose them on a 10 moment walk twice a working day.’

Finn acknowledges that some pets might have genetic diseases or hormonal imbalances that can have an impact on their fat. But he highlights that this can be corrected and ‘it just arrives down to energy in versus energy out eating and training.’ 

2. Really don’t feed dogs pigs ears or bones

In his videos, Finn tends to make his dislike of pet bones and rawhides clear. He says rawhides are ‘really good at sitting in your dog’s belly for a very long time triggering gastrointestinal upset and in some cases obstructing them major to an high priced surgical procedure.’

Meanwhile, bones can bring about broken tooth and distressing splinters and pigs ears are one more supply of upset.

Finn claims on the issue of pigs ears: ‘Those factors are just unpleasant and there has been a good deal of difficulties with bacterial contamination above the many years with both of those of individuals items. There is just improved [and] safer treats for you to give.’

The vets suggests cutting up a sweet potato, cooking it in the oven for two to a few hrs and dehydrating it as a deal with. Alternatively, he suggests you can get a hollow Kong toy and fill it with items this sort of as ‘carrots, applesauce and popcorn.’ 

He concludes: ‘They will lick on this and go for it for really a although. These are substantially healthier, decrease in calories and safer for your pet.’

In his movies, Finn makes his dislike of pet dog bones and rawhides very clear

The vets suggests acquiring a hollow Kong toy and fill it with points such as ‘carrots, applesauce and popcorn’

3. Steer clear of lilies  

If you’re a cat owner, Finn warns versus obtaining lilies and displaying them about the dwelling. 

He suggests they can cause numerous conditions if your 4-legged good friend will take a nibble of the flowers or leaves. 

He describes: ‘Worse conditions it destroys their kidneys and very best scenarios they just get some gastrointestinal upset and probably some ulcers. Just do not keep them in the residence.’

4. Get growths checked out straight absent

If you place any growths on an animal, Finn advises getting it checked out right away by a skilled.

He suggests it can get as very little as 15 minutes to get a diagnosis and if remaining unchecked, it could even worse.

He points out: ‘In worst scenarios it’s some thing poor and we go in advance and get rid of it. [But we] have better chances of curing your pet.

‘Best scenario is it truly is benign and you get to sleep much better at night and not fear about it.’ 

If you location any expansion on an animal, Finn advises acquiring it checked out immediately by a specialist

5. Have the proper amount of litter trays

For cat owners, Finn highlights the significance of having the suitable sum of litter trays. He claims ‘a excellent rule of thumb’ is to have 1 litter box for each cat, additionally a person additional.

And if you only have 1 cat, it truly is a superior plan to have two litter containers in two various parts.

6. Don’t prevent pet antibiotics early

On the issue of antibiotics, the vet states you will have to constantly administer the comprehensive program to your pet, even though it can be really hard at instances to get cats and dogs to take their medication. 

Finn warns viewers: I gave you that quantity for a purpose… Often if you end them also early it can direct to more durable extra resistant infections.’ 

7. In no way give your pet Tylenol 

Shockingly, Finn claims he arrive across quite a few shoppers who give their pets Tylenol or other forms of agony relivers intended for human intake. He suggests human ache relivers or fever reducers really should hardly ever be administered to animals.

The social media star proceeds: ‘You’d be stunned when persons never know that this is truly undesirable for them. It’s really poisonous to their liver and their kidneys. they will not metabolize points the same way that we do.’

When some commenters said that they had hardly ever listened to of individuals carrying out this kind of a detail Mercedes Weiss, who is effective as a tech vet, backed up Finn’s statements. 

She mentioned sadly ‘a large amount a lot more people today than you would think’ give their pets Tylenol.  

8. Stay away from dog parks

The TikTok vet suggests he is ‘honestly not a large enthusiast of pet dog parks’ and ‘although they’re not terrible in theory’, he ‘sees the terrible aspect of them.’

He claims they act as breeding grounds for infectious ailments and parasites and there is certainly larger possibility of puppies biting each and every other. 

For that reason, he suggests: ‘They’re superior in principle [but] as I want your doggy to have very good enrichment… there are much better locations.’ 

The TikTok vet claims he’s ‘honestly not a large lover of pet dog parks’ and ‘although they are not bad in theory’, he ‘sees the terrible facet of them’ (inventory picture)

9. Use health supplements in moderation 

Finn claims he is ‘all for pet supplements’ that concentrate on joint suffering, skin conditions and all round health and fitness. But he suggests he has viewed lots of entrepreneurs providing their animals tablets and medications that they ‘really never require.’ 

He suggests employing supplements and probiotics in moderation but warns ‘more is not usually greater.’ 

10. Preserve doggy meals simple 

‘Some of y’all just be incorporating way too a great deal stuff to your dog’s foods,’ Finn states. He suggests he generally sees men and women incorporating ‘a great deal of toppers’ to their pets’ meals to really encourage them to try to eat it. 

Nonetheless, the vet notes that several pet food items – like human foods – are processed and never normally provide the ideal in conditions of nutritional price. 

If you have the time, Finn suggests ‘you can make a total and balanced diet program cooking for them from residence.’ 

A person of the uncomplicated snacks he indicates rustling up for canines, is frozen complete carrots soaked in hen broth.