The Price of Owning a Pet

THE COST OF OWNING A DOG CAN MAKE A DENT IN YOUR FINANCES. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB BETWEEN VET CARE, FOOD AND TRAINING. THE AVERAGE COST OF OWNING A DOG IS ABOUT $2500 A YEAR. THE PET BUSINESS INDUSTRY HAS BEEN BOOMING IN RECENT YEARS WITH IT, PRODUCTS PROMOTING EVERYTHING FROM STRENGTH TRAINING, 2 UPSCALE DOG WATER BOWLS WGCUS KATE CRONIN HAS MORE ON WHAT PRODUCTS MAY BE WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY FOR YOUR FURRY FAMILY MEMBER. >> FOR MORE ON SOME OF THE LATEST WELLNESS TRENDS FOR PETS, I'M JOINED BY DR. KELLY FISHMAN, FOUNDER OF STRETCH ANIMAL MOBILITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. DOCTOR FISHMAN. >> I KATE, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT DOG WELLNESS AND FITNESS. >> SO FOR THE PEOPLE IN FLORIDA KEEPING YOUR DOG COOL. THIS SUMMER IS VITAL FROM PET SHOES TO COOLING GEAR. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU THINK EVERY PET OWNER SHOULD HAVE WON? IT COMES TO BEATING THE SUMMER HEAT. >> EVERYBODY KNOWS THE OBVIOUS WHICH IS TO TAKE YOUR DOG OUT DURING THE COOLER PARTS OF THE DAY SPECIALLY MORNING AND EVENING. STAYING OFF THE HOT PAVEMENT IS A GOOD IDEA. WALKING ON GRASS OR, YOU KNOW, SAN JUST BECAUSE THE HOT ASPHALT CAN GET REALLY TOO HOT FOR THEIR PAWS. SOME THINGS PARENTS DO KNOW IS THAT THE HUMID DAYS? SO THERE'S HIGH HUMIDITY. YOUR DOG IS ACTUALLY THE HIGHER RISK FOR HEAT STROKE. BUT IF IT'S LESS HUMID, SO BE ESPECIALLY WARY ON THOSE DAYS. THAT'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE SOME OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT HUMIDITY AFFECTS THEIR ABILITY TO PANTS AND REDUCE THEIR BODY HEAT MORE SO THEN THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE FAHRENHEIT. >> AND THEN WE'VE ALSO SEEN A GROWTH IN FITNESS EQUIPMENT FOR DOGS FROM SPECIFIC TREADMILLS FOR DOGS TO WEIGH CHEW TOYS. DO YOU THINK THESE PRODUCTS ARE OVERKILL OR ARE THEY WORTHY INVESTMENT? >> SO THIS IS MY AREA VETERINARY MEDICINE. SO I LOVE DOGS. FITNESS EQUIPMENT, DOG TREADMILLS. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE AS YOU'RE SAYING THIS VERY HOT IN FLORIDA, YOU CAN'T AVOID THE HUMIDITY, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN WORK OUT WITH YOUR DOG INSIDE. THEY CAN GO ON A DOG TREADMILL. WITCH IS NOT A HUMAN ONE. THERE BIT DIFFERENT. THEY CAN GO TO A DOG TREADMILL AND KEEP UP THEIR EXERCISE DURING THE WAR WERE TIMES OF THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, TO SACRIFICE THEIR STRENGTH. THEY DON'T GET OVERWEIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE EXERCISING SUCH JUST A GOOD IDEA FOR MOST STOCKS AND IT HELPS BEHAVIOR ISSUES, TOO, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES OR PENT UP INSIDE ON HER COUCH IN A SCENE THAT IF YOU'RE JUST GETTING BORED. >> OKAY. AND THEN ALONG WITH ALL THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY COMES THE NEED FOR WATER. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DOGGIE WATER FOUNTAINS, THEY CLAIM TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE. DO YOU THINK THAT'S NECESSARY FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH JUST ONE DOG OR IS IT FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH MORE THAN ONE? SO I IT. >> PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT THEY ARE WONDERFUL AT PET PARENTS WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEIR DOG OR CAT STREET MORE. BUT YOU DO NOT NEED ONE. THEY CAN BE A BIT PRICEY. THEY MAY BE DIFFICULT TO CLEAN AND ATTRACT MAULED. SO WE GET A LITTLE BIT WARY ABOUT IT FOR THAT REASON. SO, YEAH, I LIKE AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, MULTI DOG HOUSEHOLDS AND MAYBE A GREAT IDEA. YOU KNOW, OTHER TIMES IT FOR THE REASONS. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE SO GREAT OF AN IDEA. YOU CAN CERTAINLY JUST HAVE A REGULAR DOG WATER BOWL. KEEP IT CLEAN. ED WATERS HERE. DOGS WHAT FOOD TO KEEP THEM OR HYDRATION SUMMER. FEW THINGS LIKE FROZEN BLUEBERRIES, FROZEN CUCUMBERS. THINGS LIKE THAT TO KEEP THEM HYDRATED IN MORE FREE AND CREATIVE WAYS THAT THEY MAY LIKE BETTER. THE FOUNTAIN. >> AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE MORE COST CONSCIOUS? PET PARENTS WHO WANT TO SUPPORT THEIR PET'S HEALTH, BUT ARE ALSO LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR BUDGET. SO ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE I KNOW THAT KEEPING THAT DOG LEAN. SO NOT, YOU KNOW, SKELTON, BUT LEAN ACTUALLY AS DAYS TO THEIR LIVES. SO WE KNOW THAT SKINNY DOGS LIVE LONGER. THEY HAVE A LESS HEALTH PROBLEMS. THEY ALSO HAVE LESS MOBILITY ISSUES AS THEY AGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESS WEAR AND TEAR THEIR CHOICE OVER TIME. AND THEN THE PARENTS ALSO SAFE MONEY BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT OVER FEEDING, YOU'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON PRICEY DOG FITS. SO I BELIEVE THE BEST THING TO DO IS JUST KEEPING YOUR DOG TRAM AND IF PARENTS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY COULD TALK TO THE VETERINARIAN ABOUT STARTING A DIET. BUT IT TRULY IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR DOG'S HEALTH. AMAZING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY.