Giving your cat or dog medication that's meant for humans could be fatal.
Letting your dog meet new dogs face-first may not always be appropriate.
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Helping your pet live their best life isn't always easy.
But there are a few ways you could unknowingly be making their life a bit more difficult or even be missing out key warning signs related to their health.
Here are common mistakes pet owners make and how to fix them, according to veterinarians.
You should never try to cut matted fur out of a pet's ear.
If long-haired dogs and cats aren't regularly groomed the fur on their ears can become thickly matted — but that doesn't mean you should grab your scissors and chop it off.
"Matts are difficult to brush or comb out, so sometimes pet owners decide to take matters into their own hands and cut them out with scissors," Christie Long, veterinarian and head of veterinary medicine at Modern Animal, told Insider. "This is a mistake. Because it can be difficult to determine where the matt ends and the ear itself begins, it's easy to cut the ear."
The best way to deal with matted fur is to use a soft-bristled brush to gently comb out the matt. If this isn't possible — or you have an uncooperative pet — a trip a professional groomer may be in order.
Socializing your new puppy early is vital.
To read more on this story, click here: Veterinarians Reveal 10 Of The Most Common Mistakes Pet Owners Make
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