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Always remember that you know your pet better than anyone, even better than your veterinarian. And it's really important to be able to recognize and identify what's abnormal but before we can do that, you need to know what's normal. Remember by their very nature, pets will hide things from you. They sometimes will hide things from you until things become really severe. And so if you are able to at home pick up on really subtle changes, that can help identify problems early and also alert your veterinary team what might be going on. Even really observant owners can sometimes miss subtle changes or not understand the significance of those changes. And so in this next section of videos, we're going to talk about the behaviors for you to monitor at home, get to know what's normal for your pet and we're also going to talk about how to take your pet's vital signs. Again, so that you'll know what's normal and be able to identify when something is wrong.
In this next section, we're going to get into pet behaviors for you to monitor at home, how to understand what's normal for your pet, how to get your pet's vital signs, and a few important odds and ends all designed to help you understand your pet better. However, in this particular lesson, we're going to get into the importance of knowing your pet.
Pro Tip #1: It's important to remember, especially after you've completed this course, that you know your pet better than anyone, even your vet. Keep this in mind and don't shy away from this fact. It could be really important at some point.
It's really important that you are able to recognize and identify problems with your pet, or what's not normal. But before doing that, you'll need to understand what is normal.
Warning: Consider this the before it's too late warning. By their very nature, pets will try to hide things from you. Sometimes, they're able to do this for a long time, until the thing they're hiding becomes really severe.
Learn to notice the subtle changes in your pets. If you're able to pick up on any of these, you'll be better able to identify problems earlier and before they reach that severe stage. Doing so will also help you alert your veterinarian of what the problem might be. (Remember, you know your pet better than anyone.)
Unfortunately, even the most observant pet owners can sometimes miss these subtle changes or not understand the significance of them. Don't be a constant worrier, but you also shouldn't lull yourself into thinking everything is always fine.
Knowing what's normal with your pet is absolutely key to being able to identify what's wrong. It's also key in ensuring that your pets live long and healthy lives.