Pets are part of the family – and require a lot of love and attention like humans do. And just like when raising children, there are plenty of mistakes people make when they're trying to navigate life with their furry companions. Even professionals can mess up at times – as shown by a recent TikTok video posted by vet Amir Anwary. In a candid clip, he outlined three major mistakes he made with his own dog.
While he felt embarrassed to share them, he hopes it will help others in the future. So here are the big no-nos you should avoid at all cost... Amir revealed: "Number one is I castrated my male dog way too early. He now has hip dysplasia and elbow problems. He's already developing arthritis and he's only four-year-old. I was led to believe that castrating them when they reach six months old is normal.
"He was a large breed dog and it's not normal, guys. There are different age recommendations for different dog breeds and when you should be castrating and spaying them so please don't just listen to anyone that says castrate them when they reach six-months-old. That is not science anymore.".
Amir believes his dog gained too much weight because he had "every single excuse in the book" when it came to not walking it enough. What's more, he went a bit overboard with treats. He said: "I felt bad, I fed her too much food. I gave her treats because she really liked them and she got overweight and because she's a large breed dog, I can already see it affecting her joints and it's so hard to go back when they're already developing arthritis. I'm doing everything I can now, of course, but I never should have let it get to that point so don't let your dogs get overweight. It's not worth it.".
Owners sometimes hit their dogs out of fear or frustration – but this is something you should never do. It can make pets fearful of you – and actually create more negative behaviour. This is something Amir avoids – but has made a mistake in the past – "only when she was chasing animals on the farm" to prevent her from hurting them. He said he can "still see that fear in her eyes" whenever he raises his hand, which is pretty heartbreaking.
Amir urged: "Guys, don't hit your dogs. It just makes them scared of you." Instead, positive reinforcement or seeing a dog trainer for help is advisable. Calling all dog lovers! Sign up to TeamDogs for your weekly dose of dog news, pictures and stories.
