Keep your Dog Healthy:: Keeping a pet is a huge responsibility. Even though dogs are great for your mental and physical health and are especially recommended to seniors and those suffering from anxiety and depression, taking care of your dog is mandatory. As a dog owner, you must ensure that your pet is in good health and is not being neglected. This means that you need to ensure that it is receiving a nutrient-rich diet, is being taken out for regular exercises, and to the vet for regular grooming and checkups.
You must also keep a check on your dog’s eating, sleeping, drinking patterns so that you can notice anything out of your ordinary. Remember, dogs can’t communicate with you the way humans do, so you need to be extra sensitive about their needs. If your dog gets seriously hurt or ill, immediately seek medical advice.
Here are some things you can do to keep your dog healthy:
Healthy food is not only important for humans. In fact, pets also need the right amount of nutrition to ensure that they remain healthy. The best way to keep obesity-related illnesses at bay is by giving your dog a balanced diet of quality food and encouraging a healthy supply of water.
Make sure to consult with a vet to ensure the correct nutritional needs for your dog. You can also check to see if your dog needs any additional supplements on a day-to-day basis. Even though treating your dog is a great way to make him familiar with the reward method, make sure you do not end up giving him too many. Research shows that only 10% of your dog’s diet should consist of treats.
Keeping your dog physically active is crucial. However, this doesn’t have to be boring. Figure out whether your dog enjoys hiking, playing fetch, swimming, or going on everyday runs, and ensure that you take out a little time every day. Getting your dog to exercise each day will keep it healthy, engaged, interested, and mentally stimulated.
Of course, you can always make regular exercise more fun by introducing your dog to new routes and scents. This will also be good for you as you can incorporate some daily exercise into your routine.
Taking your dog for regular checkups to the vet is not enough. You also need to introduce some preventive medications so that your dog does not fall ill too often. Some common dog illnesses include heartworm, fleas, and ticks. If these develop, they can lead to full-blown, painful diseases.
As a dog owner, you must also brush your dog’s teeth each day and provide them with dental chews. This will help keep serious health issues at bay, reducing the chances of your dog falling sick. In addition to this, allow the vet to perform an annual wellness exam on your dog to rule out the possibility of any serious illnesses. This way, you will be alerted beforehand in case of any disease. Remember to also take your pet to the dentist to get rid of plaque and tartar buildup.
You may have heard this phrase numerous times, but what does regular grooming really mean? Regular grooming sounds a lot scarier than it is! To groom your dog regularly, make sure to keep its nails trimmed, brush out its fur a few times a week, and bathe your dog regularly. This way, you can regularly check your dog for any signs of dandruff, balding, dryness, or changes in skin texture.
Of course, you also need to check your dog for lumps and bumps. You never know when these develop, but regular maintenance will help detect symptoms early. Consult your veterinarian to figure out the ultimate grooming procedure for your dog.
Studies conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association report that they earlier a dog is socialized and exposed to different people, pets, and situations, the lower the chances of it being anti-social or aggressive as it grows up. Think of the first 16-18 weeks as your dog’s formative years- however you socialize your dog during this period will be the personality it adopts as an adult.
Hence, it is absolutely crucial that you get your dog to meet as many people and animals as possible during their formative years. However, this does not mean you can isolate them once they go up. Taking your dog to the park and to relatives’ houses to meet friends and family members will help keep it active, social, and engaged.
Some people believe in tough love, but your dog deserves all the love in the world. Even if you do not want your dog to be too attached to you, make sure you do not skip out on cuddles, pats, and belly rubs- your dog will love all those. Even when you are busy, try to pet your dog on the head or give it a quick hug.
Not only is this great for your dog, but it is also wonderful for your well-being. Creating a strong emotional bond with your pet also allows you to have better relations with those around you while making your dog more comfortable around other animals and people.
As much as you wish your dog could communicate with you just like you communicate with your friends, it won’t happen. Hence, we must always keep a look-out for any warning signs to ensure that our dogs are doing well physically and emotionally. Anything out of the ordinary could be viewed as a health problem. However, sometimes a dog will develop a mild illness that will go away on its own.
When some dogs get seriously ill, they will try to conceal all signs. Others will become aggressive and will not let their owners come close to them. If your usually friendly dog is barking, snapping, or biting, you must contact your vet immediately.
Are you ready to take care of your dog and provide it with constant love and support? Keeping a pet is a big responsibility. If you feel like you can take care of it appropriately, go ahead and adopt a dog! Trust us; it will be the best decision you ever make.
by Bobby J Davidson || You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it™ .
Facts About Animal Homelessness:
Here are a some adoptions for consideration: puccicafe.com/adoptions