It was recently reported that on average one third (33%) of household globally have a dog, and this number is steadily growing. Most of the dogs are overweight and mostly suffer from dental diseases before they even reach their senior years.
The best care of your dog means making wise choices. You take your dog to the vet and treat it when he gets sick, but dog wellness involves so much more. Excellent dog care considers your dog’s mental, body, social and other needs as well. You have to take some simple measures that could extend the life span of your dog.
So, what can you do to help your dog? Quite a lot actually, by following these 10 steps to keep it healthy.
1. Know your Dog
More than anything, you need to know your dog. You should know what your dog likes and dislikes. What makes your dog nervous and what makes it happy.
Monitor your dog’s behavior, with this you can take it into a situation they can feel comfortable with. You can play a key role in helping them remain as healthy as possible. These are the most common signs that your dog may be ill.
- Excessive drinking or urination and bad breath
- Appetite changes or changes in activity levels
- Sleeping more than normal and difficulty while rising or climbing stairs
- Coughing, sneezing, and excessive panting
- Digestive upsets and dry or itchy skin
- Red or cloudy eyes
The ultimate responsibility of your dog’s health and behavior lies with you.
2. Diet & Nutrition
Providing your dog a proper and healthy nutritious diet is one of the most important ways to support their health. Whether you buy or make your dog food, it must include a mix of proteins, fats, minerals, and carbohydrates. Your dog needs a balanced diet to stay fit and healthy.
When choosing the food diet make sure that the food caters to your companion’s individual needs, taking into consideration their age.
Aliments that could be food-related must be seen before selecting the food for your dog.
- Skin & Digestive problems
- Coat conditions & Body breath
- Hair loss & Body smell
- Increased allergies & Behavior problems
Choosing the right food for your dog from the hundreds of available brands and formulas can be challenging. Ask your veterinary health care team or any pet food specialist to help you to select the proper diet and nutrition that meet your dog’s individual needs.
3. Keep your dogs mouth clean
Keep your dog’s mouth clean by brushing its mouth at home is an effective way of caring for dental issues. If your dog shows difficulty in chewing the food it can be a reason for dental diseases. Dental care plays an important role in maintaining the dogs’ overall health.
You can also include other alternatives like dental diets, treats, and dog chew toys that can help to decrease their chances of dental disease too.
4. Regular Exercise
Your dogs need daily exercise, if your dog is overweight it can cause diabetes, heart and lung diseases, joint diseases, and skin problems. These diseases are very common in overweight animals that result in shorter life expectancy. These diseases can be prevented with regular exercise.
How much exercise and what method will vary on your dog completely depend upon the breed, size, and type of dog you have. Dog specialists usually recommend the daily amount for most dogs is 30 minutes to 2 hours. First research your breed for an indication of the level of exercise your dog needs daily, and then experiment with your hound to find the right level. Regular exercise will help your dog to maintain heart health, depression, anxiety, prevent obesity, and keep joints flexible.
You can use these exercises for your dog.
- Swimming or hiking
- Taking walks and Ball play
- Climbing and fetching toys
- Tugging or jumping play
Don’t follow the same routine every day it can be boring for your companion. Try to find new ways to stimulate your friend that will keep their mind happy and healthy. Learn new commands and tricks to build a strong bond between you and your dog.
- Introduce the new dog toys to your friend
- Play interactive games and try to work on the new tricks together
5. Keep things Natural
Keep the things natural by choosing to preserve your dog diet with vitamin E, unlike many other dog food brands that use a chemical to extend their shelf life. This food can have harmful side effects. So avoid these chemicals to maintain your dog’s health.
These chemical foods have potential side effects:
- Skin problems and hair loss
- Behavior problems and Nervous disorder
- Digestive issues and carcinogenic
Do your research before choosing the right food brand for your dog. There are many excellent dog food brands are available in the markets that are a natural option for your companion to enjoy.
6. Keep your Dog lean
If your dog is overweight that means your dog is at risk of heart diseases and diabetes. Lean dogs appear to be more comfortable and active which allows them to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
This will lead your companion to have a longer lifespan. Taking your dog to a veterinarian can help you in deciding to the proper diet whether your dog has a weight issue or not.
7. Taking your dog to the veterinarian
Your dog requires regular veterinary care. Health issues and diseases of your dog which you were unaware can be uncovered by the veterinarian through routine examination. Keep in mind that your dog can be successfully treated if it is diagnosed early. It will also be less costly if it is diagnosed early than waiting until illness turns into an advance and serious disease.
8. Grooming
There are many positives to groom your dog that will help your companion to enjoy interactions. If you don’t groom your companion. You can experience serious side effects which can lead your companion to discomfort, and expensive trips to the veterinary.
Taking your companion to proper will benefit your dog greatly. It is the best way to detect your dog problems early, if you can catch your dog disease early treatment is likely to be shorter and easier, depending on what it is. The professional dog groomer will look for rashes, inflammation, or infection that you miss as a dog owner. So if you can find your dog problem early, the quicker you’ll be able to nurse it back.
Grooming your dog also means putting your dog on a proper diet and nutrition, getting their dental health care, and daily exercise.
If you have a well-groomed, clean, and nice-smelling dog around the house means that your house will be less likely to have bad outdoors, and cause less shedding from your dog.
9. Take your dog on walk
Walking is healthy for your dog. It helps your dog’s body to reduce weight and preserving muscle tone and joint movements. Walking provides a basic foundation for physical and mental health. If your dog is confined in the house for too long, your companion will get bored that will lead to destructive behavior. You can teach your dog new tricks there, so you can show him off to your friends and family.
Take your dog on a walk to explore the sights, smells, and sounds of the world. If your dog is overweight that can bring potential health problems with it. Even if your dog is active at home still he needs a daily walk for mental stimulation. Regular exercise will help your dog t avoid unnecessary weight gain.
Waking outside is an excellent way of socially attracting new animals, that will build doggy confidence. So your companion will be less afraid to make friends. If your dog shows fear take them to the training class, it will remove the anxiety in a more controlled environment. It is a great opportunity to train your dog on how to walk on a leash. You can also teach commands like sit, stand, and heel to your companion. But don’t forget to take a treat along to use during the process to appreciate its efforts.
10. Vaccinating your Dog
Many illnesses and future diseases of your dog can be prevented through vaccination. It provides sufficient immunity to fight against diseases. It is the single most effective method for protecting your dog against infectious diseases. Without proper vaccination, your dog is left unprotected.
Proper vaccination protects your dog from several highly contagious diseases like parvovirus infection and canine distemper. Pets vaccinations are produced under very strict safety rules, that help your dog’s body to produce antibodies that identify and destroy disease-causing that enter the body. If your dog catches the same disease in the future, its body will recognize it and fight it off much more effectively.
Much scientific evidence shows that vaccines are safe and effective to prevent many potentially deadly diseases in dogs. Vaccination has prevented death and diseases in millions of pets within the last century. Make sure that you are following the vaccination schedule provided by your veterinarian.
Conclusion:
Make sure that the method you choose to take care of your dog should be medically proven. First learn as much as possible about your dog’s breed, about raising, grooming, living with this breed, in general. The more you know about your dog breed, the more confident you’ll be to make smarter choices for your dog’s health.
If your dog has any unique conditions always consult a specialist if you have any questions about your dog’s health or behavior.
Article by jahanzaib ( petrevolt.com)