All pet owners can agree that their pet’s health and well-being are their main priorities. Ensuring the condition of your furbaby is very crucial as a parent. When we have pets, all we want to do is shower them with love, affection, and care and just spoil them however we can. Their cuteness is more than enough to make any day better, which is why taking care of them is essential.
Pet care is essential for a long and healthy life for your dog. However, not all owners know enough to ensure their pet’s health. If you’re one of those owners, you can keep reading as you’ll find five tips to help you care for your dog.
- Take your dog to check-ups.
Frequently consulting a vet for your dog is crucial in knowing they are completely healthy. Veterinarians are medical professionals you can alert if you observe any unusual behavioral patterns or health concerns with your furbaby. If you’re willing, you can take your dog to monthly check-ups to see if there are any health problems you haven’t noticed. It is optional to take your dog to the vet every month, but it can help. However, if your dog gets injuries or any symptoms of a severe illness, then take it to the vet immediately.
- Beware of parasites
Many parasites may bother or even hurt your dog. Also, some parasites, such as ticks, may carry different diseases that can cause more severe illnesses for your dog. A tick is a parasite that feeds on human blood and animals. Tick bites are tiny red lumps that are painless but can get infected. They can cause a dog to experience a fever, decreased appetite, coughing, lethargy, and other symptoms. Tick bites are tiny red lumps that are painless but can get infected. So if you don’t want your dog to feel any of those issues, then visit this article by Vetster to know what to do when your dog gets ticks.
- Get your dog vaccinated.
Vaccination shots, just like in humans, protect your dog from dangerous diseases. A vaccination is a substance given to your pets to boost their immune system’s defenses against illness. Most vaccines are given by needle injection, although some can be taken by mouth or sprayed into the nose. Dogs’ most crucial vaccine shots are canine parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, and rabies. Vaccines like leptospirosis, Lyme, canine influenza, and more are only recommended depending on the dog’s exposure or lifestyle.
- Maintain a healthy weight
Your dog’s diet is vital for its health, so you should ensure it’s nourished and well-fed. An underfed dog can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, digestive issues, and more health concerns. On the other hand, an overfed dog can be obese. Obesity in dogs leads to health issues such as heart problems, breathing difficulty, cancer, high blood pressure, and many others. So if you don’t want your pet to experience health concerns, keep it at an average healthy weight.
- Exercise your dog.
Exercise your pet as often as possible. It can be through walking, jogging, or any exercise you find helpful for your furbaby. There will be several health benefits for your pet, even just from brief walks in your neighborhood. Exercising can help your dog lose weight and get to a healthy weight if it’s overweight. When exercising outdoors, your dog can also use its other senses, like smelling and seeing, and give it a chance to explore and become familiar with its environment. Mental stimulation is also another effect that exercise gives to pets.
Those are some tips that can help your dog live a healthy life. We hope that this article helped you as an owner in protecting your dog. Allowing your dog to have fun and be happy while maintaining a good physical and mental condition will benefit you and your pet tremendously.
Sources:
4Paws Veterinary Care. (n.d.). Dog Vaccinations. Retrieved from:
https://www.4pawsanimal.com/services/dogs/dog-vaccinations
