As a good dog parent, we are sure you are doing everything in your power to ensure your pet stays in pristine condition.
However, while exercising and feeding your dog is important (visit here to learn how much exercise your dog needs), your best friend needs other general care to ensure general wellbeing. Some of these routine cares include dental care, grooming, vaccinations, and so on.
In this article, we will take a look at some of these routine cares so that you will know just how to properly care for your pup.
1. Dental Care
Canines require dental care all through their lives. When their dental isn’t properly cared for, it can result in other serious health issues like heart disease. This is because when the teeth aren’t taken care of, plaques will form on them and these often have bacteria that can travel into your pet’s bloodstream.
To protect your dog from this, you would have to give attention to its dental. Thankfully, this isn’t a difficult task. Caring for your pet’s teeth involves feeding it dry foods, regularly brushing its teeth, and following professional oral care and dental cleaning programs. These programs are often offered and performed by vets.
If dental disease is left untreated and gets severe, extraction may be needed.
2. Spaying
Unless you want to use your dog for breeding you need to get it neutered or spayed. This would not just remove those unwanted puppies from the picture, but it would also save your pup severe future medical issues.
Some of the medical conditions you would be protecting your dog from by getting it spayed are mammary cancer and uterine disease for females, and prostate disease for males.
If you have a female dog, you have to get it spayed when it’s about 6 months old; before its 1st heat cycle hits. As for the males, anywhere between five to ten months is fine, although this is based on size and breed.
3. Veterinary Care
An adult dog requires a full veterinary examination a minimum of one time yearly. While puppies need to visit the vet every 3-4 weeks till they become four months old.
Any dog beyond 7-8 years (geriatric dogs) has to visit the vet at least 2 times a year. This is because older pets are more prone to illnesses and identifying the illness soon is important.
4. Grooming
Grooming is important for every dog, but it is especially vital for dogs that have shaggy or thick hair coats. This is because their coats can easily mat or get tangled. When you brush your pet’s coat, you remove the hair that was shed and also prevents matting. You can visit https://www.wikihow.com/Groom-a-Dog to learn how to properly groom your dog.
If your pup’s coat hair mats, its skin can get irritated, this would make the skin susceptible to a parasite or bacterial infections. If mats are found during grooming, then you have to use an electric clipper rather than scissors so that you don’t end up cutting your dog’s skin.
Also, bath your pet periodically; this will keep their fur and skin healthy. However, do not bathe your pup excessively as this can irritate its skin and result in dry hair and skin.
Typically, bathing your pup one time a month is enough, although the weather conditions and period of the year also determine the frequency of baths.
5. Household Hazards
You have to protect your pup from hazards in the home, from cleaning supplies to electrical cords, alcohol, antifreeze, pesticides, poisonous plants, and so on. Puppies are naturally curious, so they would want to investigate everything by chewing on them.
You have to play your role and keep these things out of your pup’s reach. For items that you can’t hide like electrical cords, you can coat them with foul-tasting or bitter spray.
Slippery floors, open windows, and steep stairs can be quite hazardous to pets, therefore, if you have such elements in your home, try to have them corrected.
6. Vaccinations
Just like with humans, pets need to get vaccinated to prevent them from falling sick. When a body is vaccinated, the body’s immune system is stimulated against infection or disease even before the body is exposed to that disease.
Dogs have to take several routine vaccines to protect them from severe infectious sicknesses like rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and so on. While other vaccines are given for certain situations and regions (these are called non-core). If a vaccine is important in a situation or your area, your vet would recommend it.
Traditionally, canines were given booster vaccinations yearly to ensure continuous protection. But, in recent times, this practice is being questioned. Some data show that after a year of living, a canine has enough immunity to last for a while such that these vaccinations should be given once every couple of years.
This debate hasn’t been concluded, however, once a conclusion has been reached, your vet will know and advise you accordingly.
7. Medication
Administering chewable and pills medications to your pet is relatively easy when compared to other medication forms. You can hold down its muzzle until you are certain the pill has been swallowed.
If liquid medication is prescribed for your pet, then you can easily use a dropper or syringe for easier administration. Some supplements, like CBD oil made in the USA, may also come in liquid form; these would also require a dropper.
You can prevent spills by holding your pet’s head partially upwards while you administer the medication.
Conclusion
Some routine practices are needed to ensure your pet’s general wellness. In this article, we have discussed some of these practices to help you know and understand them.
