It doesn’t matter how long you’ve had your dog, you should ensure that you are looking after them as much as possible. You feed the right food. You medicate with the right medicines and you make sure that they have enough water to keep hydrated. Your dog is a part of your family and the one thing you want to do is ensure that he is as healthy as possible.
Trying to get him over to the vet may not be the easiest thing to do, however, because dogs do have a sense of when they have to go to a vet and not all of them like it. Instead, what you can do is check your dog’s health at home so that you can avoid going to the vet unless you absolutely need to. A vet is someone to go to at an emergent level, but not every single problem requires an emergency. Let’s take a look at how you can keep your dog healthy at home. This is a contributed post.
- .Keep an eye on his weight. Look at the shape of your dog’s belly. An extra treat there or skipping a walk here, and the next thing you know your pooch is looking a little bit fat around the middle. While we won’t body shame your dog, you can say that doggy obesity causes diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. Keeping your dog’s weight in check is a must. You don’t have to necessarily weigh your dog on the scales because you can just check their weight by looking at the shape of its belly. A well defined waist on your dog is a good sign, but if you notice an Oval shape or a rounded shape then it might be time to add a few more walks to shed those few kilos. On the other hand, it’s time to call the vet if your dog starts suddenly losing a ton of weight, because that might be an underlying health issue that you are overlooking because you are not trained in pet care.
- Keep an eye out for parasites. Dogs notoriously pick up ticks, fleas and intestinal worms, and these are very common parasites that can affect their health. Make sure that you’re regularly checking for signs of infestation. Especially when it comes to ticks, use a small come to check for new lumps and bumps carefully, but be sure to check all parts of your dog, including the tricky spots like the ears, between the toes and around the mouth.
- Get your dog saying cheese. Bad doggy breath is very hard to miss and if there is any bad breath happening you will know that your pet’s dental health is not up to scratch. Checking your dog’s teeth and gums for any signs of lumps, redness or decay is a great idea. Feeding your pet a great diet and brushing their teeth with some pet friendly toothpaste will keep your dog’s mouth healthy. Try not to get them treats that promise to brush teeth, because that’s not how that works.