Becoming a dog owner is an extremely exciting prospect. Your new canine friend will come to be a new member of the family that you can play with, snuggle with, and enjoy lots of adventures together.
While there is plenty of fun to be had, your dog is heavily reliant on you to keep them in good health. Should your dog become sick, you could be facing years of complications or behavioural issues without immediate treatment. Keeping a check for anything unusual and taking the right steps will prevent potential obstacles later down the line.
With this in mind, take a look at some of the best ways to keep your dog in good health.
Find a Reputable Vet
First, you should seek a good vet in your local area. If you don’t know where to start, you could carry out a Google search and read online reviews or even ask for recommendations from family and friends.
It would be worthwhile choosing a reputable vet such as veterinariancolumbiasc.com that offers numerous health and wellbeing services to prevent having to visit an array of surgeries if a specific treatment is needed. That way, the vet can get to know your dog on a deeper level and become more familiar with their general health.
On an absolute basis, dogs should be vaccinated and have regular flea, tick, and heart worming treatments. Even if your dog seems healthy, it should be booked in for a routine veterinary check-up at least once per year.
Exercise
Just like humans, dogs need exercise to stay in good health. Some breeds will need to be walked more often than others, but it would be advised to walk your pooch at least once or twice per day.
Regular walkies will ensure conditions such as obesity and muscular and joint problems are prevented as your dog ages while also building a healthy immune system to ward off illness and disease.
Feed Your Dog a Balanced, Nutritional Diet
Again, much in the same manner as humans, dogs require a nutritious diet to stay in good health. With so many variations of dog food on the market, it can be difficult to know the best option to choose.
While shopping, check the packet to ensure it contains essential carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and proteins, which are vital as part of your dog’s daily intake.
On a side note, it’s equally important to be aware of what not to feed your dog – as some ingredients can be dangerous and even fatal.
Grooming
The assumption is that grooming is only necessary for dogs that partake in shows or competitions. What you may not realize is that good grooming is part and parcel of keeping your dog healthy and happy.
In some cases, the type of grooming your dog needs may be based on their breed; however, as an absolute basis, they should be brushed, trimmed, and have their nails clipped regularly. It may be easy enough to groom your dog yourself, but if you have no prior experience, it would be advised to book them in with a professional groomer.
