Caring for your dog requires vaccinations and routine health checks to keep your dog in tip-top shape. Keeping your dog healthy starts with preventive care, a nutritious diet, and regular exercise. Your best advisor on meeting your dog’s needs can come from your local Veterinarian. When you get a new dog the first thing you should do is schedule routine health checks if you’re able to afford it.
Puppy Shots And Vaccinations
Depending on the age of your dog, it may require shots immediately, especially if it is a puppy that hasn’t yet seen a Vet. A good breeder would have started administering puppy shots prior to you purchasing your pet. It’s important to know when the next booster is due or to get your puppy seen for his first set of vaccinations.
Puppies are most prone to infectious diseases because of their small size and immunity levels haven’t been established with vaccinations. Once you start the vaccination series of shots, the Veterinarian will give you a schedule to follow. The first year of your dog’s life he will be seen several times by his vet and then once properly vaccinated can be scheduled for routine health checks.
Grooming And Bathing
When you bring your dog in for regular grooming and bathing, your groomer will feel your dog’s entire body. Things that might go unnoticed to you are fatty tumors, fleas, ear infections, and other issues.
When symptoms are covered with hair, or otherwise hidden, it can be difficult to be aware of them and get them properly treated. Your groomer should tell you, or you can ask them if they found any unusual lumps, bumps, or concerns.
Your groomer has hands-on knowledge of common health problems your dog may experience. Next, to your Veterinarian, your regular dog groomer is a good advisor on how to treat some minor issues like skin issues and flea treatments.
Grooming is a way to keep your dog clean and healthy as well as have another set of hands to check if it’s time for routine health checks with your Vet.
Allergies And Skin Issues
One of the things a lot of dogs are found to be allergic to is flea dander. When your dog is bitten by fleas it can cause itching and irritation. Further irritation can come from having a reaction to the microscopic flea feces that stays on his skin. Not realizing your dog has fleas in a timely manner can lead to further inflammation and potential bacterial infections.
Make sure to treat the flea problem rapidly and bathe your dog to get rid of the flea dander. Food allergies are common in some breeds with itching being a major symptom. Following up with your groomer or Veterinary professional can get you the answers and needed treatment for your dog.
Annual Exams And Routine Health Checks
Some routine health checks will require you to bring a stool sample from your pet. Be prepared for this prior to your appointment time so that you can get them a fresh sample. Many parasites and internal issues can be diagnosed from stool samples and blood draws.
Keeping your pet healthy requires you to make and keep these routine health checks. Many parasitic diseases like heartworm or ringworm can be fairly easy to treat or prevent altogether.
Quick All Over Look For Yourself
We often bring our pets camping, hunting, or even on a visit to a dog park. These are not frequently visited areas and once you return home from an outing, it’s important to check your dog over. It’s not uncommon for a dog to have a minor injury and it’s owner not know what happened.
Unplanned for events like snakebites can and do happen. A dog will not always make you aware he is injured or otherwise in pain or uncomfortable.
They depend on us to be attentive of their behaviors and concerned when they change drastically. Looking over your pet after you’ve been adventuring in the woods will give you a better idea of his current state and can help you mark where or when an injury happened. You can give your dog the best care by giving him routine health checks when returning from unordinary excursions.
Routine health checks whether done on the fly or by pet professionals can help you remain knowledgeable about your pets condition and your ability to provide proper treatment. When seeking to advise friends or family always back up the information with a pet care professional.
There are a lot of old wives tales and other misconceptions about proper health care for a dog. We want you to be well-informed and able to make appropriate health care choices for your dog. It means years of happiness and a healthy dog for years to come.
You owe it to your pet to be aware of its health problems and to get them treated promptly and efficiently.
Related posts:
- Infectious Diseases In Dogs, Core Vaccinations, And Poisons
- Why Spaying And Neutering Your Dog Is Important
- Natural Remedies For Dogs With Allergies
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