Eight Tips Toward Canine Health

Getting a pet, as you well know, is for life, but the last thing you want to deal with is a sick dog if you can avoid it. It makes you feel helpless when your dog is sick because you can’t just ask them what the matter is. You have to go by powers of deduction and the help of an expert vet to ensure that your dog is healthy. 

If you’re ever in doubt with the health of your pet, then you need to speak to an expert in healthy dogs. But you also need to educate yourself as much as possible. You need to do your own research and learn about which dog foods are the best options. You also have to consider how the environment that you are living is impacting your dog in a good way and in a negative way. Understanding dog multivitamin & mineral supplement options with the help of your vet can keep your dog healthier than ever. On top of all of this, you need to make sure that you are using these 8 tips towards canine health.

1. Tick prevention. If your dog loves to be in the dog parks and running around the great outdoors, that’s wonderful. It’s actually excellent for your dog’s health to be outside and exercising as much as possible, but you also need to understand how ticks can impact your dog. Ticks are deadly to your dog and within a few days it can cause your dog to start vomiting, become wobbly and even affect their breathing. If you notice these signs, you should be taking your dog to the vet as soon as possible because tick bites can kill. There are many effective preventatives that can minimize the risk of deadly parasites hurting your dog, from tick tablets to ensuring regular and routine checkups with the vet.
2. Understanding which foods to avoid. Keeping your canine as healthy as possible means understanding what to feed them as much as understanding what to avoid feeding them. Onions, garlic, chocolate and grapes should never be given to your dog. They might be seemingly harmless foods on the surface and they are fine for humans, but they can cause your dog problems that there is no coming back from. Did you know that onions and garlic can cause anemia in your dog? Chocolate can cause heart racing and trembling that could kill your dog, and grapes can occasionally cause kidney issues, so it’s always safer to avoid them entirely. There is never anything worth the risk.
3. Understanding the good foods. A quality commercial dog food is a great idea, but also you can put your dog on a raw food diet. Don’t do this without the help of a canine dietitian or the help of your vet though, because you don’t want to just give your dog random raw food in the hopes that it helps. A consistent and nutritionally balanced diet that you give your dog is going to keep them healthy, with their skin healthy and their coat healthy for longer. There are plenty of reputable brands out there that do an excellent job in meeting your dog’s nutritional needs.
4. Avoiding raw bones. You may have seen cartoons with the dogs chowing down on raw bones, and there’s a reason for that. Firstly, it’s cute. Secondly, it’s known that dogs like bones. It makes sense. However, you should think about making sure that you are Avoiding raw bones as some, especially chicken bones, can give your dog salmonella and other infections. When we talk about a raw food diet like we did earlier, you need to do your research with the help of your doctor and your vet to be able to make sure that your dog can tolerate a raw food diet. Raw bones are never a good idea, and if the bone is eaten in one large gulp, it can cause an esophageal or intestinal obstruction.
5. Your dog should have good shelter and fresh water. Always provide shelter and freshwater to your dog. Even if your dog likes to sleep outside, sheltered areas in the yard and plenty of water available can make sure that your dog doesn’t overheat.If you have a brachycephalic dog such as a pug, a chow chow or a pekingese, having fresh water and shelter is so important.
6. Be prepared for hot weather. Healthy dogs do not pant or overheat for a long period of time. On hot days, your car is like an oven and the heat can be fatal within minutes to a dog. Never leaving your dog in the car is the first step. Go on lots of walks, but in the summer avoid the hottest parts of the day and for long coated breeds keep the walk short and sweet. You can be prepared for hot weather by learning how to stay cool. Avoiding the risks for your dog is as important as avoiding the risks for yourself.
7. Think about your dog’s behavior. A happy and healthy dog doesn’t attack other dogs or people. They are well trained. They are able to walk on the lead without pulling. And you should never walk your dog off the lead unless you’re in a dedicated dog park. Exercise is great for your dog, but a lot of dog fights and car accidents can be prevented by the right supervision. It’s also important to have responsible control when you are out on walks. You want to make sure that your dog isn’t putting anybody else at risk, which could then put their life at risk if they are destroyed.
8. Avoid obesity in your dog. Did you know that there are some instances where you may need to put your dog on a diet? Weight gain can make arthritis difficult to control in dogs, and you can even end up with a dog with diabetes. A lean body weight can add years to your dog’s life, and so you can avoid any of the complications that come with obesity. Speak to your vet about this so that you can stay on top of it.