Learn these tips to keep your dog healthy

 If you own a dog, you are obviously interested in keeping your pet healthy, and you want his or her life to be as happy as possible. To keep your dog healthy, however, you must follow the steps below. By so doing, you are helping, in no small measure, to improve the health condition of the dog.

      Groom from time to time. Dogs need regular grooming in order to maintain a healthy coat. It doesn’t matter whether the dog has short hair or not. Regular grooming keeps the dog looking beautiful after it must have lost its dead hair. One major benefit of grooming is that it enables you to discover any injury the dog must have sustained or any skin problem before it will escalate. 

     The authors of the book, “Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners- Caring for Cats, Dogs, Chicken, Sheep, Cattle, Rabbits and More” ,C.E Spaulding and Jackie Clay, recommend that the best way to groom a dog with short hair is by applying a stiff brush and a chamois cloth. However, the authors advise that such brush should not be too stiff in the case of a tin-skinned dog in order not to give it a skin injury. After a thorough brushing, the chamois cloth should be rubbed a few times over it and extra oil should be applied on the dog’s coat. Grooming, according to the authors, will keep the dog’s coat healthier than bathing. In the case of a medium-coated dog, such as Chesapeak Retriever, it is recommended that you first go over the coat with a slicker brush (a kind of flat brush with bent metal pins effective in removing dead hair) Thereafter, you use the brush and chamois. 

      For dogs with long coats, such as Old English Sheepdogs and Afghan Honds, they need to be frequently and thoroughly groomed. First, use a pin brush and then a comb thereafter. Do not use a slicker at all as using that will tear the hair out. The authors mentioned earlier recommend that when grooming a long-coated dog, the procedure should begin from the bottom of the legs upwards in order to make sure that the coat is mat-free in every part the dog, not just on top of the layer. Lookout for fleas and ticks or any irritated area while grooming and ensure a prompt care to such problems.

       Trim the nails. Dog’s nails should be checked periodically to ensure they do not over grow. However, when that happens, it is recommended that the nails be trimmed using a pet nail trimmer. Failure to trim your dog’s nails may result to permanent lameness if the long nails spiral into the pad. After cutting, make sure that nails have blunt appearance. When trimming, make sure to cut a little bit from each nail. If cut too short, you may cut into the fleshy part of the dog’s nails and cause it to bleed.

Care for the ears. It is very important to check your dog’s ear regularly for any possible infection and for cleaning and removing ticks that may be hiding in the ear region. In case of any ear discharge or wax, apply alcohol or peroxide to a ball of cotton and clean as deep as possible with your fingers. If you are inexperience, do not attempt to use a cotton bud as that may puncture the dog’s ear drum especially if the dog jumps. Apply vegetable oil to the dog’s ear in case of very dried wax. This helps to soften the wax and allows for easy cleaning after a few hours. The oil is also helpful in the sense that applying it soothes any itching and kills mites. If ear discharges continues after cleaning, it is advisable that you see a veterinarian as there may be an infection.

4.     Care for the teeth. Dogs do not always suffer from dental problems except if they have infections or if they are getting old. Giving your dog soft meals, such as meals consisting of canned foods builds up tartars in the dog’s teeth which eventually works down the gum and causes infections. To keep the dog’s teeth healthy, give it hard meals such as hard dog biscuits and bones to gnaw. It is recommended that you scratch off minor tartar deposit in your dog’s teeth using the edge of a coin. For heavy tartar deposits, you should engage the services of your Veterinarian.

Provide a clean shelter.  

Providing your dog with a healthy environment is one of the major considerations when considering its health. A healthy life requires good hygiene, and a clean and secured shelter will not only keep your dog healthy but will also ensure that your dog is protected from natural elements that will otherwise cause him some harm.

 Provide your dog with quality diets.
Providing healthy and quality meals  for your dog will help to ensure your dog gets the nutritional values his body requires. This will keep him in good shape and prevent obesity.

Have your dog examined regularly by a vet.

When you take your dog to the vet for a regular check up, you will be able to learn, for example, when the dog will be dewormed next and when they will need their next vaccination, as well as what external parasites are and how to keep your dog safe from them. In case of injury or illness, contact your vet immediately.

Create room for adequate exercise.

Exercise is very essential in the life of your dog. Your dog will be able to enjoy his favourite activities more if it is in good physical condition. Ensure your dog gets the exercise it needs in order to stay healthy and fit.