Terri Ramsey Beavers Making the decision to become a dog owner means an average of a ten-year commitment to a new family member. Focusing on your dog’s health is important for the entirety of their life, and the sooner you make sure of good habits, the better it will be for their overall health long term.
1. Make Sure They Get Enough Exercise
The amount of exercise your dog needs depends on the breed, lifestyle, and individual pet. There may be changes of circumstance that means exercise plans need to be changed, such as a senior dog suffering from joint issues, so it’s always important to be flexible to change when it comes to your dog’s exercise routine.
Making sure your dog is getting enough exercise for their own needs is important, not only for mental stimulation and general health but also to target obesity in breeds more at risk.
A good general rule of thumb is an hour’s exercise a day or two walks a day, and you can change this depending on your dog’s behavior and needs. If they appear restless and full of energy, you may not be walking them enough.
2. Ensure All Relevant Injections and Treatment
Keeping on top of injections, vaccinations, and other treatment is a must, and there shouldn’t be any compromises when it comes to your pet’s health. Looking for the best deal and comparing prices as a dog owner is encouraged, but you shouldn’t ever skip or neglect key health appointments.
As a checklist, you should always make sure to have the following up-to-date:
- Initial puppy vaccinations
- Annual vaccination boosters
- Flea treatment
- Worming treatment
3. Make Sure They Have a Healthy and Varied Diet
It’s easy to think that one type of dog food will do, usually one tin of dog meat and some extra biscuits. Yet dogs, just like people, have a wide variety of dietary needs that can vary from specific dogs to general breeds. This, in turn, will change with age, too, so you may need to change your dog’s diet at certain points in their life — like moving from an adult dog to a senior.
Feeding your dog the right type of food and at the right quantity is key for a healthy diet. It is important for combatting underfeeding or even obesity. Feeding your dog the right food at the right times of day is important for a healthy routine. If you have any queries about your dog’s reaction to a certain diet, such as illness or changing needs, you should always speak to your vet, and you can visit tasteofthewildpetfood.com for more information on high-quality pet food, too.
4. Make Them Identifiable and Keep Them Safe
Getting your dog microchipped is highly encouraged to keep contact details with them should they become lost or stolen and to make them identifiable. You can also have a complimentary information tag on a collar. Nobody wants to think about the worst, but it can be very easy for a dog to wander off, such as finding their way out of the garden or running off when off the leash.