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Basic Dog Care: 6 Essentials Things Pet Owners Should Do

As a pet parent, you need to guarantee that your pet obtains the best care possible. You have to be educated about the basics of dog care and fulfill your dog’s necessities if you like to keep them healthy. Your pet will grow as long as you supply the proper nutrition, preventative care from veterinarians, and a place to call its own. Luckily, giving your pet these necessities is not difficult at all.

Your Pet’s Essential Needs

You need to have a plan when you first get a pet to keep them in a healthy condition and content. Nothing is worse than realizing that you could have avoided time and suffering by doing something very easy. Here are the following considerations that should be made to ensure your dog’s health.

1. Health Checks

Preventative healthcare must be discussed with your veterinarian when you first get your pet. Your new dog will have a comprehensive physical check by your vet, who will also deal with any issues you might have regarding any medical conditions. Use this opportunity to be sure you have everything covered by taking an anti-worm, anti-flea, or anti-tick prescription. If you are concerned, speak to a veterinarian; they are equipped to deal with behavioral problems. Even if you don’t notice any signs of health problems in your pet, it’s advised to have them checked every 6 months. Check out their emergency service page for more details.

2. Vaccination

When puppies are 6-8 weeks old, 10-12 weeks, 14-16 weeks, then annually or every 3 years, a dog vaccination schedule is required, depending on the risks to your pet and what your vet recommends. There are still outbreaks of diseases that are becoming less prevalent, although vaccines are being used more often. As part of your pet’s yearly examination, your veterinarian will do a checkup and inform you of any changes in their health.

3. Internal Parasite Control

The initial worming needs to start at 2 weeks of age and proceed biweekly for 12 weeks, then monthly when they reach 6 months old, and then every 3 months for intestinal worming or monthly for heartworm. An annual vaccine for heartworm can also be done if your monthly preventatives are usually ignored, although intestinal worming will still need to be completed every 3 months. Using Interceptor just once a month is a simple and effective remedy. You can deal with everything by combining this with Nexgard for ticks and fleas. Find out more about your pet’s internal condition right here.

4. Dental Care

Preventing periodontal disease by brushing your canine or cat’s teeth every day, using pet toothpaste and a soft brush is a fundamental part of taking care of your pet. The oral illness calls for general anesthesia to carefully clean all surfaces of the teeth once developed; therefore, preventing it is far more effective than treating it. If you don’t have time to clean your dog’s teeth, raw meaty bones, oral diets, and water additives may be able to help.

5. Good Diet

As with humans, the saying “you are what you eat” also is true for dogs. They need to be supplied with high quality, well-balanced diet even though they are frequently highly experimental in what they will try to consume. Make sure you use top-quality healthy proteins instead of cheap cereals like soy and corn in your food preparation or purchasing pre-made products. Your dog’s teeth will thank you if you focus on what you’re giving them and stay away from treats with artificial ingredients. A prescription diet is essential for some pets to deal with conditions not covered by over-the-counter pet food.

6. Bathing and Grooming

Brushing or cleaning your dog frequently is necessary if he has a long coat to avoid matting, which can create pain and irritation to the skin. To keep a healthy coat, you must take your dog to the groomer at least once every 6 to 8 weeks if their hair is constantly growing. You should not bathe your pet more than once a week unless your vet advises. If they need a bath, apply a mild pet shampoo. Some animals only need a nice cleaning and may not even need one.