There’s nothing more delightful than having a furry friend in your house! Your pet gradually becomes an extension of your life. With their innocent acts and free-flowing attitude, they bring in a world of joy and happiness. And this makes most people feel that life with a pet is all about rainbows and glitters. There are challenges and serious work to be done. The first and foremost work that needs to get done is to check on your pet’s health status. At all times, you need to ensure that your pet is healthy.
The definition of healthy varies from one pet owner to the other. On a broad scale it refers to a pet that is agile and in a fit condition for the most part of their life. Even if it attracts any ailment, the healthy pet will recover fast.
The necessary steps to take
What makes us healthy will work for pets as well. While that is partially right, you can’t consider that to be the standard. Pets can’t speak, and their bodies behave differently than humans. Hence, you need to ensure that you get into the pet-specific care tactics so that your pet lives in the best possible way throughout its lifetime. It is impossible to guarantee that your pet will never fall sick all its life. But the idea is to ensure that you indulge in healthy pet practices which will be of value for a long-time and ensure that your pet leads a healthy and vital life.
Here are a few guidelines that will help you with this:
A healthy weight
Weight plays a crucial part in making your dog lead a healthy life! However, weight management in dogs can be challenging. The BMI calculation happens based on the dog’s size, which varies based on the dog’s breed. For instance, the healthy weight for a golden retriever is 60 to 75 pounds, and for 14 to 18 pounds. There is also a slight variation based on the male and female specie. Therefore, when you get a dog, you need to ask the vet about the correct weight you need to maintain for the pet.
In the beginning, you might have slight weight fluctuations as the dog evolves from a young age to a middle-age bracket. But once it grows to a certain age, you need to ensure that weight doesn’t fluctuate between pounds or two. For this, you need to add activities to your daily lifestyle. A simple pick-and-chase game is also good for the dog. Having said that, you can take your dog for a walk, and they will feel much more energized and develop a better metabolism. Portion control in food is also something you need to exercise when you wish your dog stays in the right shape effortlessly for years. Make sure that they eat well but not in excess.
There can be times when the dog develops a habit of begging for food, even when it has lunch or dinner. In such a situation, adequate dog training is necessary. You also need to make sure that you get a trainer to ensure that your dog gets the daily training and movement in case it is passive and is resistant to moving around or taking part in activities. All this will work to ensure that the dog has the correct weight since being overweight can contribute to health issues.
Check the food labels
Besides portion control and weight management, you also need to ensure that your pet gets the correct quality of goods. Bad-quality food can lead to health issues like stomach ulcers and indigestion, which can make your pet lose excess weight and lead to unwanted weakness. Therefore, you need to check the food that your pet is consuming. And all of this begins with the labels.
Hence, the primary task here is to read and check the labels. If you want the best health for your dog, ensure that you offer your furry friend a balanced diet with the desired amount of animal protein in the form of lamb or chicken. You should also pay attention to a blend of grains and the necessary minerals and vitamins. As you go out to a departmental or pet store to look and shop for dog food, you need to check for the ingredient panel. Be watchful and watch the Association of American Feed Control Official certification. The label suggests that the dog food has specific nutritional requirements that get met with the food ingredients.
That is not all. It would help if you also researched the banned labels for various reasons. Some stores sometimes keep it unknowingly, or there could be old stock. If you aren’t aware of this, you might be getting a brand that might harm your dog.
Getting the required vaccines
Have you heard of dog infections, allergies, and other bacterial ailments? If yes, you need to know that these are common, and your furry friend will get them sooner or later. You can’t control it entirely, but you can ensure that your pet develops the required antibodies to fight such ailments, should they occur. And for this, you need to ensure that your dog gets the required vaccines every year. The common vaccines include:
- rabies,
- distemper,
- adenovirus (infectious canine hepatitis),
- parvovirus,
- leptospirosis,
- parainfluenza
- coronavirus
Ideally, you need to get in touch with the vet and get the required vaccines so that your pet stays healthy.
The routine check-ups
You are wrong if you think that vaccination is the only time you have to visit the pet. Know that based on the dog’s current health condition; you need to take it to the vet to ensure that your pet is healthy and in good condition. It is always a good idea to check with your vet once every two months to get the basic check-up done so that you stay aware of any potential health issues that the dog might have or are prone to and take the curative measures that are needed.
Create a space for them
Pet owners often feel that getting their dog vaccinated and giving it the food it needs is all that is needed to keep it happy and healthy. You need to ensure that your dog isn’t irritated and agitated. And for that, you have to provide it a space where it can thrive. Creating a home for it is always a good idea, but you need to think beyond that. You have to create a space for it so the dog can rest there and not disturb others in the family.
You can get this done by adding a small rug around the kennel, a wooden table, and a few toys with which it can play. Indulge your pet in a few games, even indoors, from time to time in its space so that they know it is a safe and exciting sanctuary for them to stay. Once you show the dog that the space you have allotted for them is interactive and relaxing, they will be happy to stay there without any irritation or problem.
Give it quality time
You need to pay attention to your dog’s mental health as well. And for that, ensure that you give it quality time. Take some time out daily and ensure you spend time with the pet. You don’t need to plan elaborate activities. Even petting it for a while is enough. You can get your pet and sit with it as it eats or keep it beside you while watching television. Also, try and interact with the dog to teach it a new game or to ensure that it follows your command. When you don’t do this, your pet will sometimes become grumpy and moody. As a result, they might misbehave when you have relatives and friends in your house. Take time out to be with your pet before going to bed so that they feel loved and cared for, ensuring that they have good health in the long run.
Get your pet neutered or spayed
Several homeless dogs get adopted annually, and several get killed as well. You have the scope to avert overpopulation by ensuring that the dogs get neutered and spayed. It is a minor surgery that will prevent them from giving birth to puppies. It can also benefit your puppy differently. For instance, female dogs that get spayed have a reduced scope of developing uterine infections and breast cancer at a later stage. On the other hand, the dogs’ neutered male specie of dogs will have a reduced scope of testicular cancer and prostate disease. All these processes don’t pose any hazard to their life. But, ideally, you get in touch with your vet to ensure that the process takes place securely.
Taking care of your pet involves adequate time and quality time. Once you keep in mind all these aspects, you can ensure that your pet is in good shape and condition for the longest part of its life.