Vet Care 101: The Essential Guide to Taking Care of Your Canine Companion

Owning a dog is a big responsibility. They need more than just food and fetch to live a healthy and happy life. If it’s your first time having a canine companion, follow this essential guide to dog care.

Feeding

Dogs require a balanced diet with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. So, include clean proteins and green veggies in their dry, canned, or semi-moist food. Always ensure that your dog has access to clean and fresh water. Avoid feeding your dog table scraps or food that is harmful to them, such as chocolate, onions, and grapes.

Exercise and Play

Dogs need to be physically active to burn calories and maintain good health. Take your dog for daily walks or runs, play fetch or tug of war, or take them to a dog park to socialize with other dogs.

Grooming

Regular grooming can help keep your dog’s coat clean and healthy, and it also helps to prevent skin irritations and infections. Brush your dog’s coat regularly, trim their nails, clean their ears, and bathe them when necessary.

Regular Veterinary Care

Annual checkups can help detect and prevent health problems before they become more serious. Make sure your dog receives all necessary vaccinations and parasite prevention treatments. Vaccinations prevent many diseases fatal to your canine companions, like rabies, leptospirosis, and Bordetella.

Dental Care

Tartar builds on a dog’s teeth over time, causing problems like gingivitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis. And these infections could lead to more severe health complications, like kidney and liver infections. So, taking care of your dog’s oral health is also crucial.

Socialization

Dogs are social animals and require socialization to develop good behavior and positive interactions with other dogs and people. Take your dog to obedience classes or socialization events to help them learn how to interact with others.

Training

Training is essential for helping your dog become a well-behaved family member. Basic obedience training can help prevent problem behaviors, such as chewing, barking, and jumping on people. Training also helps build a stronger bond between you and your dog.

Neutering/Spaying

Spaying is the process of removing the uterus and ovaries of a female dog. It helps reduce the dog’s risk of developing breast cancer and uterine infection as they age. Neutering is the process of depriving a male dog of the testes. So if you do not plan to breed your dog, consider neutering/spaying them.

Safety

Keeping your dog safe is critical to its well-being. Ensure your home is safe for your dog by keeping hazardous items out of reach, such as cleaning products, sharp objects, and small objects that your dog could swallow. Make sure your dog is always wearing a collar with identification tags, and consider microchipping them as an added safety measure. Also, have them undergo crate and confinement training to stay safe even if you’re not around to supervise them.

Taking care of a canine companion requires a considerable amount of time and effort. It also needs commitment – the dog relies on no one but you. So, whether or not they will lead a healthy and happy life will depend on you.

For more information on canine care, visit Dr. Mike’s Affordable Vet Care at our office in Arlington, Texas. Please call (817) 663-8160 to book an appointment today.