5 Tips to Keeping Your Dog Healthy

Dog owners find ways to make their dog feel appreciated and well cared for. Dogs are considered part of the family and provide affection, companionship, playfulness and much more to their owners. Keeping your dog healthy and surrounding him or her with an environment that encourages healthy living is essential to his or her well being. The following tips will help you feel assured that you are keeping your dog healthy throughout his or her lifetime.

1- Home-Sweet-Home – Whether your dog lives indoors or outdoors you will want to provide him or her with a safe place to call their own. Dogs are den animals so provide them with a den. A dog house for the outdoors and a crate for indoors. Both need to be large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in easily, as well as long enough for them to stretch out comfortable to take a nap.

2- Healthy Diet – The moment you bring your dog home to join your family you should begin a healthy diet for him or her. You will want to choose the healthiest dry and wet food, often organic food is a popular choice. In addition, you will want to provide healthy treats and plenty of fresh water. If you have nutritional concerns it is wise to speak to a veterinarian about a long term diet that will meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Remember these needs change as your dog grows from puppy to adult.

3- Exercise – Dogs need exercise, some breeds more than others. Be sure to find out how much is required for your dog and make sure you provide it throughout his or her lifetime. Today, there are a variety of ways to exercise your dog. Walking, running, playing, agility courses, dog parks, jogging and even treadmills are all great ways to allow your dog to get his or her daily exercise.

4- Vaccinations – Keep your dog’s vaccinations up to date at all times. Avoid cancelling or postponing veterinarian appointments. Stay on track with the vaccination schedule to assure that your dog is able to resist the most common diseases and ailments during his or her lifetime. Vaccinations will not only prevent your dog from getting common diseases but it will save you future veterinarian bills that would be for treatment of those illnesses.

5- Spay or Neuter – If you don’t plan to breed your dog, you will want to consider spaying or Neutering at some point in their lifetime. Benefits of spaying and neutering includes preventing overpopulation, helps female dogs live longer, prevents testicular cancer in males, prevents marking of the territory and more.

Keeping your dog healthy doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Make the topics on the list above part of your dog’s life and things should run smoothly. Have fun raising your dog and savor every minute, because they surely grow quickly. If you ever have any concerns about your dog’s health always contact a veterinarian for assistance.

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