Pet Care Basics: Regular Canine Maintenance

A lot of people yearn to have pets. There could be plenty of different reasons for this. Some want a companion, some just love the idea of taking care of something, while others look for some sort of utility benefit out of their pets. Regardless of your reason for getting a pet, you will undoubtedly have to look after it.

In this article, we are going to focus on pet care basics. Specifically, we are going to tackle the regular maintenance procedures for canines. We will answer frequently asked questions such as: When should you take your dogs to the vet? What maintenance food should you feed them? What other miscellaneous maintenance procedures should you do?

By the end of this guide, you should be more knowledgeable and capable of taking good care of your beloved pet.

Vet Visits

Let us start by saying that there is no hard and fast rule regarding vetting visits. In other words, there’s no single interval or period of time that we can recommend to everyone. It will all be relative to some key factors, including your pet’s age and current health condition. Typically, visits to the vet will start off rather frequent as your puppies will have to receive the necessary preventive pet health care, such as vaccines, parasite control, and other boosters. As they reach adulthood, it’s quite common to have vet visits only about once or twice a year. If your dog is in tip-top condition, these visits will often be limited to general checkups.

Finally, as your dog reaches senior years, it could benefit from more frequent vet visits. This is especially relevant for those dogs who have experienced specific health issues that may require additional checks and follow-ups every now and then. Just a quick side note, if you ever encounter an emergency with your dog’s health, never hesitate to contact a professional and do rush to the vet if the situation calls for it. In such cases, it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.

Maintenance Food

The safest approach to determining the maintenance food strategy for dogs is to follow your vet’s recommendation. In most cases, your vet will recommend keeping your dog’s current food preference and just adjusting the quantity or serving size. This strategy ensures that your dog is able to have the right amount of nutrition relevant to the needs of their body at certain age brackets. In some cases where your dog requires additional nutrients, your vet may recommend a certain type of dog food brand or an additional component in your dog’s diet, such as a tablet, powder, or some other vitamin/medicine.

Certain dog breeds could also benefit from raw feeding. Raw feeding, as the name suggests, involves feeding your dog with uncooked meat, organs, and safe-to-consume bones. There are plenty of benefits attached to raw feeding, but this process is usually more costly, complex, and requires more effort. To learn the specifics of how you should go about raw feeding your dog, contact your vet and do extensive research.

Miscellaneous Maintenance

This section of the guide is primarily aimed at discussing the extras or the minor notable items and procedures that you need to know when it comes to dog maintenance. First, regular exercise. It goes without saying that exercise is the best maintenance strategy for keeping your dogs physically fit and healthy. Remember that dogs are naturally active animals, so keeping them stagnant and inactive for prolonged periods of time could negatively impact their mental and physical well-being.

Second, regular bathing. Bathing is also a component of dog maintenance that you should not overlook. This is all the more true if you have a certain dog breed that features a long and shiny coat. This also becomes more relevant if you frequently take your dogs outside, as dirt, dust, and debris could build up and accumulate on their fur.

Lastly, training and discipline. This last item is going to be beneficial both for you and for your pet. Training and discipline go a long way in establishing a greater connection between you and your dog. This is because training is just as much a bonding activity as it is a productive endeavor. This will do wonders for your dog’s overall well-being.