Keeping Your Dog Happy and Healthy

Your dog’s health and happiness should be at the top of your priorities when it comes to being a dog owner. Your dog fully depends on you to make sure his diet, nutritional needs and his opportunities for exercise are taken care of. Developing a healthy lifestyle for your dog is easy if you follow a regular routine involving proper healthcare, nutrition and exercise.

Visit The Vet Regularly

Even though you should certainly do your own health assessment on your dog at least once a week to make sure he isn’t developing any problems that could lead to serious health concerns later, your dog should have at least one veterinarian checkup per year. Your dog’s needs will change with age and your veterinarian can determine whether a diet change is in order or if your dog needs to update his vaccinations. Your veterinarian should be familiar with your dog and his living situation so that he can determine whether a health change has occurred and what to do about it. Frequently switching Veterinarians can delay diagnosis and hurt your dog in the long run. Having an accurate record of past illnesses and concerns can also save you money by not running unnecessary testing therefore, zeroing in on one or two tests because your vet has your dog’s entire health history right in front of him, complete with notes of his own. If you must switch Veterinarian offices due to moving or other circumstances, make certain that you get your dog’s full medical records to bring with you to the next Veterinarian. Pay attention, if your new Veterinarian isn’t interested in the medical records, you should probably choose another Veterinarian.

Veterinarians can also help you determine the best preventive measures to take for your particular area. Testing for heartworms and other parasites will help your Veterinarian determine the proper measures to make certain that the best possible health plan for your dog is followed.

Meeting Your Dog’s Individual Nutritional and Dietary Needs

When you are searching for the perfect diet for your dog it is best to start with what your Veterinarian recommends. If your dog is allergic to certain ingredients then be sure to keep this in mind when you are choosing a dog food. Most Veterinarians recommend never feeding your dog from the table because the risk of food allergies or upset stomach increases when feeding your dog human food especially if you are feeding him fatty or fried foods. Certain table foods can cause costly problems relating to the pancreas and can often cause problems that are completely avoidable. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend just how much food your dog should get in a day and how often you should offer him food. Some dogs are capable of free feeding with the option to eat whenever they want however, most hunting dogs can’t handle free feeding and will overindulge and gain unnecessary weight.

Allow Your Dog The Proper Amount of Exercise

If your dog has the freedom to run and exercise and isn’t restricted to a kennel or is inside all day then he probably gets plenty of exercise. However, if your dog is cooped up for most of the day then it is very important that he is offered an opportunity to exercise every single day. When the weather is too cold or too hot or too rainy, your dog still needs exercise. Allowing your dog to get the proper amount of exercise can help prevent destructive behaviors and keep him out of trouble. Also, a properly exercised dog is much easier to train, he isn’t lazy and he doesn’t wear out quickly.

Keeping your dog happy and healthy isn’t hard but, it does take commitment and organization on your part to make certain your dog lives the longest and happiest life he possibly can.