A dog isn’t just an animal or a pet, they’re definitely more than that. For most people, a dog is a man’s best friend and a loyal company. Dogs give us affection, show us unconditional love, help us gain a sense of responsibility, and most of all, they provide us protection in their own ways. Owning a dog could be amazing. They could be the source of our happiness and have the ability to sense when we’re sad. As a matter of fact, there are even times where we trust our dog rather than the people around us. That’s why if we love our dog that much, it is important that we take concrete steps to maintain their health. And remember that as dog owners, this is one of our huge responsibilities. Here are five things you can do to maintain your dog’s health.
1. Proper Nutrition
Just like humans, dogs need proper nutrition and one way to start this is to be careful in selecting the food that we feed to our dogs. It pays to know through research what food should not be fed to your dogs. Chocolates and candies are amongst the most dangerous, so make sure that your dogs won’t partake these.
Dog food, vegetables, and fruits are good for their health, particularly for their digestive tract. It is also believed that these food groups do well on their stool.
2. Regular Check-Ups
As much as we would like to talk and converse with our dogs, we just don’t have that ability to translate what they truly feel or when they don’t feel well. The most that we can do perhaps is to sense if something strange is happening.
If you see your dog not eating within 24 hours, having a runny nose, kennel cough, or other unusual behavior, that’s when you should take your dog to the vet. Relying on gut feel is not the most effective way to determine if there really exists medical conditions.
3. Medication
Veterinarians are the ones who could give you a correct and accurate diagnosis of the health conditions of your dog. Self-diagnosis could be detrimental so it’s better to visit your local vet. Also, remember that keeping your dog’s vaccines up to date will keep them healthy, and at the same time well-protected from the most frequent diseases, such as kennel cough. They would recommend the right treatments or medicine.
4. Grooming:
It’s also important to take note as a dog owner that grooming is a must as grooming provides health benefits. Dogs are our furry friends and it’s one thing we should take care of. Brushing and trimming their hair could eliminate dead fur which is good because it will avoid them to experience irritation and sores brought by their scratches. In addition, it also permits the skin to breathe.
5. Affection
As said earlier, dogs are a man’s best friend. They’re basically like humans and like our loved ones, dogs need affection too. Patting, tickling, touching, or giggling would mean a language of love for them. It is in those gestures where your dog’s needs, in terms of affection, are addressed. If you own a dog or would want to own one, you should make sure that you can provide these because they’re not just mere company. They’re furry creatures that need love.
Final Words
Taking care of a dog isn’t easy. They have needs too just like humans and that’s why owning one or two is sometimes a huge undertaking because simply feeding them is not the only responsibility that you have to fulfill. It’s more than that. It’s like raising and taking care of a child but the only difference is that they bark. But surely, the joy and the happiness they bring you is something that cannot be expressed in words. You should nurture your dog as much as you nurture your loved one because that’s what our dog deserves.
