Here are my top tips to help care for your super dog!
1. Healthy Balanced Diet
What you feed your dog can have a huge impact on how they feel, how they look and even how they behave. A high quality and balanced diet can help manage your dog’s weight, maintain a strong immune system and can help to keep joints and muscles healthy. Like people however, all dogs are different, and have different nutritional needs especially when you consider different breeds, different age groups and different activity levels. It can be really confusing as an owner when faced with all the different types of diets, that often have conflicting information on how effective they are. My advice is to use evidence, and what better proof of a good diet than by looking at your dog. Are they interactive with you? Have good skin and a healthy coat? Pass formed poops? And are they energetic during exercise and well rested when at home? If the answer to all this is yes then the chances are you are getting it right!
2. Keep Your Dog Smiling!
Dental health is extremely important for dogs and if dental hygiene is not maintained throughout your dog's life, it can result in plaque, tartar, gum issues and in some serious cases, diseases throughout the whole body. Vets will usually look in your dog's mouth at their annual check ups and be able to assess any changes around the gums and teeth, however, inspecting these areas yourself at home can help to alert you to any problems early. Simply hold your dog's mouth with one hand under their chin, then with the other other hand lift up their upper lip at each side so you can visualise the teeth and gums on each side. As dogs age you will inevitably get some light brown staining on the teeth but excessive tartar or red inflamed gums are signs that problems are developing. Thankfully there are a number of ways you can care for your dog's mouth at home and prevention is always preferable to invasive and costly dental procedures at the vets.
One of the most effective ways of maintaining oral health is to brush your dog's teeth regularly using a good pet friendly toothpaste. Gradually build up their tolerance with this using gentle praise and treats until it becomes a regular daily habit. In addition there are a number of products and new technologies that dog owners are using to keep dental issues at bay. Dental chews, food supplements, oral rinses and even ultrasonic toothbrushes are now all available for your dog.
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