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Helpful Diet and Vet Care Tips for Dogs

If you want to have a long, beautiful relationship with your dog, then you should educate yourself on the basics of puppy health care. A foundation of good health starts with diet, and this should go hand in hand with routine, preventative veterinary care for your pet! Skip out on either of these, and you may be sorry later down the road. A poor diet can lead to obesity, liver failure and even diabetes. Skipping out on routine vet care could mean that your dog is silently suffering a preventable problem without ever knowing about it! Stop poor health before it starts with these diet and routine care tips!

First Vet Trip

The very first thing you should do with your new dog or puppy is take him straight to the vet! In fact, most contracts from both ethical breeders and rescues will state that an examination by a licensed vet within 72 hours is required! This is to make sure your new best friend is healthy and coping well in his new home. He may also receive booster shots at this point, which is typically a 5 way vaccine that includes protection against deadly Parvovirus.

The Wellness Examination

Even if your dog is an adult, you should not forget about his yearly wellness exam! This is the exam where your vet will look and feel in places an owner normally will not. He will feel your dog’s stomach for anything out of the ordinary, feel his organs to make sure they are of normal and healthy size, and make sure your dog is over all healthy. He will also check inside ears, mouth and even express your dog’s anal glands if it needs done! If anything does seem out of the ordinary, your vet may have caught it in time before it became a serious threat to your pet’s life.

Nutrition for Health

Your dog needs to have a diet that is tasty, but also one that is healthy for him. Unfortunately, most manufactured pet foods, even the most popular ones you see advertised on television, are the worst for your dog’s benefit. Seek out foods that are grain free and made from whole foods instead of just meals and flours. Better yet, find a recipe book for raw or cooked homemade meals to keep your dog as healthy as he can be!

Don’t Be Fooled by Labels!

Sometimes a dog food product may seem like a great choice, but the nutritional ingredient list will tell the truth! Always read the ingredient list. The first three items listed are those in which the food holds the most of, so you must make sure no meals, by products or grains fall as those first three ingredients. You will also be able to seek out important items on an ingredient list. For example, if you want a high fiber food for a dog with digestive problems and find a food that claims to have pumpkin in it, flip the bag over and read the list! The further down pumpkin is on the list, the less amount of pumpkin is actually in each bite. The only way to be 100% certain of what and how much is in your dog’s food is to make it yourself!

Educate Yourself

If you want to stay involved with your dog’s health and proper care, ask questions to your vet! Learn about canine diet and never stop accepting new information! Science discovers new things almost daily when it comes to the dogs we love so much. Your thinking and feel about your dog may change with the more you learn, and your love for him will only grow with more knowledge!