In addition to your love and companionship, your pet requires some basics to stay healthy and thrive. One wrong decision can trigger devastating consequences. So being mindful of how you care for your dog is the cornerstone of pet parenting. While there are a lot of little elements to factor in to ensure you’re giving your pet an environment where they can thrive in, here are some basics you just cannot compromise on:
• Comfortable shelter: Your dog needs their space – a corner in the home to call their own. When deciding what this space would be, it’s crucial to factor in weather elements and environmental factors. For instance, leaving your dog out in the yard in extreme heat, cold or rain can take a toll on their health. Likewise, if the open space in the house isn’t adequately secured, has plants that can be toxic to your dog, or is exposed to the risk of venomous creatures such as snakes, leaving your dog out unattended can prove fatal. At the same time, it’s vital to keep your dog’s space – be it a crate, a kennel, or simply a dog bed, clean to avoid the risk of infestation and infections
• Clean drinking water: Your pet must always have access to fresh, clean drinking water, given in a clean bowl. This must be regularly replenished, especially when your dog returns from a long walk, some exercise, or a play session. Dehydration is a real risk and can lead to kidney failure, loss of consciousness, and in extreme cases, even death
• Maintaining a healthy weight: Dogs love food, and as a pet parent, it is very easy to give in to their demands for extra treats or meals. You may consider it an act of love but it can lead to unhealthy weight gain, which can have serious repercussions for your dog’s health. Being mindful of the quality and quantity of what you feed your dog is crucial to ensure they stay in the healthy weight range
• Exercise: Bringing home a pet is a serious commitment that requires you to invest your time, effort, and money without constraint. One important aspect of raising a dog is to ensure that they get enough exercise. This is vital for their physical as well as mental health. Besides keeping their weight healthy, exercise offers much-needed mental stimulation and serves as a bonding opportunity for pets and their parents. Keep in mind that a walk around the block for your pet to do their business isn’t enough. You need to dedicate anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour every day (depending on size, breed, and overall health) to actively engage in exercising your dog, be it in the form of long walks or playing with them
• Vaccinations: Vaccinations are a must to protect your pet against deadly diseases such as distemper fever, panleukopenia, parvo, and rabies. So, make sure you keep up with those vaccination schedules, be it every other month when your pooch is just a pup or bi-annual/annual ones for adult dogs
• Regular health checkups: Even if your dog is healthy, it’s advisable to make sure you schedule at least one extensive health checkup for them every year. This helps in making sure that everything is, in fact, well with your dog. If not, it can help detect any underlying issues early on
These are just the basics of how to keep your dog healthy. In this section, All About Dog Parenting will foray deeper into each of these aspects and touch upon several others to make sure you have all the knowledge you need to raise a healthy, happy, robust pup.
If there is anything that pet owners dread and loathe in equal measure, it is fleas. These nasty insects thrive on the blood of mammals, and dogs who love frisking about and rolling in grass become susceptible hosts to these blood-sucking parasites. Once they find their way to your pet’s skin and into your home,…