Healthy Dogs are Happy Dogs; It’s Easy to Maximize Your Dog’s Wellness
In Winding Road Kennel’s August blog, we’re sharing tips for keeping your dog healthy. If you have a dog, you likely feel love for it as much as for any human family member. Unlike humans, though, dogs tend to live shorter lives. Though genetics and breeding factor into dogs’ life expectancies, the healthier dogs are, the longer they live. The longer your four-legged family member lives, the better, right? You can maximize your dogs’ wellness and life expectancy when you:
- Take your dog to the vet for wellness checkups and vaccinations
- Feed your dog a balanced diet and exercise it
- Ensure it receives regular grooming
Take Dogs to the Veterinarian for Wellness Checkups and Vaccinations
At least once per year, if not every six months, you should take your dog to the vet for a wellness checkup. Wellness checkups often include physical examinations that detect subtle changes in dogs’ health. Changes in weight, blood values, lung sounds, or heart beats often show up in wellness checkups. Besides a wellness checkup, your veterinarian visit can also include the dog’s vaccinations.
What are Some Examples of Vaccinations, and What Do They Do for Dogs?
Just like with humans, your dog’s vaccinations prepare its immune system to fight off disease-causing organisms. Common vaccinations include canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies. Some veterinarian offices also offer elective vaccinations like Bordetella, Lyme, leptospirosis, and influenza.
Keep Dogs Healthy with Balanced Diets and Exercise
A balanced diet for dogs includes meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits. Does that surprise you? According to the American Kennel Club website, dogs aren’t strict carnivores. The best balanced diet for dogs contains high-quality meat with whole grains and good vegetables plus low-sugar fruits. You also need to be mindful of your dog’s age, size, and digestive system when planning its balanced diet. In addition to a balanced diet, a dog’s health depends on consistent exercise.
How Does Exercise Benefit Your Dog’s Overall Health?
The AKC website also says “exercise, based on age, size, breed, and environmental conditions, contribute to physical health” in dogs. When dogs exercise, it conditions their muscles and builds strength that maintains flexibility and mobility as they age. Exercise could include vigorous play on the carpet, running in the yard, or taking a walk around the neighborhood.
Dogs that Get Regular Grooming Also Live Healthy and Happy Lives
Regular grooming helps with a dog’s coat and skin maintenance. It also removes dead skin and hair plus allows air to circulate through the dog’s coat. Taking your dog to a professional for its regular grooming also provides an avenue for a wellness checkup. During a regular grooming session, the groomer can check the dog’s mouth, ears, paws, and anal sacks for potential problems.
Contact Winding Road Kennel by calling (304) 428-3518 for information on our services in Parkersburg, WV. follow and like us on Facebook for updates. We would love to share more tips for keeping your dog healthy.