Maintaining Your Dog's Health
Of course you love your dog! While caring for your four-legged friend's health is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, it doesn't have to be a complicated one either. We recommend simply focusing on giving them the love they need - and following these 6 easy steps to prevent health issues from developing as they mature.
1. Meet Your Dog's Nutritional Needs
The quality of food your dog eats plays an integral role in their long-term health and well-being. Talk to your vet about the best foods to help keep your dog healthy, based on your canine companion's breed, age and lifestyle.
At Angel Animal Hospital, we'll be happy to share tips on how you can find the right food to meet your puppy or adult dog's nutritional requirements. Whether you'd like to feed your pooch the best food available so they can achieve their ideal health or use a diet plan to help treat existing conditions, if you're looking for a vet checkup near Farmington Hills, you're in the right place - contact us to schedule an appointment today.
2. Help Your Dog Stay Fit & Avoid Obesity
A number of serious health conditions can result from obesity or be linked to it. Diabetes and joint pain can have severely negative impacts on a dog's health and can happen if they are carrying around extra weight. That's why it's essential to help your dog maintain a healthy weight.
Once you've made an informed decision about which food you'll feed your pup, your vet will be able to calculate how many calories are optimal for your dog to consume each day. Once you know how many calories your dog should consume, you'll easily be able to do the math on how much to feed your dog for each meal.
3. Ensure Your Dog Gets Plenty of Exercise
Exercise requirements will vary widely depending on your dog's breed. While some dogs will only need a quick walk around the block to remain healthy, high-energy breeds might need an hour or more of vigorous exercise once or twice every day.
By helping your dog run off their energy and get adequate physical activity, you'll help ensure their body remains in good condition. Like us, dogs also benefit mentally from exercise; it can alleviate boredom and help curb anxiety and destructive behaviors.
Make sure to ask your breeder or vet about how much exercise your dog should get. Playing backyard games, spending social time at dog parks or with a couple of dog friends and going for walks are all great ways to make sure you both get plenty of exercise.
4 - Take Your Dog for Annual Wellness Exams
Diagnosing and treating conditions in the very earliest stages helps to ensure the very best treatment outcomes. Annual veterinary exams, when your dog seems healthy, are physical pet checkups. They are all about prevention, monitoring your pet's overall health, and checking for early signs of developing issues.
Puppy checkups help your pooch get off to the right start in life by making sure they are healthy and free of diseases. During your adult dog's checkup, your vet will discuss your dog's diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors with you, ask if you have any concerns about your pet's health or behavior, then perform a comprehensive physical examination. Once the exam is complete your veterinarian will discuss any findings with you. If anything concerning has been detected your vet will make recommendations regarding diet, diagnostic testing, or treatment.
Learn More About Wellness Exams
5 - Keep Vaccinations Up-To-Date
Our Farmington Hills vets believe that vaccinations are essential for helping your pet live a long and healthy life. Regularly scheduled vaccines help to protect your dog from many highly contagious, potentially life-threatening diseases. Most states require by law that all pets be vaccinated against rabies, but there are a number of other serious conditions that vaccines protect dogs against including parvo, distemper, and panleukopenia.
Find Our Dog Vaccine Schedule Here
6 - Provide Parasite Prevention
Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes can all carry organisms that lead to a range of diseases that seriously threaten the health and longevity of your dog. A bite from one of these parasites could cause your dog to become gravely ill if not protected. Speak to your vet about the most effective ways to protect your pooch against a full range of tick-borne diseases, heartworms, and other parasitic conditions common in your area.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.