Dog care is not easy especially if you are a new dog owner. However, with some basic know how you can take care of your pet and it will reward you with many happy years ahead. The first thing that you should do is make sure that you have a veterinarian who you go to when you have questions or problems with your dog. It is very important that you veterinarian knows exactly what type of pet that you have because one size does not fit all. Next you need to establish an early spring schedule for your dog’s check up and vaccinations so that the vet will have an idea of how much time he or she has to work with your pet. If you have another dog that goes to the vet then you should make sure that you let your vet know if they use your animals health records so that they can give your other dog appropriate treatment.
Another very important part of dog care is keeping your dog in good physical condition from puppyhood until it reaches its old age. Even though it may be in good condition now, it does not mean that it will remain that way forever. This is why it is important that you keep up on any new developments in the medical world so that you can have the best veterinarian available to you when you need one. In addition you need to be diligent in keeping your dog healthy because it is important that he or she remains as young as possible so that he or she is less susceptible to disease.
Grooming is another dog care tip that is crucial to keeping your pet happy and healthy. There are some basics for grooming that all owners should know about such as tooth brushing, ear cleaning and de-matting. You should discuss these things with your veterinarian or pet insurance company to make sure that you are getting the right services for your dog care needs.
One more important part of dog health care involves vaccinations. Because of the uncertain nature of dog health problems, vaccination shots should be obtained at least every year since they will help to protect your dog against some potential problems. The types of vaccines that you should get should be discussed with your vet and you will need to discuss the best options for your pet. It might be worth buying an entire series of shots for your dog so that you are protecting him or her against a whole bunch of different things.
Of course there are many other aspects of dog care that you need to keep track of such as regular checkups and annual physicals. If your dog has any type of illness or problem, you need to make sure that you get it treated right away. A good example of this is when your dog has paw pads. Your dog’s paws can easily become infected with bacteria from them, so you should always take your pet to the vet for a proper examination. This is especially true if you ever leave them outside for long periods of time since your dog could easily get some kind of disease while out in the elements.
There are plenty of other issues such as puppy supplies and food that you should become familiar with as well. Some puppies are known to have allergies in their ears which can make it very difficult for them to live without you but most dogs do not suffer from any allergies at all so you should never have any concerns with this issue. The size of your puppy is another factor that will affect your dog needs. Most puppies need to be about eight weeks old before they can be house broken so you want to make sure that you get this part of the process before bringing the puppy home.