Tips For a Healthy Dog

Health
Your pet should see the veterinarian for a full examination, shots and a heartworm blood test every year, and right away if he is sick or injured.

Dental Well-Being
While many of us may object to our dog's foul breath, we should focus on to what it may be telling us. Bad breath is most commonly an indication that your pet is in need of a dental check-up. Dental plaque caused by bacteria results in a foul smell that requires experienced treatment. After a knowledgeable cleaning, the teeth and gums may be maintained in a well-beingy state by brushing the teeth regularly, feeding a specially formulated dental diet and treats, and avoiding table scraps. Your veterinarian can give you more tips on minimizing dental disease and bad breath.

You can clean your canine’s teeth with a puppy toothpaste or a baking-soda-and-water paste once or twice a week. Use a child's soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon pantyhose stretched over your finger.

Some dogs are prone to periodontal disease, a pocket of infection between the tooth and the gum. This distressful condition can result in tooth loss and spread infection to the rest of the body. Veterinarians can clean the teeth as a regular part of your puppy's fitness program.

Bad Breath
While bad breath caused by dental condition may not be too serious if caught early enough, some odors may be indicative of fairly serious, chronic problems. Liver or intestinal conditions may cause foul breath, whereas a sweet, fruity smell may be indicative of diabetes. If your puppy’s breath smells like ammonia or urine, kidney disease is a possibility. Any time you notice your pet has bad breath accompanied by other signs of ill health, such as loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, depression, excessive drinking or urinating, schedule a visit to the veterinarian.

Fleas and Ticks
Daily checkups of your pet for fleas and ticks during the warm seasons are absolute. Use a flea comb to find and remove fleas. There are a few new methods of flea and tick control. Contact your veterinarian about these and other options.

Heartworm
This parasite lives in the heart and is passed from puppy to pup by mosquitoes. Heartworm infections can be deadly. Your friend should have a blood test for heartworm every spring this is essential for detecting infections from the previous season. A once-a-month pill given during mosquito season will protect your pup. If you travel south with your pet during the winter months, your animal should be on the preventive medicine during the trip. In some warmer regions, veterinarians recommend preventive heartworm medication throughout the year.

Medicines and Poisons
Never give your pup medication that has not been prescribed by a veterinarian. For example, did you know that one regular-strength ibuprofen tablet can cause stomach ulcers in a ten-pound puppy? Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your pet. If you believe that your animal has ingested a poisonous substance, call your veterinarian.