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By David Amos
INTRODUCTION
You love your dog. And like most dog-owners, you likely
consider your dog to be a part of your family. That is why
your
dog’s health is so important. Just as you would be concerned
about the health of a child, you should be concerned about the
health of your dog. Fortunately, if you’ve already looked
after
your children, or even if you are concerned about your health,
looking after your dog’s health should be easy. It requires
all
the things that you would expect: preventative care, paying
attention to warning signs, knowing what to do when your dog
is
sick, and finding a veterinarian you and your dog can trust.
If
you follow all these steps, you will help ensure that your dog
has a long and healthy life.
KEEPING YOUR DOG HEALTHY
The key to keeping your dog health is, not surprisingly, a
healthy lifestyle right from the start. Most importantly, this
means only giving your dog nutritious dog food – throw those
scraps away! Look for dog food that has been endorsed by
veterinarian groups. While it may be more expensive than
generic or even some brand name dog foods, in the long run it
will help with your dog’s health.
Along with good food, your dog will need a lot of exercise.
Although the amount of exercise each dog needs will vary
according to the breed, no dog’s health will be improved by
being stuck inside a cramped apartment everyday. Dogs need
walks and time outside to play. Incorporate your dog’s
exercise
routine into your own. This will help your dog’s health, and
your own health.
Finally, get your dog a veterinarian and have your dog’s
health
checked regularly. Along with spotting problems, your
veterinarian will also be able to give you tips and
suggestions
on preventative dog health.
PICKING A VETERINARIAN
So you’ve decided to pick a veterinarian. You open the Yellow
Pages and find… dozens and dozens of veterinarians to choose
from. Where do you start? Right off the bat, you will want to
find a veterinarian that has a ‘small animal’ practice, which
will include dogs and cats and other common pets. These
veterinarians will know the most about dog health. Most
veterinarians are similar to a doctor who is a general
practitioner. These veterinarians will be able to deal with
and
identify a wide range of problems related to your dog’s
health,
and are what you should use as your main veterinarian. Once
you’ve found a general ‘small animal’ veterinarian to deal
with
your dog’s health, they will be able to refer you to
specialists
as required.
If you’ve identified some possible veterinarians, start asking
your friends and colleagues with pets for recommendations. And
most importantly, talk to your prospective veterinarian. Ask
about prices and availability for emergency care. Finally,
before you chose any veterinarian to help you look after your
dog’s health, be sure that you are comfortable with them and
trust them to look after your pet.
WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN
After a lot of consideration, you’ve picked a veterinarian
that
will keep track of your dog’s health, and have started a
preventative regime of good food and exercise. No matter how
careful you are about your dog’s health, however, you dog will
get sick. Either from contact with other dogs, or accidents
while you are out on your walks, something will likely happen
to your dog that will require the attention of a veterinarian.
The problem is that it is not always obvious when your dog is
sick. Unlike children, your dog can’t tell you when it is
feeling down.
There are a number of sign you can look for, however. Is your
dog more tired then lately? Does it seem depressed? Does it
have a dry nose? Is it limping? Does its faeces look off or
runny? These are just some warning signs. In the end, it all
comes down to whether you think your dog is sick or not. This
requires you to have a close relationship with your dog to
know
when it is acting differently, and this attention will be the
best support for your dog’s health.
About The Author: David Amos is a dog lover and long time dog
owner.For more information about dog health click
onlinedogcare.com/doghealth and for more about dog care
and keeping your dog happy and healthy click
www.onlinedogcare.com
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