How To Practice Dog Health Care At Home
The subject of dog health care covers a broad field. Some people may think of cutting edge advances that allow veterinarians to treat dogs using many of the same diagnostic tools and treatments available to humans today. Others may think of more traditional veterinary medicine. Many dog owners practice dog health care everyday as they care for their pets.
Brushing your dog’s teeth
At one time it was rare for a dog to ever have his teeth brushed or cared for. That’s not the case today. Veterinary associations generally recommend that dogs have their teeth examined on a yearly basis, when they have their annual check-up. At this time any tartar build-up can be removed. Your dog may need a professional teeth cleaning under anesthesia at some point in his life. Toy dogs are more prone to teeth problems than larger dogs.
You can care for your dog’s teeth at home by brushing them regularly, such as once a week. There are tooth brushes made for dogs as well as toothpastes and other cleaning products. You can also provide your dog with good dental chews. There are many popular brands such as Greenies. Other owners like to give their dogs raw meaty bones to chew, either as part of their diet or simply as a way to clean their teeth. You may wish to remove some of the marrow from these bones if you are concerned about your dog gaining too much weight since the marrow is very fattening. Check online or in your local pet supply store for other dental products.
You can remove tartar from your dog at home by using a simple tooth scaler. It takes a little practice to use a scaler but you can use it to scrape the tartar from your dog’s teeth. This will prevent build-up.
Trimming your dog’s nails
Dog health care at home should also include trimming your dog’s nails. Many dogs are skittish about having their nails trimmed but this is usually because they have had a bad experience. Young puppies do not mind having their nails trimmed as long as they have never had a bad experience.
Trimming your dog’s nails does not have to be difficult. You simply need to pick up each paw and trim each nail, one at a time. Be sure to give your dog a treat or reward as you trim each nail.
There are three different kinds of nail cutters: the scissor style which is good for small and Toy dogs; the guillotine style; and the pliers style which also cuts like a pair of scissors. The pliers style is recommended for large dogs with thick nails since it gives you more control over the nail. It also has a backstop to keep you from cutting too much nail.
There are also nail sanders such as the Peticure and professional sanders used by groomers and dog show people. These sanders are fine to use as long as you are using a model that will take off enough nail. They can be frustrating to use if you are using a sander that is not powerful enough for your dog’s nails.
The most important things to remember when trimming your dog’s nails is to only take off a small amount of nail at a time in order to avoid cutting the quick of the nail. Only cut the clear part of the nail. It is much better to remove a small section and come back in a day or two to remove a little more than to cut too much and hurt your dog. And always reward your dog for his cooperation, even if he is a little reluctant.
Cleaning your dog’s ears
It is important to keep your dog’s ears clean and this is a task that you can easily accomplish at home. You should clean your dog’s ears weekly, whether your dog has drop ears or prick ears. Failure to clean your dog’s ears can result in bacterial or fungal infections which can lead to a loss of hearing. Ear infections are very common in dogs, especially in dogs with long ears, so it is very important that you do clean your dog’s ears regularly.
It’s not hard to clean your dog’s ears. You will need a good liquid ear cleaner which can be obtained from your veterinarian or from a pet supply store. And you will need some cotton balls. You should start by shaking the bottle to make sure that it is thoroughly mixed. Then place a few drops of the liquid into your dog’s ear canal. Massage the ear at the base, where it joins the head. Do this for a minute or two. Then use one of the cotton balls to gently remove the dirt and debris that has come loose in the outer ear. Do not dig around in the ear canal as this will simply push dirt deeper into the ear and it could hurt your dog. Keep wiping away the dirt. Then repeat and place a few more drops into the ear canal. Massage the base of the ear again. Use another cotton ball to wipe away more dirt that has been loosened. Continue to do this until there is no more debris being brought up to the outer ear. If you do this on a weekly basis your dog’s ears should be clean and healthy.
These tasks are all simple but important ways that you can practice dog health care each week. They are part of taking care of your dog. Each of these jobs will help keep your dog healthy and happy and out of the vet’s office.
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