5 dogs, micro bullies and pocket bullies playing together, showing why socialization is key for their development.

Dog Care in Home for Enhanced Health and Longevity

Caring for your dog’s health & well-being is essential for a happy and long-lasting companionship. From balanced diets to regular exercise, simple at-home practices can significantly enhance your dog’s life span. This short guide offers practical tips to ensure your furry friend is healthy, active, and content every day.

How to Care a Dog: Essential Tips for Every Pet Owner

Balanced Diet

Just like us, our pets need a well-balanced diet. Organic dog food, made from high-quality natural ingredients and free from artificial additives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is excellent for your dog’s health. Dogs can digest and absorb organic proteins more easily, which helps with weight control. Fruits and vegetables are also essential as they provide vitamins and minerals. Whole grains, rich in fiber, promote dog’s gut health. Rotate protein sources like chicken, beef, and fish to ensure variety. Nutrient-packed options such as pumpkin, blueberries, and sweet potatoes are great additions to your dog’s diet.

Regular Exercise

It is imperative for the dog to exercise for at least half an hour to 2 hours every day. The duration depends on the age, breed, and health conditions of the dog. The entire training schedule can be divided into smaller segments that include occasional walks, a couple of play sessions, and training exercises. Regularity is important for weight management and strengthening bones, joints, and the heart. Exercising also mentally stimulates the dog, which further helps reduce stress and behavioral problems.

Dental Care

You need to brush your dog’s teeth a minimum twice or thrice a week. Ensure you use dog-specific toothpaste. Do not use human toothpaste, as it can cause upset your pet’s stomach. Regular brushing helps maintain oral health and remove tartar and plaque. If these dental issues are not treated, they can cause gum issues that can aggravate other health problems, like heart disease.

Flea Prevention

Dogs are prone to fleas and other infestations. Use a fine-toothed comb that is specifically designed to remove fleas from your pet’s hair and fur.  Also, wash the bedding in hot water once every week to kill fleas and eggs. You can also spray natural flea-repelling oils on the coat and bedding of the dog. These are usually made from essential oils like peppermint, lavender, or cedarwood. First, carry out a patch test, as your pet may be sensitive to the oil.

Allergens

It is not easy to identify allergens in the case of your pet. You can switch to hypoallergenic dog food as these have limited ingredients. This will lower the risks of exposure to common allergens. You will have to continuously monitor the health of the dog to see if there are improvements. Hypoallergenic bedding is also available. Keep the house clean to prevent the effect of dust mites.

Weight Management

Keep monitoring the weight of your dog regularly with weigh-ins. Switch to homemade dog food. This will let you control your pet’s diet and maintain its weight. In case the dog is overweight, limit portion sizes and treats. Apart from that, you can engage in more activities and exercise.

Mental Stimulation

It is crucial to keep the dog mentally stimulated, too. Puzzle toys and social interactions are good tools for this. Consider training sessions that are shorter, around 15 minutes each. Ensure the sessions are consistent. Puzzle toys dispensing treats are great for engagement. Interactions with other dogs, animals, and people also keep the dog happy, stress-free, and mentally stimulated.

Worm Prevention

Worm infestations are common in dogs. Keep the dogs’s surroundings clean. Fecal disposal should be done immediately. Grow mosquito-repelling plants like lemongrass, citronella, and marigolds around your home as a supplementary measure to reduce the risk of heartworm transmission.

You can feed the dog certain foods like freshly grated carrots to discourage worm infestation and help the dog’s gut health. Carrot keeps stomach worms out of the digestive tract. Add pumpkin seed to its diet as it is rich in amino acids like cucurbitacin that help paralyze worms in the gut.

Natural methods are good for prevention, but for worm treatment, you must trust conventional medicines, especially for parasitic worms and heartworms. Use natural methods as supplementary measures.

Conclusion:

By considering these easy-to-implement dog care instructions, you can improve your dog’s health and quality of life. If you are seeking a healthy and well-bred companion, Southeast Bully Kennel, a trusted American Bully breeder, ensures you find the perfect addition to your family. Take these steps to give your dog the best care in the home!