The needs of a dog are pretty straightforward, love them and provide them with attention, as well as adequate care to keep them healthy. Here, our Fairhaven vets talk about some of the main things you can do to help your dog live a long and healthy life.
The Health of Your Canine Companion
Introducing a dog to your family can be life-changing. It also comes with a large amount of responsibility. It isn't difficult to provide your dog with the love and care that it requires, but you must also be sure to provide any health care that your dog might need while it is a part of your family. Our New England Animal Hospital vets are happy to discuss some things that can make caring for your dog simple and straightforward.
Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Your Dog
The food that you choose to feed your dog will have a great effect on their overall health and well-being. Your Fairhaven vet will be able to help you by recommending foods that will help to keep your dog strong and healthy and to meet all of their nutritional needs. Providing your dog with the nutrition they need can be as simple as a well--balanced food or your vet can recommend foods that will help ease the symptoms of conditions that your dog suffers from.
Helping Your Dog Stay a Healthy Weight
Obesity is known to be one of the main contributing factors when it comes to other conditions such as diabetes and joint pain, so you will want to ensure that you keep your dog at a healthy weight for their size. Your vet in Fairhaven will be able to help you determine how many calories your dog needs as well as which food is the best option for your dog based on their lifestyle and dietary needs. This will also determine the amount of food that you will need to feed your dog each day.
Provide Your Dog With Adequate Exercise
The amount of exercise that your dog requires each day will be largely determined by the breed of dog you own. Some lower energy breeds may find that a short walk around the block is sufficient exercise while other breeds may require a longer distance run multiple times a day. By ensuring that your dog receives enough exercise each day you are doing your part in keeping them strong and healthy as well as curbing any potential boredom they may experience. Your New England Animal Hospital veterinarian will be able to help you determine how much exercise your pet will need each day as well as provide suggestions for types of exercise to entertain your dog with.
Routine Wellness Exams Are Key
When it comes to the various diseases and conditions that may affect your dog, the best course of action is preventive care starting with routine physical examinations. Routine veterinary exams at New England Animal Hospital in Fairhaven are done when your dog seems healthy. These routine exams are used to ensure that your dog is free from signs of any conditions, injuries or diseases. Your vet will discuss your dog's diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors with you, ask if you have any concerns about your pet's health or behavior, then perform a comprehensive physical examination. Once the exam is complete your veterinarian will discuss any findings with you. If anything concerning has been detected your vet will make recommendations regarding diet, diagnostic testing, or treatment.
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Vaccinations Set a Baseline For Lifelong Health
Our Fairhaven vets recommend providing your dog with routine vaccinations in order to provide protection against a variety of diseases that could potentially cause serious health concerns. Regularly scheduled vaccines help to protect your dog from many highly contagious, potentially life-threatening diseases. The rabies vaccine is one that is mandatory in most states in order to protect your dog and others against the usually fatal and easily transmitted rabies virus, but there are a number of other serious conditions that vaccines protect dogs against including parvo, distemper, and panleukopenia.
Find Our Dog Vaccine Schedule Here
Parasite Prevention to Provide Protection
Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes are capable of carrying diseases and parasites that can not only harm your dog but could also potentially harm your family as well. There is a variety of parasite prevention available for your dog to protect them from a variety of serious but preventable conditions, some of which could be fatal. Reach out to your vet in Fairhaven to discuss the different types of parasite prevention and what is best suited to help protect your dog.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.