Sykesville Veterinary Clinic

Make an Appointment

410–549–7798

7 Simple Tips to Keep Your Dog Healthier

Having an ill or injured dog under your care can be distressing and worrisome, so we compiled a list of easy tips to help keep your pet healthy and safe.

1. Keep Their Mouth Clean

According to many pet experts, one of the best things you can do for your dog’s health is keep up its oral hygiene. Similar to a person’s mouth, too much plaque build-up or too many tooth issues can cause detrimental health problems in the future. Easy ways to make sure your dog’s oral health is of top quality include: brushing its teeth with special pet toothpaste, giving it tartar-removing chew treats, and rinsing its mouth with special pet mouth rinse.

2. Make Sure it Gets Enough Exercise

This might seem needless to say, but dogs need exercise just as much as people do. Unfortunately, this seems to be something that many pets lack in this day and age. Exercise will ensure that your dog’s heart is pumping and healthy, help prevent obesity, and can even be vital to its mental health. Some easy ways to exercise your pet are walking it, taking it for a swim, and playing outdoors with it.

3. Give it a Proper Diet

Your dog’s exercise and diet go hand-in-hand, being two of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Alongside exercise, a healthy diet will combat obesity, keep its internal organs healthy, and even improve its overall mood. Finding a “perfect” diet plan may seem difficult or even impractical, but if you think your dog’s diet is due for a change, veterinarians are more than happy to help you find a good fit for your dog.

4. Teach Your Dog New Tricks

It’s common knowledge that puzzles and certain games are good for a person’s brain, and the same is true for dogs. Especially as your dog gets up there in years, it’s important to do what you can for its mental health. One of the best ways to do this is by teaching it tricks. Other options include brain-training toys and a better diet.

5. Invest in a Tick Collar or Spray

Especially with spring coming in, it’s important to make sure your dog is prepared for the bugs that come with it. Tick and flea bites are not only painful, itchy, and irritating, they also have disease-spreading potential. It definitely can’t hurt to buy some kind of repellent for your dog before the bugs start coming in swarms. Your dog will certainly thank you for making this simple investment.

6. Monitor Your Dog’s Outside Activity

This one is very important, and may even be the root of all the above tips. There are so many dangers that can befall your dog when it’s outside: other animals, poisonous plants, bug swarms, and accidental injuries on sharp objects. While you needn’t watch it like a hawk 24/7, being there for your dog will surely be a good investment of your time.

7. Make Sure it has Regular Checkups

Employing the above tips is vital for your pet’s health and safety, but sometimes there are things that only a professional can catch and fix. While it may seem like more of a bother than a help at times, having your dog regularly checked by a veterinarian (maybe at Sykesville Veterinary Clinic an Eldersburg veterinary clinic) can do so much more for you and your dog than you would have imagined– it could even save its life.

We hope you’re prepared now to give your dog a healthier lifestyle, step-by-step. Your dog will be ever grateful for it.