8 Ways to Help Keep Your Dog Healthy

08/08/18

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Keeping your canine in good health is a demanding responsibility. As a dog owner, it’s your duty to ensure your dog stays strong, safe, clean and happy. But this can be incredibly difficult if you don’t understand the things your favorite canine needs to flourish. Canna Companion puts immeasurable value on maintaining the well-being and long-term health of dogs, and that’s why we’ve put together this list of eight tips you can use to help keep your canine in peak condition for many years to come.

  1. Brush your dog’s teeth

Dental care is just as critical for dogs as it is for humans. Regrettably, canines are much less receptive to receiving a daily brushing than we are, often retreating away the second they smell that pet-friendly toothpaste or fervently pushing the brush out of their mouths. You may be tempted to abandon playing dentist with your dog entirely, but daily teeth cleanings can help protect them from dental disease and overgrowth of normal oral bacteria. This will also significantly improve the smell of your dog’s breath, so you stand to gain from these brushing sessions, too. If this procedure proves too difficult or takes up too much time, consider arranging occasional teeth cleanings with your local veterinarian. It’s not as beneficial as daily brushing, but a thorough dental checkup a few times a year is much better than nothing.

  1. Clip your canine’s nails

Maintaining your dog’s nails can be a challenging task. After all, most canines aren’t exactly comfortable with having each of their paws held and worked on for several minutes. Furthermore, it can be really difficult to determine how short to cut the nail to avoid bleeding and pain. These factors make most dog owners hesitant to pull out the clippers or grinders, but allowing your dog’s nails to grow too long can cause pain, damage tendons in their legs, and deform their feet over time. Luckily, veterinarians have developed a few tips and tricks to make this important grooming process easier on both parties.

First of all, you need to ensure that your dog stays calm and still throughout your trimming session. Use their favorite toys and treats that take a long time to finish to distract your dog while you work. Trimming nails can take time, so keep a few spare treats close by just in case they burn through the first too quickly. If you’re using a grinder to shorten your dog’s nails, take several minutes to acclimate them to the noises that it makes while feeding them treats. Dogs are much more tolerant of machines that make scary noises when they associate those sounds with tasty snacks.

  1. Groom your dog’s ears and eyes.

Dogs love to get dirty. In fact, they’ll seek out mud, stains, and other messy substances to roll in constantly, especially if it has a strong or interesting smell. During particularly energetic play sessions, an excessive amount of dirt can build up inside of your dog’s ears and cause painful ear infections. (This can happen if too much ear wax is allowed to accumulate, too.) Fortunately, you don’t need a complex tool or product to clean your dog’s ears. Simply find a clean and soft cloth, dampen it with warm water, and gently wipe your canine’s ears down. Just make sure you don’t allow drops of water to get too deep inside the ear canal.

This procedure will work really well for cleaning the gunk that naturally forms near your dog’s eyes as well. Dampen a soft cloth and gently wipe it around your pet’s eye, working outward to ensure none of that nasty material gets pushed further inside. If this problem becomes too prevalent or severe, consider arranging a visit to the veterinarian for an eye checkup to rule out any chance of injury, infection or lodged foreign objects.

  1. Check your dog’s poop

We realize that this isn’t a pleasant process, but looking at your dog’s poop can give you incredibly useful information about deficiencies in their diet or digestion system. A healthy dog’s stool will be moist, firm and carry a mild odor. Greasy and grey poop can be a sign of excessive fat in your dog’s diet (this can eventually cause inflammation in the pancreas and severe damage to your pet’s health). Watery diarrhea is usually either the result of high stress or the presence of a parasite in the body. If your dog’s poop is abnormal, be sure to consult with your veterinarian to pin down the exact cause and potential solutions.

  1. Don’t bathe your dog too frequently

It can be very tempting to bathe your dog several times a month, especially if they develop a penchant for covering themselves in grime, mud or even more unpleasant materials (refer back to the last tip for a prime example). But too many sessions in the bathtub will deprive your dog of natural oils and dry out their skin. To further complicate things, each breed of dog requires a different grooming and bathing schedule depending on the length and thickness of their coats. Do some research online to determine the best bathing practices for your canine and make sure that you use pet-friendly shampoo.

  1. Make sure your home is safe for canines

Dogs have a tendency to prioritize playtime over safety. That’s why it’s critically important to remove sharp corners from your home or apartment. Fortunately, there are several products online that make this process really simple. Make sure to keep your spaces clean (to avoid potential tripping hazards) and free of dangerous foods and chemicals as well. Just in case your dog does ingest something nasty, it’ll be useful to understand how to get it out of their system, and be sure to contact your dog’s veterinarian as soon as possible.

  1. Exercise your dog regularly

Just like grooming, the amount of exercise your dog will need depends on its breed. Check out this great source for a detailed breakdown on each dog breed and how much they need to work out to maintain optimum health. Dogs have a tendency to be overly energetic, destructive and aggressive when they aren’t engaging in enough physical activity. To keep your dog in good shape and avoid these undesirable traits, take them for regular runs, walks and play sessions. This is a fantastic way to build your dog’s confidence, keep their weight in check, and tire them out before bed each night. Best of all, these activities will give you a decent workout, too!

  1. Take advantage of pet health supplements

Supplements are an excellent resource for pet owners looking to improve the long-term health of their pets. At Canna Companion, we pride ourselves in producing supplements that support your dog’s immune system, GI tract and maintain a normal – and relaxed – disposition. As always, you should consult with your local veterinarian before starting your pet on any new supplement regimen. They can help you determine which products will most effectively meet the unique needs of your canine. Implementing a supplement regimen early in your pet’s life is also a great way to help maintain their optimal health.

If you have any questions about which Canna Companion would be best for your canine, call or message us today to learn more.

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