When you add a dog to your home, you should do more than provide him or her water, food and shelter. You need to take care of your dog’s wellbeing by visiting the vet every once in a while to ensure your dog avoids sickness and other problems. As you care for your new furry friend, you should look into these points to meet his or her health needs.

Deworming

If you recently got a puppy, your furry friend may have worms in his or her system. This happens because some puppies will eat anything they come across, so many of them end up eating dog feces. When this happens, they can get worms and other parasites in their systems, which can lead to disease and digestion problems.

You should look into deworming your dog as needed. Make sure to visit The Pampered Pup for the best dog dewormers that take the form of dog treats. This way, your dog will eat the medicine, enjoy it and start the deworming process. Your dog may need more medicine as he or she gets older, so you need to check in with your vet regularly.

Vaccinations

Dogs can get various diseases that can be dangerous for them and humans, so you need to keep your dog up-to-date on his or her vaccines. Required animal vaccinations will depend on the requirements in your area, so you will need to do your research or contact a vet to see what your dog needs to get.

For example, most places will need your dog to get rabies shots to avoid aggressive dogs and serious injuries. On top of this, most dogs need to get several shots over the course of a few years, so you will probably need to go back a couple of times. Just follow your vet’s instructions to keep your dog safe from diseases and other problems.

Flea Care

Depending on what happens to your dog, and where he or she goes, your furry friend could end up with fleas. If your dog starts to itch his or herself a lot, then this could be a sign of fleas. If you find out your dog has fleas, then you should follow these instructions to help your dog get rid of them.

You should start by giving your dog a bath. After doing that, you will need to comb through your dog’s fur with a flea comb to remove them. Once you see the fleas on the comb, you should take them off and get rid of them. Make sure you do this regularly to ensure you get all of them since fleas can repopulate on dogs if even a few of them remain on.

Dental Care

Many people forget to focus on dental care when they get dogs. Sure, certain dog food brands can help your dog with his or her teeth, but you should also brush your dog’s teeth every day. If you do this, then you can prevent cavities, teeth falling out and even tooth rot. After all, you want your dog to maintain healthy teeth throughout his or her life.

You can do this by purchasing a dog-friendly toothbrush along with some dog toothpaste. As you use these products, you can brush your dog’s teeth with a toothpaste flavor your dog will enjoy. This will soon become part of your routine, so your dog will get used to it along with the taste of the dog toothpaste.

Spaying

As a side note, if you don’t plan to breed your dog, then you should look into spaying and neutering options. Otherwise, you run the risk of your dog getting pregnant or having a dog that can get other dogs pregnant. If you want to keep things simple and avoid a dog in heat, then spaying your furry friend might be the best option.

Make sure you properly take care of your dog before, during and after the spaying or neutering. Once your dog goes through with the process, he or she will be exhausted and need lots of rest. Find a comfortable place for your dog to relax and sleep, so your furry friend can recover from the surgery.

Remain In Contact With Your Vet

Keep in mind that many of these points aren’t one and done situations. For example, your dog may need more vaccines in the future, and he or she could develop fleas at a later point. This means you will need to watch out for these problems and continue to meet with your vet to help your dog remain healthy, clean and safe.

Your vet will want to meet with you regularly, so make sure you see how often you will need to take your dog there. Doing so will help you to meet your dog’s needs while ensuring you do everything you can to properly care for your dog. After all, vets have lots of knowledge with animals, so they will know how to help you.

Meeting your dog’s health needs goes beyond food and water since you will want your dog to be as healthy as possible. If you address these five points and remain in contact with your vet, you can help your dog avoid diseases and teeth problems. Make sure your dog gets the care he or she deserves by following the dog care tips above.