3 Important Proactive Dog Care Practices
I want to talk to you about our top three recommendations to help keep your dog healthy. There are many things in life that we can't prevent from happening, but with our canine loved ones, there are a few things we can do to keep them healthy by being proactive.
Protect Your Dog with Parasite Prevention
The number one thing here in New England is to prevent parasites from affecting our dogs, more specifically fleas and ticks. Tickborne diseases in New Hampshire are a year-round issue. There is no longer a season, as we have many warm days in the winter. The deer tick, which transmits Lyme disease, is active when it's above freezing and there's no frost, and they do not hibernate. They are ready to feed on us and our dogs the first warm day we have. Using the most effective and safest tick preventives is a must.
By far, the best things to use are prescription oral chewables. There is also a topical option. Some of these are Credelio, and you can talk to your veterinarian about those. We carry all-in-ones to also take care of and prevent heartworm and intestinal parasites as well. This is a year-round, every month situation. Talk to your veterinarian about those.
Learn More About Dog Parasite Prevention
Keep Up With Your Dog's Dental Care
Dental care is incredibly important, and we've seen that years ago with our own human health. Taking care of your mouth can not only lead to a much happier life with less to no oral pain but also improve overall health by preventing bacterial infections from the mouth extending into the body. The same applies to our dogs and cats.
Every dog is different. Here at Hampton Veterinary Hospital, we recommend during our bi-annual wellness exams that we always do an oral exam. When appropriate, we recommend professional dental cleanings. That's something we do here regularly and effectively for our dogs and cats to provide them with not only longevity but also better happiness and comfort over the course of their lifetimes.
Learn More About Dog Dental Care
Weight Control and Management for Your Dog
The last thing we definitely stress and recommend is weight control. Eating is one of the happiest activities in our lives, and certainly, it brings happiness to feed our dogs and cats regularly and give treats, but everything in moderation is important. T
here was a study a number of years ago done by a researcher named Pina that showed healthy weight dogs, on average, live two and a half years longer compared to overweight dogs. This is an incredibly long period of time considering how short our pets live in general.
We want to have not only quantity but quality of life. Being able to get around, run, jump, and play, especially at an older age, is important. You're going to be able to do that better by maintaining a healthy weight. This is something we stress here and something we're happy to talk to you about because we want your pets to be happy and live with you as long as possible because we know that you love them so much.
Learn More About Pet Weight Management
Hampton Veterinary Hospital Commited to Better Pet Health
You’re never alone in caring for your pet’s health. At Hampton Veterinary Hospital, our team is here to support you every step of the way. Call (603) 926-7978 or email [email protected] to connect with us today.
