Keeping a dog happy and healthy starts with basic dog health care at home. Basic checks will make sure any problems are identified as early as possible and the best way to do that is to get to know your dog well, and the best way to do that is checking him out on a regular basis.
My peep has a check list that she performs on me, to make sure I am healthy, happy and wise and to catch any problems and hopefully keep me away from the Vet or at least catch a problem that could turn into a real concern.
Body Check
I usually get a body check, which I must say I love very much. It’s like an all over body rub and it’s something she does at the end of the day. If you have a good look at your dog on a regular basis you’ll be more likely to notice any changes and a body rub is perfect for that.
We start with a nice rub down on my back, neck and behind my ears; she checks for any lumps, bumps or patches that weren’t there before.Then I get a nice scrubby rub on my legs, then to my head and finishing with a nice belly rub which usually gets me laughing due to I have many tickle spots. Lastly she checks my feet, to make sure there are no cuts or abrasions on my pads.
Tooth Care
My peep has a dream of brushing my teeth twice a day, just like she does with her own teeth. However I must admit, I’m not a big fan of getting my choppers scrubbed. So even though we try to do it everyday we sometimes miss the mark, but I sure know that I am getting brushed at least 4-5 times per week.
A good idea, if you have a puppy is to start early, it’s just a great habit to establish. Not only can it help avoid gum disease, have you seen the cost for tartar scraping with your vet? Very expensive and can sometimes be traumatic to us dogs. But nothing is worse than losing a tooth, so get brushing.
Your peep can buy several kids of toothbrushes designed for dogs, but the one I use, fits onto my peeps fingertip so that she can move it around easily and get to my back teeth as well. Right now my favorite doggie toothpaste (human kind is unsuitable for dogs) is chicken flavored and I’m always trying to get some on my tongue while she’s brushing away!
Ear Care
Now I have big soft floppy ears, however they can get me in trouble with infections especially if it’s warm and humid. So ear checks with me is a must. It’s very simple, my peep takes a peek into my ears by lifting the flaps in a good light. She gives them a little sniff to make sure that they smell good. Next she looks to see if they are nice and pink and most importantly clean. If it’s looking a little gooey and clogged, my peep has special drops that we were subscribed from our vet, to help clear up the problem.
If your dog’s ears smell bad, with dark wax or has a discharge, there may be a number of causes; ear mites, infection, or even something trapped in the ear canal. If so a trip to the vet is recommended so that they can look deeper into the ear and diagnose the problem.
Nail Clipping
Okay, not my favorite thing at all and truthfully my peep does not like it either. Luckily I walk a lot on the pavement, which is like one giant nail file so I usually do not need to be clipped, except for my upper “thumb” nails. For dogs that run a lot on softer ground, you’re going to need the occasional trim, either at home or your local dog spa or vet. Let your peeps read my post on how to do it right.
Basic Dog health care just makes common sense, and can be a fun too! I’ve been having belly rubs, paw checks and brushing for a while now and I find it a fun time with my peep. In fact I prefer my daily check up any day over a bath!
