5 Top Ways to Keep Your Dog Healthy

1) Yearly vet check. The yearly checkup gives the veterinarian a chance to give advice about diet. At each stage of a pets life their dietary and nutritional needs will can change. A yearly exam is a perfect time to take care of vaccinations. The vet will also perform a fecal exam to check for intestinal parasites and a heartworm exam to ensure that the dog does not have a heartworm infection.

2) Heartworm prevention medication. Every dog should be on heartworm prevention medication. Heart worm is 100% preventable and the monthly medicine is fairly inexpensive. Puppies should be started on heartworm prevention medicine at the age of 8 weeks and then tested for heartworm at 7 to 8 months of age. Ask your vet if your dog requires heartworm prevention medicine all year long. In certain geographical areas heartworm prevention medication is only needed during the summer months when mosquitos are active.

3) Daily vitamin. Just like us dogs need daily vitamins and minerals to prevent deficiancy. Dogs are wild animals and we are feeding them an un-natural dry cooked food. No matter how hard we try science is not yet able to make a food that provides your dog 100% of the nutrients their bodies require. You can easily provide the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that are lacking from your dogs diet with a high quality daily vitamin.

4) Spay and neuter. Male dogs should be neutered before the age of six months and female dogs should be spayed before their first heat. Spaying reduces the agression of male dogs, decreases the incidents of marking, and reduces the risk of prostate and anus problems. In female dogs spaying reduces the risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, and mood swings. Spaying and neutering does lower a dogs energy level, so a spayed or neutered dog will require less food.