Daily Responsibilites
Below are some of the important things you need to take care of for your loyal companion:
Teeth: Teeth are another factor that can increase a dog’s lifespan. They often are overlooked, yet very important. Plaque gets into the dog’s blood stream and causes heart problems which can lead to the dog dying well before he/she has to. Just like humans, it is important to take care of dog’s teeth. You can either provide them with things to chew on, but brushing is the most effective. Do not use human toothpaste, buy dog toothpaste. It has special enzymes in it that break down the tartar in the dog’s mouth without having to scrub it off. Just being able to apply the tooth paste to the dog’s teeth can sometimes be enough.
Healthy teeth and gums are an important consideration for your dog’s overall health. Poor dental hygiene can result in health consequences throughout the whole body, not just the mouth. A sound, highly-digestible diet is a good foundation, but there are additional nutrients that can help support healthy teeth and bones. It is recommended that you brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis, but that is not always possible.
Ears: Keeping your pet's ears clean is a necessary part of keeping your pet healthy. Not keeping up with your pet's ears can lead to an ear infection and irritation and scratching. It can become very uncomfortable and painful for your dog. If an infection arises, this can lead to aggression from people petting them on their painful ears, which then can lead to many other issues. You should clean your dogs ears as often as needed, some may need it more often than others. If you start to smell yeast in the dogs ear, then you haven't been keeping up with it and need to clean it.
Nails: Nails is another important thing to keep up with on your dog. It is important to cut them as often as needed. If you let your dogs nails get too long, they can split and lead to infections, which any infection can get into the blood stream and cause heart problems and sometimes worse. You can either take your dog to the vet for clipping or can do it yourself. Don't always just trust any groomer, as sometimes they may not have the necessary experience and if done incorrectly, you will have extreme difficulty ever doing them again.
Grooming: Some dogs may require constant brushing and grooming. If your dog has long hair, you will have to brush them daily, or their hair will get matted and become very painful and uncomfortable for them. This can lead to anxiety problems, aggression problems and possibly more issues as well.