What Your Dog Needs Every Month to Stay Healthy
Most dog parents know the daily tasks required to keep their pets happy, but do you know the monthly essentials to keep them clean and healthy?
Key takeaways:
Dogs need regular, ongoing care to stay at peak health.
Heartworm prevention and thorough routine check ins should be performed once a month.
Regular care helps maintain a dog’s healthy coat and prevents disease.
Daily walks, snuggles, and nutritious food with regular baths thrown in are the basics of dog care, but there’s much more involved in giving your furry friend their best life.
First, consider your breed of dog to get some clues to how best to take care of your dog. Some need more care or are more prone to certain conditions than others. That means building a solid pet care routine is crucial to your dog’s health.
Regularly scheduled visits to the vet and routine care professionals – in addition to love and covering basics like food and exercise – provide everything your companion requires to live a long, healthy life. Here’s what all dogs need every month:
Caring for your dog’s ears
Dog ears are at risk for painful and annoying disorders such as mites, wax, infection, and yeast buildup. Pup parents should check their dog’s ears at least once per week for foul odors and foreign objects. A few rules of thumb to keep in mind:
Breeds with large floppy ears experience problems with water becoming trapped in the ear canal and buildups of yeast and wax – all of which can lead to infection.
A dog shaking his head furiously or scratching at his ears a lot can be a sign of possible problems.
Sometimes infection, parasites, or mites have set in but are not yet detectable, though, which makes finding them difficult.
Monthly ear inspections can catch allergic reactions, infections, and pests before they become much larger, more painful, and more expensive issues. Learn more about caring for your dog’s ears.
Paws and nails
The pads on a dog’s paws serve many roles. They protect bones, joints, and deep tissue from shock, for example, and work as insulation from excessive temperatures. Here’s what to know:
Debris – such as glass, pebbles, briars, and foxtails – can easily get lodged beneath the pads during daily activities. This is where an infection can begin.
Paws can become chaffed and cracked.
They are also susceptible to burns and frostbite.
Pad moisturizers can help protect your dog’s feet and ease the discomfort of chafing.
Dog parents should check their pups’ pads daily, especially after outdoor activity, but a monthly inspection is vital for catching paw-related issues while they’re easy to manage.
A dog’s nails should be trimmed when they almost touch the ground. It’s definitely time for a trim if they snag in the carpeting or click on the floor. An inexperienced dog parent can inadvertently hurt their dog by cutting too much nail. It’s incredibly challenging to trim black nails, too, as the quick is harder to discern. Trimming may be best left to an expert to avoid pain and frustration! Learn more about caring for your dog’s nails.
Bathing Your Dog
Bathing is an integral part of a dog’s health. It protects the coat and skin from parasites, weather, and irritants. It also helps keep your pup clean and smelling pleasant.
Daily brushing helps keep fur from matting and can dispose of many parasites, but most dogs should get a thorough bathing at least once a month. Breeds with oily coats, such as Basset Hounds, often need bathing more often, whereas the short-haired breeds, such as Beagles, need less frequent bathing. Learn more about bathing your dog.
Flea and tick treatment
All dogs need treatment for pests, such as fleas and ticks, no matter where they live – although ticks are more prevalent in rural areas. There are many types of pest treatments, including:
Sprays
Collars
Pills
Powders
Treatments for fleas and ticks typically contain chemicals, but there are natural alternatives. Regular monthly treatment deters infestation without repetitive exposure. Routine pet care professionals typically offer a pest treatment as part of a package with a monthly bath and other treatments.
Heartworm medication
Puppies get more vaccinations than older dogs. First vaccines come at six to eight weeks. Another round is necessary at 10 weeks and a third at 14 weeks. These vaccinations prevent rabies, distemper, parvo, and other harmful diseases. The latter are also given to adult dogs either annually or every three years, depending on the inoculation.
Heartworm is another dangerous issue for dogs. These foot-long worms live up to seven years and cause massive damage to the lungs, heart, and other organs. Heartworm medication is typically administered monthly, every six months, or yearly to keep these harmful creatures at bay.
Dental care
Without proper dental care, dogs suffer gingivitis, sore gums, and tooth loss. The can face a few other oral diseases as well, such as:
● Canine distemper teeth
● Mouth tumors
● Salivary cysts
● Periodontal disease
A healthy diet and various chew toys go a long way in keeping your pup’s mouth and teeth healthy, but teeth brushing is imperative. Dog toothpaste and toothbrushes are different from human versions. They are softer and gentler to protect a dog’s sensitive gums and oral tissue. Brushing your dog’s teeth once a week can help keep diseases from developing and bad breath from setting in, but monthly trips to a routine dog care professional for a complete cleaning ensure everything is in tip-top shape. Learn more about keeping your dog’s teeth clean and healthy.
The loving care you provide every day isn’t always enough to keep your pet safe and well. A monthly routine is a perfect way to check off all the important boxes on your canine’s healthcare checklist.
Pet care professionals you can trust
Your busy life doesn’t leave much time for the routine care and basic grooming your pup needs. Scenthound is a convenient, affordable solution for routine dog care that revolutionizes how pet parents keep their fur children clean and healthy. The first wellness-focused, membership-based dog grooming company is disrupting an outdated industry with a unique approach and a blue ocean strategy.
Unlike traditional dog grooming that focuses on breed-specific styling, Scenthound services are centered around routine and preventive care for dogs in five core areas: Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails, and Teeth (SCENT). Contact us today for help giving your pet the best life possible.