There are many reasons why owners ‘baby’ their pets. In your case, it can be anything from knowing that he’ll be by your side to the cute way she looks at you whenever you come home. Regardless of why your fur baby is precious to you, you need to remember that you have a set of obligations towards him. In addition to enrolling him in dog behavior training to ensure his good behavior, you should take care of his overall health. Aside from taking him to the vet and checking his coat for pests, you should give much attention to his eyes, ears and teeth.
Caring for Lady’s Eyes
Those big, brown eyes you adore need you to take care of them. If you have dogs with large, protruding eyes such as pugs, you need to guard their eyes from potential injuries. On the other hand, long-coated dogs, especially white ones, may develop tear stains.
Regardless of which case applies to your pooch, make sure to regularly clean her eyes early in the morning. Gently remove the gunk around the corners with an eye cleaning pad or a soft, moistened paper towel. Don’t use a cotton swab as you may end up harming her delicate eyes if she twitches. Also, avoid any chemicals as these can irritate your dog’s eyes.
While cleaning her eyes, make sure to examine them as well. Look out for redness, excessive tears, frequent blinking, squinting and cloudy pupils. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, it’s time for a quick trip to the vet.
Ensuring the Health of Fido’s Ears
Those delicate ears which perk up at the sound of your voice are quite sensitive, but they may demand a little extra care if you have a poodle or any other breed that’s prone to developing ear problems. Whether your pooch has pricked up or dropped ears, you should check these regularly for crustiness, redness, excessive wax and obnoxious odors. If his ears have thick hair on the inside, consider taking him to a professional groomer to prevent infections and ear mites.
That aside, establish an ear cleaning routine for your pooch. Using a vet-prescribed mild ear cleaning solution and wool balls/gauze, follow these steps.
While holding his head, gently lift his ear to expose its insides.
Following the directions on the solution, squeeze a little into his ear and massage the outside of his ear canal.
Wipe out the excess solution with the cotton ball or gauze.
Again, your dog’s ears are sensitive, so avoid keeping any solution behind. Also, don’t push the cotton wool into his ear canal. Finally, reward your dog with praise and a treat after you’re finished. After all, he was a good boy.
Protecting Rex’s Teeth
Just like you, your dog can develop plaque, tartar and gingivitis, resulting in the foul dog breath you’ve been complaining about. If you don’t take action, you’ll need to get your dog’s teeth cleaned, a process that traditionally requires anesthesia. To prevent these issues in the first place, get dog toys, dental sticks or even rawhide bones to remove dental plaque. Also talk to your vet about which dog toothpaste and toothbrush you can use.
If you haven’t brushed your canine’s canines yet, don’t worry. The process is easy. First, squeeze some toothpaste on his brush and let him sample it. Lift his top lip and rub the brush against his teeth and gums for a few seconds. Finally, give him a treat for behaving himself. Preferably, you should repeat this process daily, but realistically try to commit to doing it 2-3 times a week. Moreover, use this as an opportunity to check for potential tooth and gum issues such as red or swollen gums and darkened teeth.
Ideally, you should start all of these tasks while your pooch is still a puppy. This may mean enrolling her in puppy training to ensure that she doesn’t resist you or bite you hard. However, once your dog’s behavior is at its best, you can start taking care of its eyes, ears and teeth to ensure its health and companionship for years to come.