One of the most important things to many pet owners is ensuring that their beloved pets remain healthy and happy. But sometimes it can be a little bit difficult to tell whether you are doing everything right when trying to keep your pet healthy.

This can especially be the case when it comes to dogs. Though dogs are very good at communicating, it can often be difficult to tell when something is wrong with them. So what can you do to ensure that they don't end up sick or diseased in the first place?

Let's look through five of the best things you can do to keep your dog healthy and disease-free.

Wash Your Hands Regularly

We know it sounds relatively patronizing to be reminded of this, but washing your hands is crucial to maintaining the health of your pet. Don't forget that many human illnesses and diseases can also affect dogs, so you should make sure to wash your hands before and after handling your dog, or before and after feeding them, playing with them, or grooming them.

As per some experts like madison dog grooming, Washing your hands helps to kill off bacteria that could pass over to your dog's food or to their chew toys, which will each inevitably end up in their mouths. As well as this, you should also try to ensure your hands are clean before you pet your dog, as bacteria could pass from your hands to the dog's fur, and it will be much harder to clean the bacteria from there.

Keep Your Eye Out For Unusual Behavior

As you spend more and more time with your dog, you will begin to get a great sense of their personality and the way that they behave. This means that you should be able to pick up on slight irregularities in their behavior. Have you noticed they walk about differently? Maybe they're less social than normal?

If you suspect that your dog has been acting strange at all, it is very much worth contacting your vet to receive a thorough check-up.

Strange behaviors that you should definitely look out for include such things as your dog keeps licking lips and swallowing. Frequent lip-licking can be a sign of significant stress or anxiety.

You should also look out to see if your dog is acting less sociable. In such a case it could be a sign of illness or disease. If they are, then you should contact your vet immediately.

Get Them Vaccinated

Vaccinations are one of the most effective ways to protect your dog against potentially life-threatening diseases. They are particularly useful for puppies and small breeds who may not have had the chance to build up an immune system yet.

There are two main types of vaccination: preventative and booster vaccinations. Preventative vaccines are given to dogs before they come into contact with any potential pathogens, while booster vaccinations are given to dogs who have already received prior vaccines but need their immune systems to be boosted, to help them stave off illnesses and diseases.

Vaccines help to protect your dog from various illnesses that have been known to kill them and also help to ensure that their immune system will be able to deal with illnesses or diseases. As well as this they can also help to reduce the risk of certain conditions occurring in your dog. Some common examples of these include canine distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, and rabies.

It is also recommended to use preventative medicines for smaller things such as ticks, fleas, and intestinal parasites. Just make sure that they are compatible with any vaccines your dog has had.

Control Your Dog's Diet
You want to ensure that you keep a tight hold over your dog's diet. You will want to make sure that your dog is receiving all of the nutrients it needs to take on the day, but also that it is not being overfed.

An overweight dog is at risk of developing further conditions, such as heart failure and faster degradation of joints.

Make sure not to feed your dog too many treats, and try to avoid feeding them any of your own food. Dog food is designed to provide your dog with everything they need. Our food is not.

Controlling your dog's diet is important because it helps to maintain their overall health and ensures that their immune system is equipped to deal with all problems that could be thrown at them.

Visit The Vet Regularly

You should also make a point of visiting your veterinarian as regularly as possible. Try to schedule yearly appointments with your vet so that the health of your dog can be monitored so that you can always be sure of how healthy your dog is.

This is beneficial as it helps to make it easier for you to notice things going wrong with your dog in the future but also helps you to ensure that you are doing the right things to keep your dog healthy. Your vet will be able to give you advice and make recommendations on things to try with your dog, or products to purchase for them in order to improve their health.

Having a dependable and professional opinion to rely on can be great when taking care of your dog, as it helps you to always be more informed about your dog's health, and helps you to make much better and more informed decisions about your dog's health.

Visiting your vet regularly is also beneficial as it allows you to get to know your vet and build up a good relationship with them. This can only benefit you in the long run, as it means that you will feel comfortable asking questions about your dog's health whenever you visit your vet. It also means that your dog will be more comfortable during visits. Although, these visits would add up to your budget, you should plan and be well prepared for any unexpected pet costs.

To Conclude

Keeping your dog healthy can be quite difficult, especially if you don't know what you are doing, but with the right steps, it is fully worth doing as it will ensure that your beloved dog can stick around much longer!

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Image 2: Keniett J. Vazquez, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons