So you ve made the decision to get a puppy. It s not something to take on without a lot of thought. You have lots of choices, not only of the breed of pup that you feel you d be able to cope with, but how you re going to bring him or her up.
One of the most important things is to choose your vet. Even a dog that is in perfect health is going to need a vet from time to time and a check over when you get the pup is a good opportunity to talk through the schedule for vaccinations. At the same time, you should think about pet insurance.
Pet insurance is very worthwhile. Cover for naturally occurring illnesses as well as accidental injuries will give you peace of mind. Veterinary costs can be frighteningly high and could be a cause of worry if there s no insurance in place. Lots of people say if you can t afford the vet s bills, you can t afford the pet but maybe for vet s bills they should say insurance.
One of the best ways to prevent too many visits to the vets, which means fewer claims on your insurance, is to keep it at a good, healthy weight. If you start with a good diet as soon as you get your pet and keep to regular meal times, with minimal feeding of tit bits, you re starting in the right way.
You may not notice that you pooch has become a little more podgy than he should, but come booster time, your vet will probably want to check his weight. This is an excellent thing, as they can pick up any marked changes in weight since the last visit and draw your attention to it.
If there s a problem with a slightly overweight dog, it is simple to address at this stage. You should take the vets advice on feeding. The type and quantity of food and how often you feed will be discussed and an ideal weight arrived at. You ll be invited to go along and weigh in your pet to make sure that the plan is working.
An overweight dog is at risk of more problems than his fitter cousins. The heat will bother him more; he is more at risk of skin diseases, arthritis, diabetes and heart and circulator disorders. If an operation is needed at any time then there is more risk from surgical and anaesthetic procedures.
The cause of the problem is usually quite simply that you re feeding more than the pet s requirements. You could be feeding a good formula, but too many snacks or scraps and insufficient exercise could be taking their toll. As dogs get older they often need adjustments in their diet, due to sleeping more and requiring less exercise.
Although you should always check with your vet before making major changes to your dogs diet, there are a number of special slimming products available. These contain the minerals and vitamins your pet should be getting but with less calories. It can be quite tricky getting an older dog to adapt to a new diet and you have to be less soft hearted and tell him it s for his own good if this is the case!
It s possible you won t notice the odd pounds. Sometimes you ll see an old photograph and realize that neither of you are looking as sleek as you once did. If you apply slight pressure on either side of his ribcage you should be able to feel your pet s ribs. If you can t then think what his diet really does consist of and maybe just cut down a little, or increase his exercise. If you stand over him when he s standing up, you should be able to see his waistline . No waistline = too much fat.
Some breeds of dog are more inclined to put on weight than others. Pets that have been neutered and older pets are at risk too. Keep this in mind and keep up the vigilance. Enjoy your puppy.
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