10 Tips for Enhancing Your Dog’s Wellness

October is Pet Wellness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about the ways we can enhance the lives of our best friends. Our PetSure Vets have put together their top ten tips for making your pups live a happier and healthier life. How many of them are you already doing?

1. Look after those pearly whites

How often do you brush your dog’s teeth? Just like you, dogs only have one set of adult teeth for life and if they are not looked after, they will develop dental diseases, which cause discomfort, bad breath and can even result in your pup requiring dental procedures such as tooth removal.

2. Time together

You are everything to your dog, so time spent together is never a waste and always appreciated. Some great activities you and your pup can do together can include daily walks, play time, pet friendly vacations, visits to pet friendly restaurants or cafes, doggie yoga, puppy play dates, or even taking your pup to work with you.  

3. Watch their weight

Like humans, excess weight in dogs can lead to serious health problems including diabetes, heart and respiratory problems, cancers, and orthopaedic complaints such as cruciate ligament disease and osteoarthritis. For some great tips to help keep your pet a healthy weight, check out our article here. If you are not sure if your pup is overweight, chat to your vet who will be able to help you.

4. Check for any hazards in your home

There are many household items that can be dangerous to your dog, and they are often within paw’s reach. Regular checks around the home can mean the difference between a happy pup or a trip to the emergency room. It is important to store cleaning products safely where dogs cannot access them, check for items around the house that may be small enough to be swallowed, examine the integrity of your fence regularly and check for plants in the house or garden that could be toxic. The kitchen can also have hazards including accessible rubbish bins, foods containing artificial sweeteners, or toxic foods like chocolate and onions.

5. Mental wellness is just as important as physical wellness

Did you know that our dogs can suffer from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Separation anxiety is very common and may manifest in ways that you may mistake as “being naughty” such as barking and destructive behaviour. Check out our webinar with Dr Kersti Seksel, Veterinary Behavioural Specialist ‘Helping pets avoid separation anxiety’.  Dogs can also experience signs of PTSD after a traumatic experience. If you have concerns about your dog’s behaviour, get in touch with your vet for advice.

6. Environmental enrichment

A big backyard may seem like all a dog needs but imagine being stuck in a big empty room all day on your own without anything to do! Environmental enrichment makes life more interesting for your pup and allows them to carry out normal dog behaviours which in turn helps them to be calmer, happier and healthier. For dogs, environmental enrichment can include having a friend to play with, a job to do, treat balls and snuffle mats to help make eating more challenging. Interesting, gardens that allow dogs to explore and dig providing a variety of toys and rotating the toys around, are ways to keep things interesting.

7. Grooming time!

Grooming doesn’t have to mean ‘a battle of the wills’ to the bathtub. Most dogs will love a simple brushing or going over with a grooming mitt. This has numerous benefits including helping your dog look and feel clean and refreshed, ensuring their coat is not matted, removing loose fur, checking for and removing any parasites and checking for signs of skin irritation (lumps and bumps that may need a vet assessment). Brushing also helps circulate natural oils through the coat and stimulate blood flow, which can improve skin and coat health.

8. What’s that you say? Check the ears?

When was the last time you investigated your dog’s ears? Ear problems are one of the most common conditions for dogs to be treated for and featured in the top five most claimed conditions in 2021*. Check for signs of redness, discharge, moisture and bad smells. Clean your dog’s ears with dog ear cleaner, especially after your dog has been for a bath or a swim. 

9. Make sure preventative care is up to date

You have heard the saying a million times, ‘prevention is better than a cure’, but it can be easy to let preventative care lapse when life gets busy. Check that your beloved pup is up-to-date with their vaccinations, flea, tick and worming prevention, and get them caught up if they are not. Check with your vet if you are not sure what preventative control your pooch should be on.

You may want to set reminders in your phone for any upcoming dose(s) to make it easier to stay up-to-date.

10. Regular check-ups can save lives

Our pups age much faster than we do, which means that a year is a very long time for a dog to go without a check-up from the vet, particularly as they get older. A six-month check-up is a great way to help detect and treat problems early, as well as ensure you and your pup have a great relationship with your vet.

So, there you have it, our top ten tips for canine wellness on this Pet Wellness month. Are you a cat parent feeling left out? Don’t worry, our top ten tips for cat wellness are here.

*PetSureClaims Data 2021, data for all insured dogs, all breeds, all ages