Caring for your pets can be a little daunting – even overwhelming – at times. There is so much information out there – good and bad! What we need is a simple guide to caring for your dog (or cat). This is just what Lerida Grant from We Are Pets has done. Compiled the 7 topics that dog owners want to know about into her book ‘Simple Dog Care – 7 steps to a healthy, happy dog’ and I’ve asked her to sum up what we all want, and need, to know…
Keeping Dog Care Simple – in 7 Steps
Do you ever walk into a pet store, and feel overwhelmed by the amount of choice?
As the Australian pet industry continues to grow at an exponential rate – estimated to be around $12billion per year – dog owners are faced with more and more choices every day. There are so many new brands and products it’s hard to know what’s best for your own dog.
How to simplify dog care
After loads of research and expert consultation (including Dr Jo), I found that the easiest way to think about dog care is to break it down into 7 key areas. After that, it’s important to get to know the facts, not the marketing hype. This led to the writing of the book ‘Simple Dog Care – 7 steps to a healthy, happy dog’ which has contributions from Dr Jo and Dr. Lisa Chimes (Bondi Vet, Dr. Lisa to the Rescue).
Each step has two sections:
- Know the facts, and
- Getting organised and finding help
My goal is to share knowledge by educating people on the facts around each key area of dog health. Then, empower the reader to act by giving some advice on how to incorporate these steps into busy lives.
Here’s a brief introduction to each of the steps:
Step 1: Healthy Eating
Did you know that over 40% of Australian dogs are either obese or overweight (source: AVA, RSPCA Study) Just like us, healthy eating is the basis of good health for dogs. Many dog owners stick to the same food for their dogs over the years, but again, just like us, dietary needs change with age, lifestyle changes and health issues.
People often ask me if there is a difference between all the different types of dog foods and the answer is “yes”. Firstly, you need to understand the difference between all the different food offerings and then determine what’s best for your dog. The most important thing you can do is review your dog’s diet including meal quantity every year, or every 6 months for dogs over 7 years of age. To help you do this, you can download a complimentary guide to help you, from ‘Simple Dog Care – 7 steps to a healthy, happy dog’ by clicking here.
Step 2: Protection against parasites
The kindest thing you can do for your dog is to give them year-round protection, from both internal and external parasites, as the consequences of not protecting them can be deadly – but once again it’s hard to navigate through all the choices. Your vet can help you here, or you can educate yourself on all the different types and uses. The tip is to always make sure you read the instructions carefully as many medications that combine uses (e.g. flea and tick) often have cover for different time intervals.
If you have a cat as well, you need to be aware that mixing up their medications can prove fatal – so extreme caution needs to be upheld.
Step 3: Exercise
Exercise is important for both the physical and mental well being of your dog. The added bonus is that it’s also good for your physical and mental wellbeing too. Every dog’s needs are different depending on their breed, age, lifestyle but unless you want a bored and anxious dog, its important for your dog to get around 30 minutes a day exercising.
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Step 4: Dental Care
Dental issues in dogs are a hidden danger as its commonly thought that around 70% of dogs over 3 years of age have some form of dental disease. The main issues are plaque, tartar and periodontal (gum) disease and can add up to very expensive vet bills with tooth extractions or other dental work. Ways to alleviate this include dry dog food, dental treats, dental toys, and teeth brushing.
Many vets would prefer you not to feed bones due to the number of dogs who choke on them, but if you insist, make sure you supervise them and only give raw bones much bigger than the size of your dogs head so they won’t attempt to swallow them.
Step 5: Behaviour and Training
Your dog’s psychological health is just as important as its physical health. Training is not about teaching your dog special tricks, it’s about making sure your dog has a behavioural code to live by. This will reduce their stress and anxiety, as well as yours. As your dog wants to please you, its important for you help your dog understand whats expected of them and what their boundaries are.
Since you are reading Dr Jo’s website you are no doubt already interested in making this work, and you probably already know that Dr Jo’s advice is all around consistency, patience, and small steps. There are so many wonderful articles on this on this website, you are best to take a look at the section that best suits your needs.
Step 6: Grooming
Whether you take your dog to a groomer or DYI, it’s important to know what is best for your dog. Grooming is mainly about keeping your dog hygienic and comfortable, not about having the latest cut.
Over-washing can cause skin irritations as the natural balance of skin becomes affected, so less than four week is not recommended (unless you have a smelly, muddy dog, of course!) Human products, including shampoo, conditioners and hair dyes must never be used on dogs as they are designed for human skin, and your dog’s skin is different.
Step 7: Vet Care
The overarching requirement to keep your dog on track is to have regular check-ups with a regular vet. Your relationship with your vet is just as important as your dogs so make sure you choose wisely. Yearly visits (every 6 months for older dogs), will help your vet recognise any issues before they get too serious. The check-up will include dental as well as general health and any annual vaccinations your dog may need. Making the most of your vet visit is important, so make sure you prepare a list for discussion before you go and take notes to remind yourself. It’s not cheap, so make the most of it.
Even when broken into 7 steps it can all sound a bit daunting, however, if you need help, you can always speak to your vet (or vet nurse), or use helplines of manufacturers products to get more information.
About the author:
Lerida Grant is founder of We Are Pets, and along with help from Dr Lisa Chimes (Bondi Vet, Dr Lisa to the Rescue) and Dr Joanne Righetti (Macquarie Media Talking Pets) has created a simple 7 step plan to help get your dog on a path to a longer, healthier and happier life – without the guesswork.
Simple Dog Care Podcast
You can hear my interview with Lerida, talking about the book Simple Dog Care here…
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