Your dog is your best friend - or will eventually be if you recently got the dog as a puppy or from a shelter. That bond and relationship you build over time is a beautiful one and often enough, but we all wish that dogs could live just as long as humans can.
However, all those years of happiness you give them, they will return with unconditional love from the beginning to the very end. It’s important that you avoid injuries to your dog which can harm your pooch’s quality of life in general.
Dogs can get into accidents and cause injury to themselves. Sometimes that can’t be avoided but when it can, it’s good to know what you can do to prevent the injuries from happening.
Here are some helpful tips on how to avoid injuries to your dog.
,Understand your dog’s risk factors
First and foremost, understand the dangers that are present to your dog specifically. Every dog is different and therefore what might harm one dog might not harm yours. If there are certain health problems that your dog has had in the past, then you might wish to avoid doing anything that could trigger it to happen again.
For example, some dogs are known to pick up anything and everything, sometimes swallowing what they have, even when it’s not edible. As a result, some dogs end up getting foreign objects stuck in their intestine and needing some pretty life-saving surgery in order to recover from it.
That sort of injury is something you want to avoid from happening again, especially as it could be fatal the next time around.
Look at your dog’s risk factors and consider what you can do to avoid them from recurring again.
Brush up your knowledge of the dog breed and health conditions
In general, every dog breed has their own health conditions that they’re more susceptible to. The reasons for this could differ from whether they’re a mixed breed or if they are a certain shape or size which makes them more prone to the health condition itself.
Brushing up on your knowledge of the dog breed and the health conditions that are common with the breed is worthwhile. Learning more can help you put the preventative measures in place needed to reduce any risk of injury to the dog itself.
You might also find that some health conditions are better prevented with earlier care and others might be inevitable. This is something you should do fairly early on in your ownership of the dog, albeit before you even decide on what dog breed you’re going with.
Take your dog for a regular walk every day
A regular walk each day can keep the vet away. As the same saying goes for doctors, but in the shape of an apple, you should be doing what you can to keep your dog away from the vets. Other than any annual vet booster, you hope that your dog doesn’t need to keep going back to the vets at some point in their life time.
Taking your dog for a regular walk every day is going to keep them healthy. Even for lap dogs or dogs that love to lounge on the couch all day, even those dogs need a bit of walking every day.
Twenty minutes should be the baseline for most dogs, with some needing slightly more and others needing well over an hour to tucker themselves out. Consider taking your dog for a good walk every day to mentally stimulate them and ultimately ensure they’re getting a good amount of exercise daily.
Keep your dog cool indoors and outdoors
Heat can be a problem for dogs, especially as they can only regulate their own temperature so much before needing help from their dog owner. If you’re taking your dog out in the heat during the day for a walk, then this can be dangerous to their health.
For some dogs a hot day can prove fatal so depending on the weather keeping your dog indoors is better than letting them get too warm outside.
The indoors can also be a warm place, particularly over the summer. That’s why you should be looking to keep your dog cool indoors too. Making sure there’s plenty of water out throughout the day, to opening windows and even filling a bath of cool water for your dog to take a dip in every so often. The more you can do to keep them cool, the better for their health.
Avoid slippery surfaces
Just like humans, slippery surfaces can be dangerous. When your dog loses control of their footing on a slippery surface, whether it’s wet and therefore slippery, or just does not have enough grip, it becomes dangerous.
Your dog could end up banging into a piece of furniture, which in turn could collapse onto them, causing injury. It’s best to try and keep surfaces as dry as possible and add gripping points in the form of rugs where possible.
Consider dog supplements for joints
Dog supplements are great and can be a good way to provide your dog with some extra nutrients. Your dog’s joints will be sprightly when they’re young but become more brittle and vulnerable as they get older.
There are plenty of dog supplements on the market that are great for joint care, so this is something that’s worth considering. If your dog has problems with their legs or they have trouble with their mobility, then Hero Braces are a great way to provide support and aid injury where it’s required.
Watch for signs and fatigue or overexertion
Finally, be aware of the signs and symptoms of fatigue or overexertion. Fatigue can quickly turn dangerous and some dogs don’t know how to slow down or take a break from their playtime. Try to look out for the signs, like excessive panting or fatigue itself as the indicator that you need to stop play for a bit.
These tips will help avoid injury so that your dog can live a long and healthy life in the future.
