Routine Care for Dogs – The 5 Key Areas to Focus On
Routine care and grooming is more important for a dog’s overall health than many pup parents think. Here’s how to make sure you’re not missing any of the key focus areas.
Key takeaways:
Routine dog care will keep your dog clean, happy, and healthy.
Taking care of five core areas – skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth – consistently can be challenging for dog parents.
A wellness membership can help dog parents keep up with routine care and well-being.
We all know the importance of preventive care in human wellness. We regularly have checkups with primary care providers, schedule hair appointments, undergo dental cleanings, and have our nails manicured to keep ourselves healthy and looking well-kept.
Did you know that preventive care and maintenance is just as important for your pets? The truth is that not providing routine care for your pups is more than just long nails or dirt in their fur. It’s important to ensure your pup’s skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth get regular attention to avoid serious health consequences. Early detection can save your dog – and you – a lot in the way of discomfort and costly vet visits.
This guide will cover which areas are crucial when it comes to dog care, what can happen if issues are left unchecked, and how setting up recurring treatments with a professional team makes a difference.
5 routine dog care areas you should never ignore
Your dog’s health requires regular attention, and there are five core areas – skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth – that should be checked and cared for each month. Some are easy to maintain at home if you have the time and ability, but all are crucial to making sure your dog thrives throughout every life stage.
Here is everything you need to know about each of these five core areas, including how they impact your pup’s overall wellness.
Stay ahead of skin problems
Your dog’s skin is a primary indicator of its overall health, and related conditions are the second-leading reason for vet visits. Dogs can suffer from more than 160 different skin disorders, and a problem could be brewing if you notice your pup is scratching, chewing, or licking excessively, or has developed a persistent odor. Allergies and stress can be skin problem triggers, but can also be difficult to control.
One thing you can do to maintain your pup’s skin health is stick to a bathing schedule. Regular baths help minimize harmful bacteria on the skin, thereby reducing inflammation and the irritation that can cause itching.
Quick tip: Be sure to use a shampoo that is specifically formulated for dogs! Human shampoos may have perfumes, astringents, and other ingredients that could irritate your pup’s skin. Dog shampoos also often include soothing agents like oatmeal to help alleviate itching and discomfort.
Keep the coat clean, brushed, and trimmed
Despite what you might think, brushing your dog is about more than making his or her coat look smooth and shiny. It actually does a lot for your pup’s overall health, including:
Removing dirt and loose fur
Spreading natural oils throughout their coat
Protecting their skin by keeping irritants out
Preventing tangles in long-haired dogs
Offering a chance to check for fleas and ticks
Frequent brushing can also help prevent troublesome issues like matting. Mats are thick, heavy tangles that can cause the skin beneath them to pull away from the body. That pulling can lead to painful pinching, and the impacted skin may eventually suffocate if the mats aren’t properly removed.
Quick tip: Set aside one day a week as “brushing day,” especially during allergy seasons. This will ensure the irritants that might cause skin conditions are regularly removed from your dog’s coat, plus keep his or her fur smooth and tangle-free.
Watch for ear issues
The way a dog’s ear canals are formed prevents water from easily draining. This makes pups susceptible to painful ear infections – the top reason for veterinary visits. Routine checks are essential for wellness and easier to perform than you might think. Look for indicators of infection such as:
Redness
Swelling
Odor
Excessive ear scratching or head shaking
Preventive care and regular cleaning can help remove the irritants that can lead to such problems. This may reduce the prevalence of issues that require costly vet visits.
Quick tip: Cleaning your pup’s ears can be as simple as using a damp cloth to wipe dirt and grime from the flaps and top of the ear canal. Be careful about overcleaning, though! Dogs need some natural oils as protection against allergens and irritants, and you’ll want to avoid anything too astringent. It’s best to avoid inserting anything into your dog’s ears, too, as doing so could cause serious damage.
Check up on the nails
If you notice your dog’s nails are clicking on your flooring or snagging on your fabrics, it’s likely time for a trim. Nails that are too long can break, which can hurt, cause infection, or lead to skeletal damage, joint stress, and even arthritis.
Keep your dog’s nails at the optimum length by trimming them every two to four weeks, or when you notice they’re just about touch the ground. The process can be difficult because many dogs don’t like it or won’t stay still for you to complete it, though. It’s also important to know that cutting nails too short can cause them to bleed.
Quick tip: Nail trimming may be a job best left to a professional. These experts know how to keep your dog still and will ensure they don’t cut too short, which helps avoid unnecessary discomfort for everyone involved.
Dental hygiene is a must
Dogs are notorious for bad breath, but you should be aware that such odors can be caused by inflammation or infection. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
One such cause is periodontal disease, a painful gum infection that can result in tooth loss and may spread to the rest of the body.
Most dogs are at some stage of periodontal disease by age three, and advanced cases can lead to heart disease or other organ damage.
Another concern for a dog’s oral health is gingivitis.
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums mainly caused by an accumulation of plaque, tartar, and disease-producing bacteria above and below the gum line.
Both periodontal disease and gingivitis are reversible and can be controlled with regular teeth cleanings and teeth brushing. This means getting into a cleaning and maintenance schedule is crucial to restoring your pup’s dental health!
Quick tip: It may be best to leave teeth brushing to the professionals. There are doggie toothbrushes and toothpastes – in pup-friendly flavors like peanut butter – available, but the process can involve a lot of squirming and discomfort. An expert will have tricks to make it go as smoothly as possible.
Managing your pup’s health: the perks of wellness memberships
Many of a dog’s care needs should be handled monthly. That seems easy enough to remember, but many pup parents have trouble sticking to this schedule because:
They don’t know what to do or how to perform the necessary tasks.
The places they take their pups for bathing, brushing, and nail trimming may not perform wellness checks.
They worry about affordability.
They may not have the time.
Whatever the reason, there can be a lot of guilt involved in knowing you’re having trouble getting your dog the care he or she needs. A wellness membership can remove some of the guesswork, stress, and forgetfulness from the process of caring for your favorite furry friend.
A wellness membership is exactly what it sounds like: a convenient, affordable way to help dog parents keep up with routine care. These packages are provided by professionals trained to perform services, including:
Trimming hair and nails
Bathing and brushing your dog
Ear cleaning
Checking your dog’s skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth for symptoms of larger issues
And more
Every human who has been to a doctor’s office knows early treatment is the best way toward healing, and that holds true for dogs. Once a month is the sweet spot for keeping tabs on your pup’s health and identifying issues as they arise. A qualified routine pet care provider can identify the beginnings of issues while they’re still small and manageable, keeping your dog happy and healthy for years to come.
How our team keeps your pup healthy
You care about your dog’s health, and we’re here to help! At Scenthound, we believe in educating dog parents as well as providing accessible, affordable places to care for their dog’s basic care and wellness needs. We offer several packages tailored to your specific pup, plus give you a detailed assessment of his or her overall external health after every visit. This makes sure you know about any small problems that might become big ones if ignored.
We love dogs and want to help your furry friends live happy, healthy, long lives. Check out our Monthly Care Club and find a Scenthound location near you.