Tips for pet keeping

By dnp-team On Jul 14, 2005

Dr. Aradhana Pandey is a regular blogger for dogs and pups magazine, she gives tips for the well-being of your four-legged new member of the family. To keep a pet is to commit oneself to his care. You should be aware of certain tips required for the well being of the new life you have added to your family.
Pets Feeding Tips – Like a small child, a pup needs to be fed at short intervals. An interval of 4-5 hours is good enough to begin with that is to be increased as the pup grows. The suggested pets feeding time as per the age is as below: The frequency of feeding, however, may slightly vary as per the breed type. A pup’s diet should be rich in protein and fats, apart from having sufficient energy, hence adequate provision should be made to fulfill the need of your pets nutrients. Most of the pups cannot digest milk, hence it can be avoided in case of problem. Instead, curd can be included.

Best Supplements for Your Pets – To cope up with the growth requirement, the pet needs diet rich in minerals (especially Calcium and Phosphorous), vitamins and fatty acids. If diet is low in these elements, additional supplementation is recommended to fulfill the need.

Smart Way to Groom your pets – A pup should be kept neat and clean. After consulting your vet, pups can be bathed at a gap of every 1 month. To keep pup clean and free from infection, regular brushing or combing is a must. Once in a while, flea comb should be used to check flea infestation. Antiseptic/antimicrobial dusting powders can be used to check skin affection/allergy. Trimming of hair from the front of eyes will prevent eye problems. The grown up puppy (especially short hair) should be massaged to improve the skin health.

Puppy Bedding– Provide him with a space of his own, baskets/beds of various sizes are available. Right from the very first day he must identify where he is supposed to sleep. To make him acquainted with his bedding, put his toys and chewing objects on his bed.

Puppies Dental care – Dental cleaning should be started from an early age so that the pup gets used to it. Various options in form of paste, spray and gel are available. If not routinely cleaned, the teeth may develop problems in later stage of life.

Ear cleaning– Dogs’ ears develop a lot of wax that needs to be regularly cleaned otherwise it serves as a good medium for infectious agents. Pups should be made accustomed to ear cleaning otherwise he may not co-operate when grown up. Various cleansing agents are available in the market and can be used on the advice of the veterinarian.

Pets Vaccination– The pup should be duly vaccinated for all the important diseases which could otherwise be life threatening. The vaccination schedule can be procured from the vet and should be strictly followed. The major diseases from which the dog is to be protected are– Parvo virus, Canine distemper, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Canine Influenza, Infectious canine hepatitis and Corona virus infection. The vaccination schedule is to be annually repeated after the initial shots. The vaccines are very safe if given in a stress-free and healthy animal.

Security – Pups should be kept in a secured place wherein the chances of theft, accidents and poisoning are nil. Young pups have a habit of scavenging everything. Also they love to run away from home to explore the outside world. These conditions can turn to be very serious for the pup. Also there remains a possibility of road accident, as pups may not have road sense. At the same time, pup should not be kept locked in a room or crowded messy place. A over restrained pup will not grow as a healthy and disciplined dog.

Puppy Exercise Time– A pup should start with a gentle exercise in the courtyard of the house. This may finally take the shape of a rigorous exercise when he approaches adulthood. The transition phase should be simultaneous so that undue pressure on the joints and muscles is prevented. An exercise in the soil surface is always better than the exercise on a hard surface.

Prevention from ectoparasites– Pups may catch ectoparasites (ticks, lice and fleas) from their environment. Hence, it should be ensured that the place where pup is kept or taken should be free from ectoparasitic infestation.

Exposure to Infectious Diseases– Certain serious infectious diseases may be transmitted to the pet in the company of infected dogs. Hence until complete vaccination is over, pups should not be kept in the company of other dogs. Hopefully, these tips would help you to take care of your loving canine. (Dr. Aradhana Pandey runs Doggy World – the pet’s paradise catering to all doggy needs under one roof. A veterinarian with MBA in marketing, she believes in service to the customer at an affordable cost, without compromising on quality. She can be contacted at Tel: 9811299059, 011-27942285, 011-55817851 or e-mail: aradhana14@yahoo.com)