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Dog Parasites, Vaccinations & Grooming
To be healthy, your puppy needs to follow a vaccination and worming programme provided by your vet. Your puppy also needs to be fed quality foods. These are the essentials, but there are more things to do to ensure your dog remains healthy and parasite free.
Keep your puppy free of external parasites by applying a topical solution such as Frontline, Pulvex or Advantix directly to the skin, as instructed, or by using a collar such as Scalibor. Visit dog flea, tick & worm treatment for more information.
Keep his bedding clean and free of parasites, such as mites, by washing it frequently and brushing off dead hair regularly. This is in addition to cleaning his teeth, eyes and ears regularly and clipping his nails as required.
Brush his coat regularly and stay alert for signs of problems. Your vet will give you further advice regarding products to eliminate external parasites if required, and will teach you how to clip your puppy's nails, clean his eyes, ears, and teeth. Proper grooming is an important part of caring for a dog and is also the perfect time to check for external parasites (with respect to worms, observe your dogs faeces occasionally to ensure it both looks healthy and is worm free).
You can also ask, where relevant, the breeder from whom you purchased your puppy or a dog groomer, to advise on the most adequate brushing and combing tools. For example, a spiked rubber brush may be suitable for a short-coated dog, but not for a long-coated one. These grooming tools can be purchased from pet supply stores.
Using the right tools for brushing is important; unless dead hair is removed promptly your puppy may develop a skin problem, and odours will develop and soon be spread around the house. Dead hair sticks to the skin if your dog isn't brushed often enough. Some dogs need weekly brushing and others more frequent brushing. Brush your dog as often as he needs. The breeder or a groomer can advise on the frequency.
Some groomers advise owners to bath their dog four times a year, at most, because frequent bathing destroys the skin's natural oils, which may lead to infections and cause foul smells. Others advise owners to bath their dog once a month or every two weeks, as long as they use the right shampoo and conditioner. Ask your groomer what he thinks is best for your dog. He may also recommend a mild dog perfume or oil.
Dogs shed hair naturally and this is likely to stick not only to their skin but also to carpets, rugs and sofas. Left to accumulate, your house will reek of old hair and become a haven for external parasites such as fleas.
If you vacuum-clean often and brush sofas and dog beds thoroughly to remove dead hair your home should remain fresh. It is also recognized that the use of a vacuum cleaner is a good defense against one of our least favourite predators, the flea.
