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You’ll do anything to keep your puppy healthy and happy—IAMS™ is just the first step. Here’s some extra advice to help your puppy stay extra healthy.
Step 1: Begin with a play session and praise to relax your puppy. Then get on the same physical level as your puppy. With a large dog, kneel next to him while he's in the sitting position; with a small puppy, place him on a grooming table or a countertop.
Step 2: Place one hand over the top of the puppy's muzzle as shown. Hold the pill in your free hand and then gently open his mouth with that hand.
Step 3: Place the pill in the center of the tongue as far back as you're able to reach. Then close your puppy's mouth and hold it shut while you blow gently but quickly at his nose. This will cause your dog to swallow before he has a chance to spit the pill out. Give him a treat immediately afterward to ensure that the pill has really been swallowed. End each session with play and praise.
Just like you, your new puppy needs high-quality health care. Before you run into any dog health issues, ask a friend or your local humane society to recommend a veterinarian, then choose one with these factors in mind:
Once you've narrowed your choices, visit the veterinarian's office. Inspect the facility and talk to the doctor about your new puppy. If you like what you see and hear, arrange a time to bring your puppy in for an initial examination. It's a good idea to visit the veterinarian within the first three days after you bring your puppy home to make sure he's in good health. The veterinarian will probably check:
Nutrients are divided into subcategories: protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, and water. Regular brushing and professional cleaning can keep your dog’s teeth healthy and gleaming. Giving your pet appropriate toys to chew prevents fractures.
Common dog food protein sources include meat, poultry, fish, and some plant ingredients, such as corn gluten and soybean meal.
Protein is best known for supplying amino acids to build hair, skin, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It also plays a main role in hormone production.
Dogs, best fed as carnivores, require essential amino acids that are not all found in the proper balance in single plant protein sources such as soybean meal.
Common carbohydrate sources are plants and grains. Carbohydrates, also categorized as starches (sugars) and fibers, provide energy and bulk, respectively.
Starches are made up of various types of sugar, such as glucose or fructose. Through digestion, dogs can easily convert sugar into usable energy.
Fiber may or may not be fermented or broken down into short-chain fatty acids by bacteria in a dog’s intestines. Highly fermentable fiber sources, such as vegetable gums, provide high amounts of short-chain fatty acids. Moderately fermentable fibers, such as beet pulp, provide short-chain fatty acids and bulk for moving waste. Slightly fermentable fibers, such as cellulose, provide mainly bulk for moving waste through the digestive tract and only a few short-chain fatty acids.
Water is the single most important nutrient for the body. Without it, the body cannot transport nutrients, digest nutrients for energy, regulate temperature, or eliminate water.
Fats are found in meats, poultry, fish, and plant oils. Fat, for all its bad press, fulfills many vital body functions. Animal cell membranes are made of fat. Fat also helps maintain body temperature, control inflammation, and more. Fat is the primary form of stored energy in the body, providing twice as much energy as carbohydrates or proteins.
Fats also have been shown to be important in blood clotting and managing inflammation.
Vitamins are responsible for aiding functions such as bone growth, blood clotting, energy production, and oxidant protection. Vitamins A, D, E, and K require fat for absorption into the body, while vitamins such as the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C need water to be absorbed into the body.
Minerals provide skeletal support and aid in nerve transmission and muscle contractions.
