Bad Habits That Impact Your Pup’s Health
There are some affiliate links below, but they are all products I highly recommend. For more info, view my disclosure here.
When you have a puppy, you want break any bad habits you have to keep your dog as happy and healthy as possible. An adorable new puppy is a great motivator to become more active, for example! Here is a list of bad habits that can affect their health.
Top 10 New Puppy Must-Haves
- Adjustable Dog Collar
- Boomerang Tags – Silent, Durable, and Will Not Fall Off
- Metal Dog Crate
- Superyard 3-in-1 Metal Gate
- Deluxe Pet Bed
- Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
- Pet Training Pads
- Kong Classic Dog Toy
- Trixie Pet Puzzle
- Squeaky Hide and Seek Plush Dog Toy
Bad Habit 1: Leaving Chocolate Candy Around Your Home
If you love to eat chocolate, then you might leave a stash of candy bars or chocolate mints around your home. Unfortunately, chocolate contains a substance that is poisonous for puppies, and if your pet eats any of the candy accidentally, then it can become very sick quickly.
To protect your pup, make sure all chocolate is put well out of reach. If they do accidentally eat chocolate, ensure they receive veterinary care immediately. You can also review Veterinary Clinic’s Chocolate Toxicity Calculator to see how different chocolates can impact your pet’s health.
Bad Habit 2: Using Harmful Household Chemicals For Cleaning
When you want to have a clean home, make sure to use natural substances such as baking soda or vinegar for sanitizing surfaces. Puppies are just like toddlers who put everything in the mouth, and this can lead to poisoning incidents.
Look for mild soaps and natural household cleansers at local or online stores, and also, make sure to keep the containers of cleaning liquids in locations where a puppy cannot reach the items.
Bad Habit 3: Overfeeding Your Puppy
When you feed your puppy too much food each day, the animal will gain weight. Obese pets can have the same health issues that people do, including cardiovascular disease or joint problems. If you aren’t sure about how much to feed your puppy each day, then talk to your pet’s veterinarian.
In addition, avoid giving your puppy treats from your plate. Many human foods aren’t ideal for dogs, and can even make them sick. In fact, it’s recommended that you have some sort of wellness plan for your pup, including some ideas of healthy foods to feed them and activities that you know they can be safe doing. For a great homemade dog food recipe, click here!
Bad Habit 4: Exposure To Secondhand Smoke
Nicotine addiction can be a hard habit to quit, but it’s important that you do so for yourself and for your puppy.
Smoking around your new puppy can cause health problems for them. Secondhand smoke contains a lot of poisonous chemicals that your puppy will breathe.
In addition, the smoke from cigarettes will settle into a home’s surfaces, leading to additional contamination.
Bad Habit 5: Failing To Exercise
If you have been avoiding exercise, then having a puppy is an excellent excuse to get back into shape. When a puppy doesn’t get enough exercise, they can gain weight and become lethargic, so they have to get some running in every day.
Begin to have playtime and walking times with your puppy so that the pet will have the habit of wanting to remain active. Check out these fun backyard activities to play with your dog!
How To Understand Your Puppy’s Needs
There are plenty of online resources to get an idea of what your pup needs to do. There are also plenty of advice on what products you might want to use, avoid, and activities and behaviors you should avoid and discourage! So go on, and seek the best for your puppy!