The crisp, beautiful leaves flutter in the breeze against a clear blue sky, and your puppy has enjoyed frolicking in the pile of fallen leaves in your yard. However, you notice him scratching more than usual after a few hours. Or perhaps you noticed your puppy looking a bit lethargic, panting more during the hot summer months. You’re concerned because these behaviors are out of the ordinary. What might be going on? You feed your puppy a healthy diet and ensure he gets plenty of exercise, so you are right to be concerned. You turn to investigating common seasonal health issues in puppies to see how to help your puppy be comfortable.
We all want to keep our puppy healthy all year long. Seasonal changes can bring extreme weather and certain sets of problems for our puppies depending on the temperature and conditions based on the time of year. Learn about seasonal wellness tips for puppies to keep them healthy year-round.
Year-Round Puppy Wellness
As a responsible puppy parent, you are taking proactive measures to keep your puppy healthy year-round. There are several steps you can take for puppy wellness regardless of the season. To help you stay on track, consult our puppy wellness checklist to see if you are addressing the following:
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Puppy-proofing your home and yard
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Establishing a relationship with a licensed veterinarian
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Taking your puppy for well visits to the vet
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Staying up-to-date on recommended and core puppy vaccines
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Maintaining proper grooming of coat, nails, ears, eyes, and dental hygiene
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Administering flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives
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Feeding your puppy nutritious food for their height, weight, and age
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Socializing and training your puppy
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Being financially prepared for regular and emergency care
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Staying informed about common illnesses in puppies
Spring Puppy Wellness Tips
Winter days are in the past, and the crocuses and daffodils are starting to poke their colorful heads out of the ground. Spring represents a time of growth and renewal which can be applied to your relationship with your puppy. Prepare your puppy for spring with these tips.
Get clean and organized
Reset your puppy’s environment after a long winter of being indoors and after holiday decorations are put up. It’s time for some pet spring cleaning to start the new year fresh! Throw out old or broken toys, making room for the new ones your puppy received as presents. Wash and sanitize all bedding, blankets, toys, and feeding areas. Mop or vacuum floors and upholstery thoroughly to remove, hair, dust mites, crusty bits of treats, and other gunk that gets all over the place when you have an indoor pet. Open the windows to get fresh air circulating. Don’t forget to make sure cleaning supplies and lawn and garden chemicals are placed out of reach.
Blowing coats
Puppies that shed will go through a process in the spring and fall called “blowing their coats.” This means new hair grows in, pushing out the dead hairs all over your home. Consider special brushes, combs, and bath products to help remove old hair to make room for new growth. It may be time to upgrade your vacuum or lint roller supply! Neglecting a puppy’s coat could cause pain and discomfort to their skin, so don’t ignore grooming during this time.
Organize pet-related items for easy access
Our puppies accumulate lots of material and paper clutter throughout the year. Work on pet organization in the new year to get everything puppy-related in order. Consider rotating out your puppy’s toys, leaving the current selection in a tidy basket. It’s a great time to gather all puppy-related documents, recycling old papers, expired coupons, and more while organizing vet reports and other puppy paperwork. When your paperwork is in order and stored in a central location, you’ll have an easier time finding what you need to update your puppy’s vet needs or accessing crucial information in an emergency.
Spring allergies in puppies
Unfortunately, some puppies may be allergic to the beautiful growth starting to bloom. Watch out for signs and symptoms of puppy allergies, such as excessive scratching, discharge from the eyes, a sniffly nose, or redness and irritation. Discuss treatment options with your vet instead of letting your puppy suffer.
Summer Wellness Tips For Puppies
Summertime is a prime season for outdoor fun with your puppy! However, it also presents its own set of problems with scorching hot temperatures, an uptick in parasites, water safety, and more. Familiarize yourself with wellness and summer safety tips for puppies to stay cool and have fun.
Keeping your puppy cool in the summer is paramount to avoid potentially fatal health complications. Puppies should maintain a regular body temperature at all times, so it’s up to you to help them stay well by taking the following precautions to beat the heat:
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Never leave your puppy in a vehicle, even with the windows cracked. Temperatures in vehicles can soar quicker than you think, leaving your puppy trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation.
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Know how to identify signs of heat-related illnesses in puppies, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke in dogs, dehydration in puppies, and symptoms of fleas, ticks, or worms.
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Following water safety tips for puppies will prevent drowning and awful parasitic infections.
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Consider summer-appropriate haircuts at the groomer. However, never shave a double-coated dog because their under and outer coats serve as a temperature-regulating system.
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Protect your puppy’s paws from painful burns and blisters by having them wear booties, keeping them off the pavement, and taking walks in the early morning or evening hours.
Fall Wellness Tips For Dogs
It’s finally pup-kin spice season and time for adorable Halloween costumes! Fall can be a lovely time to go on adventures with your puppy now that the temperature has cooled down. Being prepared for fall can help you and your puppy make memories while staying healthy.
Staying safe during tailgating
Cheering on your favorite team with your puppy by your side sounds like a perfect afternoon! Tailgating with your puppy has its perks but also its dangers, so being prepared keeps your puppy well. Designate a puppy minder to make sure your puppy stays away from hot grills, unsafe food for dogs, rowdy people, and more. Don’t leave your puppy in the car during the game.
Hiking with your puppy
Fresh air, crisp leaves, and beautiful vistas beckon to puppy owners, inspiring the desire to take your puppy hiking. Being prepared goes a long way! Ensuring your puppy is healthy enough to hike the distance you want is important to not overexert them. Sticking to the designated path on a leash prevents encounters with wild animals, their feces, and contaminated water. Fall is tick season, so knowing how to deal with finding a tick on your puppy can help prevent Lyme disease in your puppy when you address it right away.
Fragrance safety for puppies
Scents like apple pie, cinnamon, and vanilla smell amazing, creating a cozy and warm feeling as the temperatures drop, but are they safe for your puppy? Practicing fragrance safety for puppies around candles, wax warmers, essential oils, potpourri, and more prevents your puppy from experiencing respiratory issues, burns, and other neurological issues caused by toxic scents. Keep open flames and scented items out of reach so they do not ingest potentially harmful substances.
Trick or treat
Halloween brings trick-or-treaters, delicious candy, and elaborate decorations. Don’t let this hallowed season be spooky for your puppy! Follow Halloween safety tips for puppies to keep them healthy while having fun. Answering the door so frequently is the perfect opportunity for your puppy to bolt past you and run to the neighbor’s house, so either put them in their crate or keep them on a leash. You can also microchip them and have a collar with identification in case they do run off. If you make or purchase a Halloween costume for puppies, make sure there are no detachable or loose pieces they could swallow. Keep all candy far away from curious puppies, especially those containing chocolate and xylitol which are toxic to dogs.
Bundling Up With Winter Wellness Tips For Puppies
Winter brings pristine, snowy landscapes, twinkling icicles, outdoor fun frolicking in snow drifts, and plenty of holiday parties. However, it can also bring illnesses, chemical burns, scrapes, and other safety hazards that would prevent your puppy from being well. Read more about our tips for winter wellness for puppies for a more comprehensive view in colder months.
Keep all types of puppies well in winter
Regardless of whether you have a cold-weather dog breed or a short-haired pooch, all dogs need care in the winter to stay well. Short-haired dogs may have difficulty keeping themselves warm due to a lack of insulation, so make sure you have proper winter gear for dogs to give them cute yet functional winter wear like coats, sweaters, hats, and booties.
Winter illnesses in puppies
Be on the lookout for symptoms of various winter illnesses in pets. If you’re traveling for the holidays or sending your puppy to doggy daycare, dogs can spread illnesses such as canine influenza, bordetella (kennel cough), ringworm, mange, and more. Check with the facility to see if they’ve had recent outbreaks, and exercise caution when in doubt.
Holiday safety for puppies
People of all faiths and cultures celebrate various holidays in the winter, which include amazing spreads of food, delicious holiday treats, and festive decorations. Supervise your puppy to ensure he stays away from rich, fatty table food, toxic food for dogs like chocolate and xylitol found in many desserts and candies, and decorations that could choke him or cause internal issues. Instead, provide dog-friendly holiday treats made with foods safe for dogs to eat and keep your decorations out of reach. Following winter and holiday safety tips for puppies will allow you to focus on creating memories rather than spending the holidays at the emergency vet!
Any Season is a Great Time to Adopt a Pawrade Puppy
We take seasonal pet wellness seriously at Pawrade. We offer healthy puppies year-round from our trusted breeder partners. All Pawrade puppies come with a 3-year health guarantee, a veterinary health report, 30 days of free MetLife insurance, and more to give new pawrents like you peace of mind. Check out our puppies for sale for your new best friend!
