(Family Features) Pets provide unconditional love to their companions; in return, it’s important to ensure they live happy and healthy lives by providing the best care possible. This means ensuring that they receive daily care for their eyes, ears, and overall health, in addition to food, treats, and toys.
With a desire to bring a dog into his family’s lives, Albert, a Bausch + Lomb employee, rescued a terrier mix named Watson. However, it soon became apparent Watson needed some extra love and care to help protect his eyes and ears from irritation and excess buildup. When finding a remedy proved difficult, Albert worked with veterinarians to develop Project Watson Health Care for Dogs, a comprehensive line of quality products targeting these areas.
Consider these tips to help ensure your furry family member has the best head-to-tail health possible.
Schedule Regular Vet Visits
Routine wellness checks are an essential part of your pet’s care. Annual screenings, even if your dog seems healthy, allow your veterinarian to provide vaccines to combat disease and uncover any health issues that may have gone undiagnosed until symptoms advanced.
Watch Your Pet’s Diet
Feeding your pet a proper diet based on his or her breed, age, size, and lifestyle plays a big role in overall health. A balanced diet that includes high-quality food can lead to a shiny coat, healthy skin, and bright eyes and may also help strengthen your pet’s immune system, maintain intestinal health, increase mental acuity, regulate weight, keep muscles and joints healthy, and more.
Support Clean Ears and Eyes
Often overlooked, the eyes and ears are vital to your pet’s overall health and wellness. To help keep these areas free of any buildup of bacteria that may irritate, consider an option like the line of Project Watson Health Care Products for Dogs, which includes an eye wash, eyelid wipes, ear wash, ear wipes, and supplements made using high-quality and naturally inspired ingredients.
Excessive blinking or pawing at the eyes can be signs of buildup, irritation, or infection. Dirt and debris trapped around the eyes can also clump in fur, leading to skin irritation and infections. In addition, excessive tear production can lead to fur staining, developing an unpleasant odor. Eye wipes can be used daily to relieve staining and remove excess buildup. Washing your dog’s ears may help reduce dirt, debris, and wax buildup, help prevent itching, and reduce the chance of infection while keeping ears smelling fresh.
Create an Exercise Routine
Walks, games in the backyard, and social time with other pets can help keep your furry friend in good physical condition. While different breeds and species often have different needs, adequate activity can provide benefits beyond the physical, including reducing boredom, which can potentially lead to anxiety or destructive behaviors.
Prevent Pests
In addition to regular vaccinations, ensure your pet is up to date on parasite prevention. This includes fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm, and more, which can cause reactions ranging from mild to severe (or even fatal in some cases of heartworm or Lyme disease). Look for pests and skin abnormalities when grooming your pet, and contact your vet if your pet excessively scratches, chews, or licks his or her fur or ears or persistently shakes his or her head.
