Daily hygiene

There are several very simple ways to check and maintain the integrity of various external organs.

The truffle
It should be moist and cool at all times of the day. However, it may dry up when the dog is sleeping; it should then get wet again when it wakes up.

There is no need for special care: any presence of scabs, cracks or significant or mucopurulent discharge is a sign of ailments that the veterinarian should inspect.

The oral cavity
The lips must be clean and relatively tight. Depending on the breed, they may or may not be drooping. You must then watch for the appearance of cracks or redness (especially in German Shepherds, with fragile skin).

The teeth should be white and have a minimum of tartar. Dogs are rarely cooperative in handling the mouth; it would be good to get the puppy used to it.

The gums should be pink: any red border on the edge of the teeth is pathological and reveals painful inflammation that can cause a drop in the dog's appetite, because the dog can no longer grab or chew on food.

Teeth cleaning is therefore necessary. It can be done in different ways. The most effective is the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste specially designed for the dog; brushing should be done several times a week. Then there are palatable tablets that release active ingredients when the dog chews: they are useful in dogs that cannot tolerate brushing. Finally, it is always possible to give the dog objects made of buffalo skin or cartilage: this natural "chewing gum" slows down the formation of tartar by its mechanical action on the teeth when the dog chews.

However, from a certain point, these methods will no longer be effective: only scaling and the establishment of an antibiotic treatment by the veterinarian will manage to curb the incipient infection and the inconvenience caused by a tartar abundant.

The eyes
The eye should be bright, moist, and the mucous membranes pink. No discharge should be visible at the inner corner of the eye.

It is quite possible to clean the dog's eyes with eye solution every day. To do this, you have to lift the dog's head, open the upper eyelid and drop a light stream into the eye. The excess which flows is recovered by a compress. Two precautions must be taken: in order not to frighten the dog, the bottle must be approached from the rear. You have to pay attention to the expiration date of the solution used as well as its shelf life: these solutions are easily contaminated and therefore lose their effectiveness.

Ears
There are two types of ear wearing in dogs: hanging or erect. Floppy ears should be inspected more often: in fact, the closing of the external auditory canal by the pinna does not allow good ventilation of the canal. The nature of the hair on the ear (long, curly, short ...) is also important.

The external auditory canal must therefore be clean, and there must be no presence of hairs.

Ear cleaning should be done regularly. For floppy ears, it can be done once or twice a week, and once every two weeks for straight ears. For this, it is necessary to use a solution adapted to the ears of the dog.The process is as follows: push the tip into the duct (there is no risk of perforation of the eardrum due to the L-shape of the duct), then instill a jet of the product, remove the tip, we massage the base of the ear for 30 seconds and we finally wipe the duct with a piece of cotton or a compress without pushing them in

Long-haired dogs often have hair in their ears. Earwax is therefore difficult to eliminate. It is then necessary to wax the ears.

The genitals and the anus
Regular monitoring of the male and female genitals makes it possible to check their cleanliness: any presence of discharge must be checked by a veterinarian.

The anus should be clean and free of any sign of diarrhea.

Claws
There are two types of claws in dogs: dewclaws and fingers. The growth is continuous and the normal activity of the dog must be able to ensure the abrasion of the claws of the fingers. If this is not the case (the claws then make noise when the dog walks), they should be cut with a nail cutter. However, it is necessary to preserve the integrity of the blood vessels at their base: the clear claws thus reveal a pink triangle by transparency. You can recognize these vessels by the marks they leave below the black claws. In both cases, you have to cut under the marks.

It is possible that the dog is bleeding: it is then necessary to apply hydrogen peroxide or a hemostatic pencil. A small bandage can protect the wound for an hour.

The technique is the same for the lugs. These are often covered with hairs: they should not be forgotten because, if they are embodied, they become painful and cause wounds.