How to Keep Your Pitbull Healthy
Pitbulls, an unofficial term for several dog breeds, such as the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier and the bull terrier, is an attractive and muscular dog. Keep your pet healthy by feeding it appropriate portions of food, walking and playing with it outside and keeping your veterinarian appointments.
Things You'll Need
- Quality dog food
- Bathtub with shower attachment
- Mild shampoo and dog brush
- Dog nail clippers
- Walking or running shoes
Instructions
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Feed your pet a quality diet. Choose a dry dog food that has meat as its first ingredient and is age appropriate (as marked on the side of the bag). Feeding a pitbull bones, marrow and raw meat is also an option. Dogs are descended from wolves, which are carnivores in the wild, so a raw meat diet provides optimal nutrition for your pet. A proper diet with few treats and little to no table scraps (except for meat) helps a pitbull maintain a shiny coat and a suitable weight.
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Bathe your dog every month or two. Scrubbing its skin helps remove dead skin cells and keeps the coat shiny. Bathe your pet indoors -- a handheld shower attachment to your bathtub will come in very handy, but a regular tub bath will work well also. Avoid hosing your dog off outside. The water that comes from a regular garden hose is cold and it will make your dog uncomfortable.
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Brush your pitbull regularly to keep its skin clean by removing dust and dead skin cells. Regular brushing also minimizes shedding even though a pitbull has short to medium-length hair. Also, keep your dog's nails clipped. Regularly walking on city streets or cement walkways will help minimize this need.
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Walk your pitbull every day. This is especially important if you and your dog dwell in an apartment building or have a small yard. Pitbulls are strong, muscular animals that enjoy romping around and playing. Using up energy in a productive way improves your pet's sleep, keeps its joints healthy and lessens boredom and the bad habits that come along with that, such as chewing on furniture.
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Visit the veterinarian for regular checkups and vaccinations. Your vet will weigh your dog and give it a thorough physical exam. You will have the opportunity to bring up any nonurgent problems you have noticed, such as digestion issues or dry skin.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep dog treats to a minimum because they are often not nutritionally sound. If you use food as a training tool, use small bits of regular food.
Bathe your dog more often in the warm weather and less often in the cold weather.
Pitbulls are prone to hip displasia. To help prevent this, keep its weight in check while it is growing from a puppy to an adult, and make regular veterinarian appointments to have its hips checked.
References
- Photo Credit George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
