Our pet dogs bring us unparalleled happiness and joy. They are our adorable and fluffy companions that can effortlessly boost our mood despite all the stresses we deal with on a daily basis. Thus, for us dog owners, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of our fluffy furball. We always want to give them the best so that they make the most out of their lives while they are with us.

To help dog owners better take care of their beloved pets, Malayan Insurance conducted the FURfect Love Protection Webinar where Dr. Obet Robles shared insights on how we can tend properly to our fur babies from a veterinarian’s perspective.

Here are five takeaways on looking out for our precious dog’s overall protection.

1. Understand the basic needs of our dog It is our responsibility as dog owners to understand the basic needs of our pets. These include water and food, shelter, and a good amount of socialization. When it comes to food, dogs should have a complete and balanced meal which can be found through commercial dog food. This is designed to provide all the nutritional needs of our pets. Aside from that, we should also be wary of table scraps that are harmful to them such as chocolates, cooked chicken bones, onion and garlic, grapes, raisins, and avocado. Dr. Robles also mentioned that dogs should be active for at least 30 minutes to two hours every day to ensure that they have enough exercise and to keep them mentally stimulated.

2. Trust the Vet No one will understand us better than veterinarians when it comes to taking care of our pets. They have the knowledge and expertise on how we can keep our dogs out of danger which is why it is necessary to trust your vet. This means seeking veterinary care to vaccinate them against diseases and have our pets checked when they show symptoms of an illness. Veterinarians can properly diagnose animal health problems which in turn can treat our pet’s suffering.

3. Be wary of common accidents in dogs Owning a pet was never risk-free, thus, it is important to watch out for the common accidents that could happen to our dogs. These include car accidents, dog fights, and toxicity from food. These can cause serious injuries to our pets which is why when we meet any of these, make sure to bring them to the nearest veterinarian so they can be treated immediately. Aside from that, we can also get our dogs insurance protection which can help us manage these uncertainties. Malayan’s Pet Care Insurance is a 3-in-1 insurance plan for pets and pet owners. It provides coverages such as medical reimbursement for any veterinary treatment, liability coverage, and personal accident (PA) insurance for dog owners. Medical reimbursement covers up to P300,000 of medical expenses incurred to treat or diagnose the insured dog in case it gets into an accident or acquires sudden illness. The owner’s liability benefit covers damages and costs incurred for any liabilities to third-parties due to the actions of the insured pet such as accidentally attacking other people. The PA covers the insured dog owner in the event of accidental death, disablement, and dismemberment while the policy is in force. Dogs qualified under Pet Care have to be between six months to eight years old and currently vaccinated as prescribed by the Philippine Animal Hospital Association (PAHA). The introduction of an insurance product for pets in the country, specifically for dogs, is part of Malayan Insurance’s plan to produce more innovative products that the company can offer to the general public. It is the company’s way of continuing to push efforts in providing relevant insurance protection to Filipinos in every possible way.

4. Checking our pets Dr. Obet advised to ask these three questions to assess the overall health of our dogs: Is my dog eating well? Is it receiving the proper nutrients it needs? Is my dog playing and energetic? Likewise, there are indicators we can keep in mind which are appetite, body conditioning scoring (BCS), and energy. For BCS, the ideal appearance of dogs is if their ribs and spine can be easily felt but not necessarily seen. The waist can be seen when viewed from above and the abdomen is not sagging when viewed from the side. Also, it should look normal, ideal, and even muscular.

5. Watch out for common disease symptoms Some common symptoms of diseases in dogs are lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and respiratory distress. If these signs are observed from our pets, it will be better to have them checked as it might be from a fatal disease. It can be viral, bacterial, or parasitic diseases if not from the lack of the right nutrition. Some common viral diseases in dogs are canine parvovirus, distemper virus, and Coronavirus. Meanwhile, for bacterial diseases, pet owners should watch out for the likes of Leptospirosis, blood parasite, Bordetella, Salmonella, or E. Coli bacteria. There are also parasitic infections such as intestinal worms, heartworm, mites, ticks, and fleas. For nutritional cases, there are diseases that our dogs may get which are urinary problems, bladder stones, diabetes, obesity, and malnutrition.