When the grass begins to green up and the final chill of winter seems to be dissipating from the air, it is a time of year when you and your dog likely feel much more happy and excited about life. After all, your dog will get to spend a lot more time romping around outside and enjoying all of the new scents in the air and you will get to enjoy the sunshine and warmth as you take them for walks and play with them in the yard. However, along with all of this fun, spring is also a season in which taking certain steps to care for your dog is quite important. Get to know some of the spring pet care that you should be scheduling for your dog so the two of you can enjoy the season knowing your dog is as healthy as possible.

Take Them to the Vet for a Heartworm Test

During the winter, many of the outdoor threats to your dog are dead or dormant so you do not have to worry about them. However, in the spring, those threats start to become active again. As such, one of the first steps you will want to take in caring for your dog in the spring is to take them to the vet for a heartworm test.

Heartworms are a nasty and potentially deadly parasite that dogs can contract from mosquito bites. These roundworms get inside of your dog's body through the bites and move around through the bloodstream, eventually reaching the heart and reproducing.

An annual heartworm test in the spring will tell you if your dog may have contracted heartworms in the previous year (the worms take several months to mature in the body). If they do have heartworms, you can start treatment immediately. But if not, you can start on monthly heartworm prevention medications that will keep your dog from getting heartworms this spring and summer.

Take Them In For Pet Grooming Services

In addition to being a season where mosquitoes and other health threats begin anew for your dog, it is also shedding season. During the fall and winter, most breeds of dog grow extra fur in their coat. This fur is designed to keep them warmer in the winter and provide their body with additional protection from the elements.

Naturally, when the weather begins to warm, dogs tend to "blow" that winter coat and shed profusely. To keep your dog comfortable and to prevent every surface in your home from being coated in dog hair, you will want to schedule your dog with several pet grooming sessions during the spring. Taking them for grooming will help to wash away loose fur as well as more quickly loosen up the coat that is being shed so that it comes out in the bathing and brushing process rather than on your furniture.

These grooming sessions will help your dog feel more comfortable during the spring and will keep their coat looking nice as well. If your dog has a longer coat, getting them a trim in the spring will also help prevent overheating as the weather continues to warm.

Keeping these tips in mind, you will better be able to provide your dog with the best possible care this spring season. For more information, talk to a professional like Loving Care Animal Hospital.