Where has the time gone? Your pup now looks more like a fully-fledged adult. You’ve experienced many of the adventures (and risen to the challenges) the younger months have brought. Your phone memory is full to the brim with pics of them being goofy, sleeping, walking, doing tricks…just being them. We’re not wrong, are we?

Read on to check out our top tips on how to support your dog now they’re a young adult!

At what age does a dog become a young adult?

If you have a small-medium pooch, you can expect their young adulthood to span from 18 months to 3 years of age. For large-extra large dogs, young adulthood is from 2-3 years of age, after which they’re officially in their adult years! 

How can I keep my dog in great shape throughout their young adult months?

Keep up the flea & worm treatment

Fleas can hop onto your pet from any of their favourite places – the garden, the park, the pub… nowhere is safe! These pests are opportunists who will do anything they can to hitchhike a ride on your pet. 

Did you know 5 fleas on an untreated pooch can lead to more than 1 million eggs infesting your home in only 4 weeks. Yikes! 

Protect your pet against fleas, ticks and biting lice by receiving a monthly treatment of Itch Flea through your letterbox. Itch Flea will eradicate any pesky fleas on your pet within just 24 hours and kill ticks within 48 hours.

Let’s not forget about worms either. These wrigglers will ‘worm’ their way in when your pet accidentally eats worm eggs or larvae. The really gross part? It’s usually because another animal which had worms living in their gut, has already pooped them out! Got a furry friend who can’t walk past a poo without angling for a nibble? Or maybe scavenging is their guilty pleasure? If they’re not protected against worms already, get started now! 

The worrying thing about worms is at the early stages of infestation, your pet might not be showing any outward symptoms. By the time you start to pick up on the signs your pooch isn’t very well, the infestation in their guts can be quite advanced. Be sure to add Itch Wormer to your furry friend’s delivery to protect against roundworms and tapeworms, as well as their larvae.

Make sure your pet’s weight is kept up to date on their Itch account – we’ll use this to make sure they’re receiving the correct dose of their flea and worm treatments!

Young adult dietary requirements

At this age, your dog should start making the transition from puppy to adult food. This will make sure they’re getting the correct balance of vitamins and minerals to suit their bigger, (almost) adult body! 

Why not treat your pooch to one of the delicious recipes in our Clean Bowls range?  Our responsibly sourced ingredients have been hand-picked by expert pet nutritionists, so you can feel confident they’re getting all the goodness they need.

Worried about them being fussy? Worry not! After giving your furry friend a taste test, we’re pawsitive it’ll be clean bowls all-round. So confident in fact, we’ll refund you if your pup turns their nose up at it!* 

Always refer to the feeding guide which comes with your dog’s food to prevent accidentally over or under feeding them. If you’re considering switching up your dog’s diet from one type of food to another, check out our guide on how to switch your pet’s food to do this with minimal risk of upset bellies.

Keep those adult teeth healthy

You’ve survived the teething phase (hopefully most of your furniture has, too), and your dog now has all of their adult teeth. Like with us humans, prevention is better than cure when it comes to all-things dental. Adopting a great oral hygiene routine for your pooch now could save you big bucks at the vets in the future. 

If you haven’t introduced toothbrushing yet, now is a great time to start. It’s easier than you might think. You can start by applying some dog-friendly toothpaste to your finger and letting them lick it off, working up to applying it to their teeth directly. Itch Dental Toothpaste is our very own bacteria-busting, enzymatic toothpaste, formulated to break down dental plaque and tartar, protect gums and bust the oral bacteria that causes bad breath. It even comes with a handy dental finger brush to help get into those nooks and crannies. 

Build positive associations with toothbrushing by finishing off with a tasty Itch Dental Treat. These contain peppermint to eliminate extra doggy dog breath and activated charcoal for pearly whites, as well as added vitamins and minerals to support your dog’s overall health. Make your dog’s day and add to your monthly delivery!

We’re here to help

If you follow all of these tips, you can feel confident you’re giving your pooch the best possible support throughout their young adult months, helping them to stay as happy and healthy as possible.

And don’t forget, we’re here to help you along the way. Our personalised pet wellness plans are packed full of vet-approved products, tailored to your pet’s unique needs. Get everything you need delivered to your door, exactly when you need it. That’s one less thing to remember!

If you have any questions at all, the pet wellness pro’s in our customer service team are here to help. Feel free to drop our team a message  or call them on 020 3370 0905 Mon to Fri 8am-4pm. 

Let’s beat the blighters together!

*After 28 days, you’ll have a week to get your money back. T&Cs apply.