We all want our dogs to live a long and healthy life, but are we doing enough to help them achieve this? Here are 5 tips you can adhere to help your dog attain longevity.
- Put him on a diet
An overweight or obese dog is much more likely to develop health problems, so keeping your dog trim and fit is one of the best ways to increase his or her lifespan. Your vet can assess your dog’s body condition and let you know how many calories he or she needs. Together with your vet, you can figure out a feeding plan that should include high quality pet food such as The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Raw food and the type of treats your pooch needs.
- Provide necessary treatment or supplements
If your dog has bad joints or a sensitive tummy, speak to your vet about the type of treatment or supplements he or she should take to alleviate these issues. Supplements such as Pediatric Health Tabs and Immune Maintenance from All Pets Purrfection helps to boost your pets’ immune system, thus preventing any opportunity for infection whereas JointPlex, which is made of human-grade, natural ingredients provides nutritional support and helps in repairing minor injuries on joint surface/ tendons/ ligaments and bones.
- Rethink his exercise plan
While there’s no set guidelines for how much exercise is ideal for dogs, it’s medically proven that strong dogs stay young. Figure out what type of exercise appeals to your pup – if he likes to chase or fetch, or if he’s more into swimming or hiking. Also keep in mind your dog’s age and agility level before embarking on any exercise plan. Vets caution against trying to do too much at once. Even getting your pooch to walk around your house hunting for bits of food or toys is good enough exercise for a typically lazy dog. You can also get your pet to do some activity such as playing a game of fetch with toys such as KONG.
- Go for regular check-ups
Even if your dog appears to be in good form, don’t forget to take him for regular vet visits. He still needs to have a full body check-up done annually to make sure he’s really in tiptop shape; and your vet can also make sure he’s up to date on all medications and preventive treatments.
- Enrich his life
Stimulate your dog’s mental capacities to keep his mind active. Taking him on walks encourages him to assess his surroundings; providing him with IQ toys also helps to keep his mind alert. Encourage socialising with other dogs and humans to provide your pooch with a higher quality of life.
Image Credit: Celine, Dog, CC (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/)