5 Great Tips To Give Your Dog A Longer And Healthier Life

Watch the Weight

One factor that’s constantly linked with long life in several different breeds, is a healthy body weight. This means that you as a dog owner have to make sure your pup isn’t overweight and pay careful attention to the dog’s calorie intake.

Having a fit dog with a healthy weight is not only better for your dog in the long term, but it can also help reduce the risks of other issues, like osteoarthritis.

Keep a close eye on your dogs’ body weight, either through regular weighing, or body condition scoring. BCS is a tool for comparing your dogs’ weight and physical level and placing it on a scale that shows if their weight is considered healthy.

Using both methods will allow you to quickly spot any deviation in your dogs’ weight, and adapt their diet accordingly.

Proper Nutrition Equals Healthy Ageing

You can find several guides on how much food to feed your dog, but be aware that you might have to change their diet or the amount of food you serve your dog, as they get older, or if their level of activity changes.

Generally speaking, proper nutrition is highly connected with a healthy aging process which really shows how important it is that you feed your dog high-quality food, and not just how much food you feed it,

What is considered high-quality food will obviously vary from dog to dog, but a general rule of thumb is that you should look for food that is safe, tasty, and contains all the nutrients a dog needs.

Teach Your Dog New Tricks

Aging isn’t only all about physical changes. It’s also highly beneficial that you keep your dog’s brain working. The old saying “you can’t learn an old dog new tricks” isn’t true and with a bit of patience, you can help keep your dog’s brain and body young and healthy.

Even as physical activities might be more limited with age, due to such issues as arthritis, you can find alternative activities that are not as hard on your dog. Consider trying different things such as scent work for your dog.

Dogs instinctively love to use their nose, which is something they really enjoy, so having them use their nose will help them physically and mentally.

Another great alternative is hydrotherapy which is a type of swimming. It’s especially beneficial for dogs with issues that might affect their ability for normal exercise.

Bonding

Like most other types of pets, dogs will also develop a strong bond with their main caregivers. The bond between dog and man runs deep, and that’s also why dog owners often see their dogs as a member of the family.

Having a stable bond between dog and caregiver can help maintain a happy and mutually beneficial partnership between you and your dog.

Spending a lot of time with your furry friend can also help you discover even the smallest changes in their behavior which might lead to more severe issues down the road.

When there’s compatibility between the dog and owner, it will lead to a better relationship, which also has a lot of benefits for the owner, such as exercise and stress relief. Sharing fun and positive experiences with your dog will help create an amazing bond between the both of you.

Numerous Walks

There are numerous psychological and physical benefits to exercise, both for you and your dog.

Physical activities can help control your dog’s weight, and it has also been associated with anti-aging effects on other animals that are genetically comparable to dogs.

And while exercise on its’ own won’t increase your dog’s lifespan, it might help protect both you and your dog against adding unnecessary weight.

Research also shows that positive dog walks will lead to happy humans and dogs.

Don’t Forget to Visit the Vet

There have been substantial improvements when it comes to modern veterinary medicine and the ability to prevent and deal with health issues in dogs.

Having a great relationship with your vet will allow you to really tailor any of your dogs’ required treatments, and give you someone to really discuss all of your needs.

Frequent checkups can also help identify any possible future problems at an early stage, such as osteoarthritis and dental problems, which can lead to a lot of pain for a dog.

So what it really boils down to, is that it’s a combination of the dogs’ genetics and their environment that affects how long they live.

And while we can’t really change their genetics, the above article shows just how many other things we can do to improve their health. And these things might help give your dog a longer and healthier life.