When you have a dog, you know you have a friend for life. It helps if that friend that you are in love with and respect is healthy and happy when they are living with you. Keeping your dog healthy may sound difficult on the surface with many different areas to consider, but on the surface it’s not much different to keeping yourself healthy. Think about it, you make sure that you are eating nutritious food to keep your body moving, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your dog? You make sure that you are well hydrated so that you can keep your body moving, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your dog?
You make sure that you exercise regularly or at least go for a walk so that you can get some fresh air because it makes you feel good mentally and physically, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your dog? Everything from the right multivitamin for dogs to understanding what shedding means is important. If you would consider your own health and hygiene, then you need to consider that of your dogs as well. So here is how you can look to keep your dog in good health.
- Make sure that you are feeding them nutritious food. With the right food, you can reduce your dog’s risk of a huge range of chronic disease. You want them to be fit, strong and generally healthy, and their food should be high in protein and fiber as a result. Dog obesity is actually on the rise and more dogs are now at risk of living shorter lives with heart disease and hormonal diseases. With a well balanced diet you can avoid this. A well balanced diet ensures a healthy coat, healthy skin and a happy and energized dog.
- Make sure that they are exercising. A fit dog is a healthy dog and you want to be able to prevent weight gain, burn their calories off, and prevent any boredom and stress. A dog that is not exercised enough or properly is a dog that is going to tell your house apart. Dog walking isn’t a high intensity workout and doesn’t have to be, but it’s fantastic for strengthening their muscles and bones and lowering their blood pressure. If you allow your dog to become overweight, you’re going to affect their quality of life in a very negative way. It’s also going to potentially shorten their lifespan and cause the same health problems that overweight humans run into, such as heart disease and diabetes. You don’t want to put any extra strain on your dog’s joints, so make sure that you are exercising them properly.
- Keep their teeth clean. You may not consider the need for brushing your dog’s teeth, but you do need to think about it. Gum disease and tooth decay are common reasons for dogs to be in the vet. If you want your dog to be healthy, then cleaning their teeth is a must. Brushing their teeth every single day can help to minimize bacteria. It also helps to prevent unnecessary trips to the vet and create healthy gums.
