The health of your dog can be a tricky thing to keep an eye on. Your dog will generally let you know when something isn’t right, but he or she has no way of articulating what is actually wrong. Some pets will develop conditions as they age, too, so it can be even more difficult to tell if they have a new health issue or if they are just experiencing normal signs of aging.
The best actions you can take to ensure your dog’s wellness are generally more preventative in nature. If you take care to help your pet have a healthier lifestyle, they have the best chances of living a longer, happier life.
1. Choose the Right Food
You might feel that feeding your dog is just as simple as going to the grocery store and finding a well-known brand of dog food, then feeding him/her the recommended amount based on his/her size and weight. However, if you want to help your dog to live as healthy a life as possible, you can do so much more.
Unfortunately, many widely used dog food brands don’t actually contain the best ingredients. Others might have great marketing strategies and use buzzwords like “dinner” or “entrée” to entice you to buy their product when in actuality, these words are simply a way for companies to keep the true amount of wholesome ingredients to a minimum. It is important to learn how to read dog food labels so you can make the most informed choices about what you feed your furry friend.
2. Get Plenty of Exercise
One of the things that can lead to the premature deterioration of your dog’s health is a lack of exercise on a regular basis. This could mean different things for different breeds. Some breeds are built for heavy workloads, like huskies and collies, and will need a good amount of exercise, for instance, one hourlong walk a day as well as a couple of shorter walks. Other breeds require much less.
If you neglect to give your dog the right amount of exercise, you risk him/her developing any of a number of health problems. Not only can dogs suffer from excessive weight gain and stiff joints, but their mood can also be negatively affected.
3. Give Them the Right Treats
All dogs love getting treats. While it is important to give these in moderation, you can use treat time as an opportunity to get your dog some extra supplements that can keep him/her healthier for longer. Some treats are sold as vitamins, and these can serve as great additives to a healthy diet. Others, like CeeBeeDoo, contain CBD oil, which can actually help dogs that suffer from ailments like anxiety or arthritis.
You want to try to avoid treats that contain too much fat and sugar. Others that can splinter when eaten can actually prove fatal.
Keep in mind that treats should remain occasional snacks as opposed to a meal replacement. They should be given in conjunction with an otherwise healthy and complete diet.
