Tips To Help Your Dog Live A Longer And Healthier Life

Ask any pup parent, and they will tell you how much a dog can sense emotionally. They know when we are feeling sad or stressed, happy or joyful, and will react accordingly. They always stand by our side serving as a faithful companion and steadfast friend, that's too without any demands and expectations. That is why these furry animals, are known as Man's Best friend. But, they also need some love and care, in return. So, you must keep them happy as well as healthy, as it is well said that "A healthy dog is a happy dog which translates into a happy parent." So, let's learn some tips which will help your dog to live a longer and healthier life and for more tips click here.

Tips To Help Your Dog Live A Longer And Healthier Life

1. Diet and Nutrition

Food is the basic need which is required by every living organism to grow and develop. We, humans, are very conscious about our diet. Similarly, being a pet parent, you must provide the best diet for your pet. A high-quality feed can give your dog a healthy body, shiny hair and bright eyes. Choose a diet which, contains almost every essential nutrients required for growth and development, and measure it out according to the instructions on the side of the feed bag. You may also seek advice from your vet to get the best estimate for measuring feed. Every dog requires different quantity and quality of diet depending upon their size, age, and even breed. So, it's better to consult your vet about your pet's specific needs. Avoid Overfeeding!

2. Vaccination

We all follow a proper vaccination schedule for our children since the day they are born to prevent them from life-threatening disorders; similarly, there is a vaccination schedule for pets too. As a pet parent, you should keep the vaccination chart upto date. It will not only prevent your dogs from health problems but will also save you and your surroundings from some diseases caused by these canines like rabies, distemper, etc.

3. Physical Activities

A lazy dog is a threat to its own health as well as to you; emotionally and financially. Overweight can decrease the life span of your dog for a minimum of two years. You should take your pet for a daily walk and running. Moreover, you can hire a trainer who will teach him some physical skills and exercises as well as social norms to keep your dog lean and fit.

4. Maintain Proper Hygiene

One personal benefit of good hygiene is having better health. It goes the same for your pets too. Pets hygiene includes oral care, body care, and grooming. Oral diseases are the most common diseases found in pets which, can further lead to other disorders.  So, make it a habit to brush your dog's teeth regularly. Along with this, you should also visit a veterinarian for regular oral checkups. Regular bathing and proper grooming are utmost important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your pet and preventing it from unwanted diseases.

5. Regular Vet Visits

Is it well said that "prevention is better than cure." This statement implies to living as well as non-living things. To prevent your pet from life-threatening disorders, you should make a regular vet visit. Early diagnosis of any disorder have a better chance of cure and is also cost-effective. 

6. Training and Socializing

Like our children, Dogs need to be trained too. It includes basic toilet training, socializing with parent and other animals. Out of all these, toilet training is the priority. Proper toilet training helps to keep your home as well as your surrounding neat and clean. A trainer can be hired who will train some socializing norms and physical activities, which may help to increase the life span of your pet.

7. Sterilization/ Neutering

click here

Nowadays, sterilization is the foremost advice given to every 'to be a pet parent.' Sterilizing helps in the prevention of complicated pregnancies and other disorders like ovarian cancer in females and testicular cancer in males. It also decreases the aggression of your pet and unnecessary roaming in the surroundings. So, you must discuss neutering/spaying to vet before keeping a pet.

8. Comfortable Bedding

Last but not least, the rest is the most important part of our life, which helps us to regain our lost energy. So, to take proper rest, a comfy bed is the first requirement. So, make sure that the bed of your pet is as comfy as yours. A dog house must be well ventilated, and it should not have any dangerous object like sharp ends devices or electric wires. Bedding must be done regularly to prevent bed bugs or ticks.

➜ Suggested Reading: Your Dog is Sleeping More Than Usual? This is the Reason!

How to Choose the Right Food for Your Dog

Only a good diet, containing all the appropriate nutrients in proportion and quantity, positively influences the health of the dog.

But what factors ensure a good choice of food for our dog?

As obvious as it may seem, the first thing is that the food is formulated for dogs, since the nutritional needs of other species are not the same as theirs. Of course, here we must include all human foods, both for their ingredients and their way of preparation.

The next step is that it is formulated for the characteristics of the dog in particular. Thus, the first thing we must take into account is the age and size of the animal. This is because the puppies have different nutritional needs than the adults and, in turn, that the nutritional needs of a puppy of miniature size are not the same as those of a giant-sized puppy. This is determinant because the phases of development according to their estimated adult size are also different.

In this regard, at Royal Canin we have determined five large dog groups according to their adult size: dogs under 4 kilos (X-Small), dogs under 10 kilos (Mini), dogs between 11 and 25 kilos (Medium ), dogs of 26 to 45 kilos (Maxi) and dogs of more than 45 kilos (Giant).

Also, regardless of the size of the dog, the passage of time makes it enter its senior phase, which requires a specific food. As happens with the change from the juvenile to the adult phase, the step to maturity varies according to size, much earlier in giant dogs than in miniature.

Another characteristic to take into account to choose a suitable food for the dog is its physiological state, that is, if it is neutered, since the nutritional needs of a dog that is sterilized are very different due to the changes that occur in its metabolism after the intervention.

After these basic questions, you should also take into account characteristics of the dog as the amount of daily exercise that does and if it presents some sensitivity. Some examples are working dogs or with skin problems.

Due to the advance in nutritional studies of the dog, it has been proven that many breeds have their own nutritional needs and therefore specific foods have been developed for some of them. A couple of very illustrative examples are the foods for the Miniature Schnauzer, which help prevent the formation of urinary stones, and for the Labrador Retriever, which are able to satisfy a particularly gluttonous appetite without the ration being greater.

Of course, the state of health also influences when choosing the food of our dog, since many disorders require a diet adapted to combat them. However, the choice of food for a dog with some disease should be made by the veterinarian after making the diagnosis of the disorder.

Finally, the choice of a suitable food for the dog according to everything described would be useless if after that the daily ration adequate to each dog is not measured.

Do you want to see it with an example? What would be the most suitable Royal Canin food for a three-year-old dog that weighs 19 kilos and has just been sterilized? Actually there are two, the Medium Sterilized and the Neutered Adult, sold in specialized stores and veterinary clinics, respectively. As you can see, in both cases the species, the size of the dog, its age and its condition are taken into account; then you should give the recommended ration for your body weight according to the package.