9 Tips to Help Keep your Dog Healthy | Life Hacks for Canine Health
nine top tips to help keep your dog
healthy
well the weekend our dog is a puppy or
rescue an older dog we want to see them
grow into strong healthy animals that
will stand by our side for many years
dogs like all animals excel when looked
after correctly it doesn’t matter if you
have a yorkshire terrier or a Great Dane
there are some easy steps to keep your
pet as healthy as possible both
physically and mentally here’s a list of
nine ways you can help keep your dog as
healthy and as happy as possible
number nine feed a balanced diet and
avoid obesity one of the most important
factors is what you’re feeding your dog
and maybe even more importantly is how
much obesity and dogs can occur for a
number of reasons but the most common is
a higher intake of high-calorie foods
combined with the lack of exercise if
your dog becomes obese it can cause a
number of health problems and shorten
his life by up to two years you may
think that you’re showing your dog love
by giving him an extra ton of food or
the scraps from your own plate a dog
however doesn’t see this as loving and
will only be momentarily happy with the
extra meal before looking for more human
food is often too high in salt for our
canine friends and things like chocolate
are actually poisonous for our dogs this
is due to the fact that their bodies
can’t process theobromine a bitter
alkaloid of the cacao plant as fast as
ours can keep to recommended guidelines
for your dog’s size and stick to a
nutritious dog food to avoid heart
breathing and joint problems number
eight give opportunity for plenty of
exercise dogs are naturally playful and
hunt in the wild this means they cover
vast amounts of land per day looking for
food and are built for this in mind
domesticated dogs don’t need to hunt but
that doesn’t mean they don’t need to run
around most dogs will appreciate a walk
twice a day but a dog like a husky needs
more than this letting your dog exercise
enough will make sure they keep fit keep
their muscles strong and allow them to
keep doing the activities they enjoy
into old age
the time spent together on walks will
also improve your dog’s sense of
well-being plus it’s good for you too if
you needed another reason number seven
make sure your dog is vaccinated and
take them to the vet regularly all pets
should be taken for a regular checkup to
help spot early signs of possible
diseases and keep them in the best
possible health we also need to make
sure that our furry friends are
vaccinated to keep them and other dogs
around them safe rabies is still a huge
problem in developing countries due to
lack of vaccines and we’re lucky to have
access to the vaccinations we do however
without vaccinations dogs anywhere can
still carry and pass on disease so it’s
incredibly important to vaccinate and
protect both your dog and others all
dogs are susceptible to preventable
illness such as gastric torsion keep
tabs on your dog’s health and be aware
if anything changes make sure your dog
is up to date with these shots to keep
them as healthy as possible
number six keep your dog’s mouth healthy
we are told to brush our teeth at least
twice a day to prevent plaque and keep
our teeth strong and healthy so why
don’t we pay as much attention to our
dog’s teeth although different from ours
and not as prone to cavities they still
require lots of care and there are some
easy ways to spot if something is up if
your dog has really bad breath changes
as eating habits or starts pawing at his
face get to your vet soon as he may have
a bad tooth trying to check your dog’s
mouth once a week and help prevent TV
problems by introducing dog friendly
toothpaste and treats that clean his
teeth you may also want to stick to dry
dog food as it’s better for teeth than
the wet alternative number five remember
dogs are social animals dogs enjoy the
company of other dogs and/or humans and
if you leave your dog for too long
during the day or without the
opportunity to play with other dogs or
yourself then they can become depressed
dogs are pack animals and so
instinctively want to be part of a group
if you don’t have more than one dog make
sure you spend enough time with your
friends so they don’t feel abandoned and
even if you do have more than one dog
they will both appreciate the time you
spend with them after all you’re the
leader of the pack
some people remedy this by getting two
dogs which does often help but you still
need to make sure you’re taking your dog
out enough to meet and to interact with
other dogs and people number four
train your dog properly leaving on from
the last point to make sure that your
dog interacts with other dogs and the
world around him safely you must make
sure you train him properly
we’ve all heard horror stories of dogs
attacking other animals old people and
the truth is it’s not the animals fault
but usually a lack of training whether
you rescue an older dog or get a puppy
you need to start training straight away
and make sure you and your pets are on
the same page you can find classes in
your local area or watch our video on
tips to train your dog number three give
your dog a suitable place to live it’s
important for your dog to have a space
that is just his away from people and
other animals and where he can relax
your dog needs a warm comfortable place
to sleep or spend time when you’re at
work whether your dog lives inside or
outside most of the time there are some
basic requirements that you need to
abide by law in a lot of countries make
sure he has a comfortable dry place to
sleep in away from the elements imagine
how you would feel if you had a drafty
bedroom or one where the rain could fall
on you it would it make you feel cared
for at all it’s the same with your dog
he needs somewhere dry and warm to chill
out in it should also be clean and quiet
it means he has a place to hide if
anything scares him or he feels unwell
sometimes we all need some time alone
and if your dog isn’t feeling as
sociable for any reason then it gives
them a chance to recuperate
you also need to make sure that his bed
is big enough so your dog can go through
as natural setting routine of turning
around a number of times before finally
settling down to sleep number two make
sure there’s access to fresh clean water
at all times depending on your dog’s
size and the weather conditions you may
see his water bowl empty more than you
thought you would just like you your
dog’s body is made up of around 80%
water to make sure your dog stays
hydrated and energetic keep his water
topped up at all times on average a
healthy dog drinks about an ounce of
water per pound of body weight each day
a small dog such as a pug or terrier
will only need about 500 milliliters per
day however a large dog over 20
kilograms for example a Labrador or a
golden retriever requires around 1.25 to
2.5 liters per day that’s the same as a
person also make sure you clean out your
dog’s water bowl every day germs and
bacteria can breed at SuperSpeed around
the edges of the bowl and if your dog is
thirsty he’ll drink from it even if it’s
dirty
this can cause stomach upsets or end in
dehydration if he chooses not to drink
so use a little soap to clean his bowl
every day just like you would one of
your cups
it may be worth purchasing a collapsible
water bowl four times you’re away from
his bowl such as on a long walk or
playing in the park running causes your
dog to pant which dries out his mouth
with one of these travel water bowls you
can quickly pop it up fill it with water
and let your furry friend have a nice
long drink he’ll thank you for it and it
can also help avoid dehydration and
digestive problems that can occur due to
this
number one never leave your dog alone in
a car a car can become a hot oven in a
short amount of time and there are cases
every year of dogs dying because they
overheat in cars on a hot day although
you might want to take your dog with you
everywhere if you’re concerned you might
have to leave your dog in a hot car
while you go shopping or into someone’s
house do not take your dog with you even
if it’s only 22 degrees outside it can
quickly rise to an unbearable 47 degrees
inside your car keep your dog at home on
hot days and if you need to leave your
dog in the car for five minutes make
sure the windows are open enough to
allow it through breeze your dog will
thank you for it whether you’re a new
dog owner or have been doing it for
years we hope these tips help you look
after your best friend and keep them as
healthy as possible with the right
amount of care you can expect a long and
happy life together those were our top 9
tips for keeping your dog healthy what
tips have you found useful what would
you recommend to other dog owners let us
know in the comments and remember to
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