While most pet parents would argue that anything short of forever isn’t long enough, our dogs are actually living longer and healthier lives than ever before. We may not be with them forever, but there are some things you can do to help your dog maintain a good quality of life for as many years as possible.
Focus on nutrition
Just like humans, nutrition plays an important role in your pet’s health. This means it’s important to have a balanced diet full of high-quality ingredients and nutrients. When choosing a diet for your pet, there are three main questions you should ask yourself:
- Is this diet suitable for their breed?
- Is this diet appropriate for their size?
- Is this diet appropriate for their age?
Freshpet is a great, healthy food for dogs choose because it provides recipes that are full of important nutrients they need to maintain their health through every stage of life. They offer a wide selection, but I recommend you give it a try Freshpet® Select Puppy Recipe with Chicken, Freshpet® Choose Belly and Sensitive Skinor Freshpet® Select Fresh from the Kitchen™ Homemade Chicken Recipe – also high in antioxidants from cranberries!
Schedule annual and biennial exams
It is important to be consistent with your pet’s exams. Checkings are a great way to make sure your pet is up to date on standard health care such as vaccinations as well as annual or 6-monthly blood check sheets. Depending on your pet’s age, your veterinarian may recommend a blood test once or twice a year. This gives your veterinarian the opportunity to identify and treat disease earlier, increasing the probability of a successful response to treatment.
Monitoring chronic diseases
If your pet has a chronic illness like diabetes or hypothyroidism, don’t worry. Most pets have a good quality of life with good management of chronic diseases. Depending on the chronic illness, your veterinarian may recommend that you follow a modified visitation schedule so that instead of once or twice a year, you visit more often. This will make them suitable for testing to help monitor disease and alert your veterinarian if medication dosage adjustments are needed.
Always take care of their oral health
Unfortunately, more than 80% of pets have some stage of dental disease. It’s not normal if your pet has terrible breath or their teeth look like they are rotten – both of which are major signs of periodontal disease. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to problems such as:
- Mouth pain
- Eating and drinking decrease
- Unintentional weight loss
- Halitosis
- Contributing to systemic diseases
Depending on your primary care veterinarian’s recommendations, you can expect dental cleanings once to twice a year. However, to be more effective and consistent with your pet’s oral health, you can also start brushing them at home twice a day. It can take a while to work on that frequency, so to get started, try cleaning your teeth at least twice a week and work your way up from there. If this is your first time doing this, check out our at-home dog brushing tips.
Solving pet obesity
Aside from periodontal disease, one of the biggest illnesses veterinarians face today is obesity in pets. In fact, about 25-30% of pets are considered obese. Like humans, obesity increases the probability of pets developing serious diseases like diabetes or worse conditions like osteoarthritis. Observe your pet’s weight and work with your primary care veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist to create a weight loss plan to help your pet reach his ideal weight. You can also check out our tips on How to keep your pet at a healthy weight!
Talk to your vet about pain management
If your pets have recurrent lameness, they may experience pain on a daily basis, even without noticing it. This could be due to a previous injury or osteoarthritis, but regardless of the cause, it’s important to remember that pets don’t always show pain. They are quite resilient creatures, but they deserve to be as comfortable as possible. A great way to help your pet live longer is to talk to their veterinarian about the level of pain control that is right for their needs. Thankfully, there are many different options for pain management that your veterinarian can guide you through, such as:
- Acupuncture
- Analgesic
- Laser therapy
Invest in pet insurance
One of the things pet parents often have to deal with is the unexpectedly high cost of veterinary care, and these out-of-pocket expenses can put a financial strain on the family. The closest thing we have to health insurance for our pets is pet insurance. Take the time to research which provider and plan type is ideal for your needs, financially and otherwise.
