Being a pet owner is amazing. It allows you to spend time with your favorite animal and do things that you both love.
Walking home to your furry buddy waiting to hug you or wanting to play with you will help keep you going when things get tough. If you own a dog, you must take good care of it to ensure that it lives a healthy and long life.
There are many ways to promote the health and wellness of your dog. You can become a better dog owner by doing the following things.
1. Offer the Correct Portions of High-Quality Feed
One of the best ways to promote your dog’s health is by providing it with the correct portions of high-quality feed. It is quite common for dog lovers to overfeed their pups. Besides this, feeding the wrong food is also an issue.
As the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that around 60% of pets are obese, it is important that you keep an eye on how much you are feeding your bundle of joy. This extra weight leads to diabetes, hypertension, hypertension, and arthritis in pets, which results in a shortened lifespan and costly vet bills.
Here are some things that you need to do to feed your dog right.
- Feed the correct portions.
- Only feed the right human food.
- Shop for high-quality dog food that uses healthy ingredients.
- Stick to the feeding instructions mentioned on the packaging.
- Ask your vet for recommendations if your pet has underlying health issues.
- Make sure that your dog gets sufficient protein from chicken, turkey, and salmon.
2. Get Your Pet to Exercise Daily
Next, you need to make sure that your dog exercises daily. It is the only way that it can remain healthy. Since pet obesity has become a huge problem, you must encourage your pup to exercise. After all, you have to get it to burn off the extra calories.
Experts state that exercise also offers mental benefits. If your dog does not exercise daily, it could end up developing destructive behaviors and mood disorders. You must try different things to get your furry buddy to remain active.
A general rule of the thumb is that puppies need 5 minutes of exercise for every month of their age. If your puppy is 1 moth old then 5 minutes of walk would be sufficient exercise for the day. If its 2 month old, 10 minutes would suffice and so on.
However, some breeds need more exercise then others. For example, German Shepherd puppies are more active then Yorkie Poo puppies, and thus require more exercise.
The same is true for adult puppies, i.e. dogs.
Generally, dogs enjoy getting physically active for an extended period of time. Make sure that your little one walks for at least an hour daily. The breed of your dog would influence how much it needs to exercise to stay happy and healthy.
The truth is that exercising with your dog is easier than you think. It will also provide you and your dog an opportunity to bond.
3. Get Engaging Toys
Since you cannot be with your pup every single moment, it is a good idea to get lots of engaging toys. It will ensure that your dog can play with enriching toys to stay active. When it comes to overall health, mental stimulation is essential.
The worst mistake that you can make is getting meaningless stimuli for your pup. It would only prove detrimental to its overall well-being. Leave the toys out so that they can play in your absence and not get bored. Get some puzzle toys for your little one to keep it mentally sharp.
It is also important that you regularly shop for new toys to keep your pup excited about playtime. Keeping it occupied for long hours is a sure way to promote its health and wellness. Your dog should get tired from exercising and playing so that it can relax.
4. Get Your Pup Checked By the Vet Twice a Year
Who says that you should only visit the vet when your pup gets sick? It is crucial that you take your dog to the vet twice a year for routine checks. This would ensure that your bundle of joy remains healthy and help prevent an illness early on.
The secret to keeping your pets healthy is prevention. Semi-annual check-ups with the vet will protect your little one’s health and wellness. Besides, it is easy for you to mistake the illness for something else. It is also worth mentioning that animals can even hide their illnesses at times.
Visiting the vet at least twice a year for a check-up will put a stop to an underlying condition and ensure that it does not get worse.
During the check-up, your pup would get vaccinated and undergo a thorough physical exam to determine if there is any condition that might have been overlooked. Make sure to discuss all your concerns with the vet to ensure that you both are on the same page.
5. Brush Your Pup’s Teeth Daily
Although it is not easy to brush your pup’s teeth, you must brush its teeth daily to keep it healthy. There are many benefits of brushing dog teeth every day. Oral health is something that most pet owners do not take seriously. However, it is a mistake that you must avoid.
To avoid periodontal disease, your pup must have clean teeth. At-home dental care goes a long way in helping keep your little one happy and healthy. It would prevent a variety of health issues.
Similar to how important our oral health is, dogs also require oral care. If you do not brush your pup’s teeth, you will put its gums and teeth at risk.
The periodontal disease would affect the bloodstream of your dog and take a toll on internal organs such as the liver and kidney. Hence, brushing is the only way that you can stop irreversible damage.
There are various pet-safe products that you can use to combat bad breath, plaque, and tartar that plague your pup. In fact, the products are tasty and loved by dogs.
Takeaway
From feeding the right portions of high-quality food to brushing your dog’s teeth daily, the above tips will help promote the health and wellness of your bundle of joy. Now, you can become a better pet owner and overcome health issues that affect your pup.
