There are things that you can do to help your dog live longer and better. The New Year is a great time to make plans and achieve goals.
Resolve to get your dog to a healthy weight.
Purina’s Life Span Study proved that normal weight dogs lived an extra 1.8 years over their overweight counterparts.1 It is more than just feeding him less. You must make sure that you are meeting nutritional needs while still reducing his calorie intake. A premium weight loss formula dog food will help you make sure. For more on how to tell a premium food, check out 6 Questions You Need To Ask About Your Dog’s Food.
Specified mealtimes are also important.
Few animals in natural existence have unlimited access to food. Our dogs are not wired to be couch potatoes with limitless snacking capabilities. Give your pet the amount of food that you and your vet have calculated and allow 5-10 minutes for her to eat. At the end of that time, take the bowl away, preventing indulgence and boredom eating throughout the day.
Increase her exercise to improve weight and wellness.
Winter time blues can get us all. The days are short and the temperatures discouraging at best. Make time every day to get her moving! If you can train her to run on your treadmill, she can get some exercise even when it is cold. With a new workout buddy that always thinks you are great, you will like it too and you will never have to wait for her. She is always ready. Provide her with active toys and play games with her. It is good for your both!
Make sure his veterinary preventive care is provided and current.
Start setting aside a health savings account for your dog. Even a small amount from each paycheck can build up quickly enough to take the sting out of the yearly visit. You would probably never miss your fancy latte and you could directly divert the saved purchase price to your dog’s health account or put the money toward pet insurance to plan for the unexpected.
Plan to keep your dog’s body and mind healthy. It is an investment in the future that you will both be glad you made.
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- J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 May 1;220(9):1315-2 Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs.Kealy RD, Lawler DF, Ballam JM, Mantz SL, Biery DN, Greeley EH, Lust G, Segre M, Smith GK, Stowe HD.
