How to extend the life of a dog

Dogs are excellent companion animals that provide us with countless good things for years. Nobody likes to think that their dog may stop being by their side one day, but it is inevitable. However, there are a number of factors that can influence the health of the dog and determine its quality of life. Therefore, although it is obvious that we cannot turn our furry friend into an immortal being, we can pay attention to certain aspects in their care that will help them to have a stronger health and, as a consequence, a longer life. long.

If you have ever wondered how to extend the life of a dog, you will be interested in this article in which we explain the keys for your dog to have a life as healthy and prosperous as possible.

Our responsibility

The first thing we must be clear about is that there are many factors that influence the life expectancy of a dog and that escape our hands. We are not omnipotent and there are many things that we cannot prevent from happening. However, we are responsible for how to act in situations that affect our dog and for the care that we must provide when we decide that it will be part of our family.

The role of the master when it comes to extending the life of a dog is key, since it depends on us that our dog grows up in a healthy and happy environment, surrounded by love and with the care that every dog ​​needs to develop physically and mentally from healthy way.

feeding

One of the keys to increasing the life expectancy of our dog is its diet. Like humans, dogs have nutritional needs that we must meet, and not in any way. Each breed of dog has some characteristics in common, despite the fact that among them they have their small nuances that make them unique. In addition, size, age, and other medical conditions make each individual dog demand a type of diet with different characteristics.

Therefore, to extend the life of a dog, strive to provide quality food, in addition to providing the right amount at the right times. The amount of food a dog consumes on a daily basis will influence its weight, and when it is higher than recommended by veterinarians it can lead to health problems. In order for your dog to maintain a healthy weight, we must go to the vet to acquire the food that best suits his needs. Here are some tips to extend the life of a dog through food:

• Buy quality food.
• Provide the amount of food according to your needs.
• Feed him in the necessary shifts and at the right time of the day. For example, it is not recommended to feed him just before or after he is physically active.
• You must have water within reach.

The exercise

Hand in hand with food, physical activity and exercise that a dog needs to perform also varies depending on size, breed and other medical aspects. Worrying that our dog exercises will help prevent overweight or obesity, make your dog happier and prevent some diseases. For this reason, we must take our dog for a walk about three times a day, for the time necessary for some energy waste to occur. Therefore, if you ask yourself “how to make my dog ​​live longer”, keep in mind that his physical activity is very important.

Exercising our dog not only has positive effects on his physical health, but also provides emotional well-being, since dogs enjoy walking, since for them it is a way of snooping, sniffing, being in contact with other people and interacting with other dogs. However, some dogs that suffer from diseases such as canine osteoarthritis may have certain exercises that are contraindicated, which is why it is essential to visit the vet.

A sociable dog is a happy dog

Without a doubt, another fundamental aspect when we ask ourselves how to extend the life of our dog is to contribute to its correct socialization. For this it is important that the dog is in contact with both people and dogs since he is a puppy. In this way we will get them to get used to living with us and other animals and not present undesirable attitudes when they reach adulthood. A dog that has experienced good socialization during its development will be a much happier and less troublesome dog, thus greatly benefiting its well-being. Once again, like humans, a dog that feels good inside will be happier. At this point the fact of how to provide a good education also intervenes, since punishing our dog through physical reprimands or exceeding us by yelling at them can have negative effects.

The hygiene of our dog

Other care that any dog ​​needs is proper hygiene. Taking a bath when it is your turn not only prevents it from smelling bad, leaving hairs all over the house or accumulating dirt, but it is also a way to take care of your health by preventing diseases of the skin, eyes, ears, etc. The frequency with which we must bathe our dog will vary depending on the type of hair, but just as not bathing it can never be negative, bathing it very frequently is not good either. For this reason, we recommend that you read this article about how often to bathe my dog. It is advisable to consult with the veterinarian which is the best shampoo based on the needs of our furry friend, in addition to acquiring other items for his hygiene such as brushes. In addition, we must not mention that dogs must have their nails cut, a task that you can learn to do in this article on how to cut a dog”s nails.

Visit the vet

As you already know, the vet is to a dog what the doctor means to humans. Each dog has different characteristics and needs that we must cover, and although we may think that we have everything under control, there are many things that escape our hands. This does not mean that we should constantly be concerned about how to extend a dog”s life and, as a consequence, should constantly take him to the vet, but rather that we should be regularly checked. In this article we explain more extensively when to take a dog to the vet based on its age and different conditions that it may suffer.

At a minimum, it is recommended to go to the vet once a year, as long as we have not detected any sign that could alert about health problems in our dog, in which case we must go before.