Weight gain, second-hand smoke, too little exercise, and ignoring dental care are among the 10 dog health mistakes that can hurt your pup.
Every pet parent likes to think that they are providing a healthy life for their dogs. You might provide your dog with lots of love and top quality food, but there’s a lot more in raising a healthy pup to a healthy dog. Unfortunately, there are ten dog health mistakes that pet parents can make that cut your dog’s life short.
Sometimes our busy lives might intervene in taking proper care of our canines. And this causes us to neglect some essential measures that could increase the lifespan of our dogs.
The good news is it’s never too late to take care of your dog.
Take action now, and avoid these ten dog health mistakes that can cut your dog’s life.
#1. Letting your dog gain too much weight
Approximately one in three dogs in the U.S. are overweight. Being just a few pounds overweight can significantly decrease the lifespan and quality of life for your dog.
Allowing your dog to gain too much weight can result in dire consequences for your dog. According to research by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53% of dogs were overweight last year. Besides that, 95% of the owners didn’t know the right weight for their dogs. This is alarming.
Letting your dog get obese can reduce not only his life span but also his quality of life. One thing people fail to realize is that dogs don’t break down or process food as humans do.
A dog eating an ounce of cheese is equivalent to a human eating 1.5 hamburgers, which is a lot to consume.
So, don’t let your dog gain too much weight and create a healthy lifestyle for your pet. If your dog gets heavy, you may need to consider feeding your pup low-calorie dog food.
#2. Not taking your dog for annual checkups
It might be a pain to take your dog to a vet yearly, but doing this might save his life.
Get your dog over to a vet annually to improve his lifespan. You might think that annual physicals can prove to be too stressful for dogs, but trust me! They aren’t!
Even if your dog is acting all normal, there might be problems inside of him. And in a dog’s case, time is the key to everything.
Besides taking them to annual checkups, you should also check reviews for the best organic CBD oil for dogs. It acts as additional health care for your dog. In some cases, the symptoms might appear so late that the vets can do nothing about it then. But if the treatment is started early, it can improve the quality and quantity of a dog’s life.
#3. Letting your dog eat food from the table
One thing on which all vets agree on is, giving food from your table to dogs is a terrible idea. The internal part of humans and dogs aren’t the same. Especially the esophagus and the stomach area.
The digestive system of dogs can’t handle most of the food humans eat. So, rather than showing affection to your dog with your food, pay attention to his diet.
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#4. Ignoring dental care
Brushing your dog’s teeth daily can help prevent a variety of health problems.
Giving a bath or shower to your dog is critical for your dogs’ hygiene and prevention of disease. You don’t need to shower your dog daily, clean him after he gets dirty.
Another thing you can’t forget is the health of your dog’s teeth. When you visit the vet next time, be sure to check the condition of your dog’s teeth. You can buy special toothpaste and toothbrush at the pet store.
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#5. Not providing daily exercise
Playing with your dog in the park once a week isn’t exercise for your dog. You need to have an exercise routine planned for your dog.
Exercise provides mental stimulation as well as keeps extra weight off your dog. Having a fitness routine for your dog is a healthy way to expel energy.
#6. Exposing your dog to second-hand smoke
Like humans, dogs’ lungs aren’t compatible with handling smoke too. Second-hand smoke can prove to be very detrimental to pets. It pushes them on the brink of having cancer and respiratory issues.
#7. Forgetting about heartworms and ticks
Preventing heartworms and ticks is as important as vaccinations. These tiny worms can spread life-threatening diseases.
Consult your vet. There are many prevention options from collars to oral medications.
#8. Not showing your dog love and care
Dogs give us unconditional love and joy. They make us healthier, more social, and more productive.
Dogs are social animals. And like humans, they want communication with you and other dogs. They need social interaction to develop their personalities.
Failing to provide proper socialization can make your dog aggressive and scared, ultimately cutting their lifespan.
#9. Making certain breeds work too hard
Small and toy dog breeds and short-nosed breeds have different exercise routines than other dog breeds.
For example, English bulldogs, French bulldogs, boxers shouldn’t be trained in extreme heat as it can be life-threatening to them.
#10. Letting your dog be outside without supervision
Letting your dog go outside without supervision can lead to horrible consequences. Cars, Coyotes, other predators are out there. So, it’s best to let them out with someone.
Live a long and happy life
Your dog is perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of your life. So, don’t take any steps that can result in your dog’s lifespan being reduced.
Give your dog the proper care to ensure he lives a long, healthy, happy life.
Kathrin Garner writes about social issues and participates in the FV KASA program, which is a discussion platform on cannabis topics. She also volunteers at Marijuana Detox.
*DogsBestLife.com participates in the Chewy Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to let our site earn fees by linking to Chewy.com.
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