Australians spend an average of $3,200 a year on their dog and that includes preventing and managing conditions such as dog arthritis, pancreatitis in dogs or even dog gastro. Dogs are an important part of the family and we want them to feel good and, hopefully, be our companions for a long time!
You can help your dog stay younger, longer, by putting some of these suggestions into action.
1. Keep them active.
+ Prevention is always better than cure and that’s certainly the case with dog arthritis. Regular, gentle exercise helps prevent joints from becoming stiff, while fish oil for dogs may help reduce the risk or symptoms of dog arthritis.
+ Walks and play time will also help your dog to maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and dog arthritis. Considering what you and your pet enjoy the most – a walk around the neighbourhood, or the park, or a game of fetch could be just what they need. Exercise doesn’t need to be vigorous but even gentle exercise, especially for our older and arthritic pets, is beneficial.
If you are planning to start running with your pup, be aware that their bones and muscles are still maturing in their first year and running them too hard and often can cause damage. Exercise is not only good for dog’s physical body but for their minds too, just like humans!
2. Feed them a superfood diet.
While you might blend up a smoothie to get more vitamins and minerals into your diet, it’s unlikely to be the best strategy for your dog. Too much fruit can cause tummy upsets. However, an apple as a treat can provide health-boosting vitamins.
+ Dogs are omnivores, meaning they mainly eat both meat and plant foods. Choose from beef, turkey, chicken, kangaroo, or fish but be aware some breeds can be allergic to chicken and it can increase the risk of developing dermatitis in dogs.
+ Vegetables such as carrots and pumpkin are great sources of fibre for your dog’s gut health, while sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A and C, to help keep your dog’s immune system healthy. Most dogs also love carrots, that are high in carotenoids, fibre, and vitamins B and C.
+ Oily fish can help improve your dog’s skin and coat and help to reduce arthritic pain.
+ Other super healthy foods you could add to your dog’s diet include eggs, green beans, liver, oats, olive oil, wheatgerm and pumpkin seeds.
Whether you feed them a raw food, like the BARF diet, or you prefer to feed them a vet-approved dried food, balance is the key as is feeding them the right amount.
Overfeeding that leads to obesity can reduce dog's life expectancy by up two years and six months for certain breeds, a study of more than 50,000 dogs found.
3. Consider dog supplements.
+ Some supplements can be given daily such as PAW Wellness + Vitality Multivitamin Chews to help with overall health and wellbeing, others such as PAW Fish Oil 500: Veterinary Strength are for specifical conditions such as dog arthritis, or dog skin conditions.
+ Fish oil for dogs has anti-inflammatory components, and may help improve cardiovascular health and in some kidney related conditions.
+ Probiotics for dogs such as PAW DigestiCareTM can help restore and maintain intestinal balance as well as deliver essential amino and fatty acids, key vitamins and minerals and can be useful in cases of dog gastro.
4. Have a stress reduction program for your pet.
Stress is part of our daily lives but if we can minimise the stress in our lives and as well as our pets' lives, we can improve our overall wellbeing for both of us. For pets who are stressed or anxious, a multimodal management approach is key.
This may include reducing the cause if possible, seeing a dog trainer or veterinary behaviourist, and using supplements such as PAW Complete Calm and pheromone therapy to help reduce stress levels. This approach is likely to lead to success but be patient with your pet. Learning to let go of stress and anxiety is difficult and takes time. Dogs love relaxation and that can include snoozing with you on the couch, or having a nap in the sun.
5. Provide mental enrichment.
Just like older people, older dogs can suffer a decline in cognitive function. They may be slower to respond to commands, or sometimes seem aloof or confused.
To help keep your dog mentally sharp, you can use short training sessions, or dog toys, to stimulate them. Studies suggest fish oil, as well as B vitamins and l-arginine, can also help reduce cognitive decline in older dogs.